Democratic Senator John Fetterman has checked himself into Walter Reed medical center for treatment of his clinical depression. Fetterman has had depression on and off throughout his life, but it has become more severe in recent weeks. He was evaluated by the attending physician of the United States Congress on Monday, and they recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed. Fetterman is receiving treatment voluntarily.
According to the New York Times, Fetterman’s condition is worse than initially thought. He has struggled with the transition to being a senator due to the strains of his recovery, which left him with a physical impairment and serious mental health challenges. The physical impairment mentioned is an auditory processing issue that makes it difficult for him to hear people. Listening to people is like “trying to make out the muffled voice of the teacher in the ‘Peanuts’ cartoon, whose words could never be deciphered.”
Senate colleagues are helping Fetterman adjust to his “special needs,” including using tablets to transcribe voices for him.
