POLITICIZING DEPRESSION

Leave him alone.

 

I’m writing about Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa); more specifically, his depression and going public with it. I’m not going to Google the circumstances. I’m going to be less disciplined, using Twitter bits and pieces that came up in my feed while he was trending upon admission and then upon discharge from hospital. It’s those Twitter bits I find problematic.

 

The man is a politician and, thus, everything about him is politicized. This is particularly so because he represents Pennsylvania and won his seat last November with 51.3% of the vote compared to Republican opponent Mehmet Oz’s 46.3%. A close race though perhaps not as close as predicted. The seat had previously been held by Republican Pat Toomey who chose not to seek re-election after serving two terms. As a “flip” (going from Red to Blue) in a Senate that is precariously tipped in the Democrats’ favor (51 to 49, with three of the senators in the Democrat tally officially being Independents), any vulnerability of the elected senator gets pounced on. If he were a senator from a clearly blue or red state, his depression wouldn’t garner as much attention. People would be less inclined to pounce, saying he’s unfit, speculating he was forced to run for office and forced to stay in office. In Hawaii where Democratic Senator Brian Schatz was re-elected with 71% of the vote or in South Dakota where Republican Senator John Thune was re-elected with 70% of the vote, the hospitalization of either politician wouldn’t garner much attention outside the given state. Should anything dire happen to either senator and a special election were warranted, there would be little chance of the opposing party scoring a surprise win.  

 

I’ve made a point of not scrolling or researching too deeply the reactions to Fetterman’s depression and his hospitalization. Snipes about depression are not good for my own mental health. I have dealt with crushing periods of clinical depression and I too have been treated in hospital. While Fetterman is a public figure and his detractors can say he’s fair game, any pot shots that demonize the man or the disorder, risk harm to Fetterman and others, like me, who have had to find our way up and back.

 

I saw many well-wishers, but quite a few judging the senator and his “handlers.” All of it felt partisan and, frankly, that came off as repugnant. If it were Ron Johnson, the re-elected Republican senator from Wisconsin, edging his Democratic challenger, Mandela Barnes, 50.5% to 49.5%, I suspect the same sentiments would have been expressed, just flipped. And that’s gross. That’s how divided the U.S. is. Let a senator’s mental health struggle be an opportunity to criticize him, to question his fitness, to do a little advance campaigning—does campaign season ever end?—so the electorate will think twice—five years from now when Fetterman’s seat comes up again or next year when the other Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, Bob Casey, is up for re-election.

 

I’m fed up with how mental health is manipulated in U.S. politics. I don’t see caring, deep discussions about how to support people with mental health challenges related to depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or any other condition. That’s not altogether surprising. Most countries are behind the times in dealing with mental health and the United States still hasn’t even figured out a compassionate, reasonable, accessible system to support physical health issues. There’s still a frontier mentality. Look out for yourself (and your family) (and your wallet); everyone else be damned. 

 

I was pleased that mental health received more attention during COVID lockdowns. As people struggled in isolation, anxiety and depression got discussed more but, alas, masks are off and everyone’s moved on. It’s the price of eggs, Gwyneth’s skiing skills and train derailments that are at the forefront now. Depression is a downer to talk about anyway.

 

Mental health only trends now when there’s another mass shooting. Okay, so that means it shows up a lot. But, again, the topic is distorted; it’s villainized. The takeaway: People with mental health struggles shoot up schools and malls and churches and movie theaters and concerts. 

 

Damn! They shoot up a lot. 

 

Who says it’s about guns? “Squirrel!” It’s about crazies. Loose cannons. Pariahs. Don’t even think about letting the welfare of schoolchildren and grocery shoppers impede citizens’ right to AR-15s, ammo buildup and all the gadgets that make killing more efficient. Righteous Second Amendment advocates double down. It’s mental health that’s weaponized. 

 

When news first broke that Senator Fetterman was struggling with depression, I naively—and hopefully—saw it as a different kind of opportunity, not one to doubt his competence and vilify his family, but a chance to chip away at the stigma that continues to exist pertaining to mental health. Depression, anxiety and any number of other conditions are not signs of weakness. They don’t mean the person is flawed. Do we say a person with prostate cancer or shingles is weak and/or flawed? It would be rare for someone with either physical condition to deny their symptoms and refuse to see the doctor. Overall, men take longer to seek treatment for an ache, blood in bowel movements or a circumstance that is slowing them down. Testosterone and a persistent tough guy persona can be a detrimental combo. It’s the same—worse, I suspect—when it comes to mental health. I’m a testosterone-lite dude and it took me decades to seek help for depression, anxiety, a bipolar condition and, sigh, I’ve basically told my psychiatrist to nix other diagnoses. I’m enough of a label queen already. 

 

It's of huge significance that Fetterman checked himself into hospital for treatment and did so publicly. F*#k shame. Never mind work and personal commitments. This was an oxygen-mask-on-oneself-first moment. He couldn’t help his constituents, his family or friends, until he got whatever help he needed, be it therapy, rest, a reset in terms of diet and/or medication. Sickness happens. One of the supposed takeaways from COVID was supposed to be to stay away from work when you’re not well. Rest, see a doctor, get better. 

 

Kudos, Mr. Fetterman. He’s been discharged, presumably stabilized, hopefully on the mend. Those who aren’t in the know will continue to shame and judge him. They’ll question his competence. They’ll scrutinize his actions and inactions. They’ll seek to peddle doubt and to cast depression as a character flaw and a liability. I’m hoping though that other people will respect him for being open about depression, at least on a general level. (He has a right to keep personal aspects private.) Let someone see Fetterman as taking action and being responsible in seeking medical help. Depression can be hellish. That notion that it’s a personal flaw deters people from opening up about it. There’s a damaging perception—I know it well—that a person should be able to turn things around themselves. 

 

I’m hoping Senator Fetterman continues to improve and that he reaches out to the appropriate supports when he experiences setbacks and/or when another devastating round of depression settles in. Let Fetterman’s lead serve as a positive example. Let others get help if and when they need it.

  

 

 

 

988 is a suicide hotline in the United States. In Canada, it’s 1-833-456-4566. Wikipedia lists many international hotlines here.