Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has publicly spoken out about his struggles with depression, revealing the emotional turmoil he experienced in the aftermath of a tight election victory.
In an exclusive interview with CBS, Fetterman, who won his Senate seat by a narrow margin, spoke candidly about the weight of responsibility that comes with public office and how it affected his mental health. "I was in this downward spiral... I didn't know if I could do it," he shared.
Fetterman's openness about his struggles is a rare glimpse into the personal toll of public life on politicians, who often face intense scrutiny from voters and the media.
The senator's candor serves as a reminder that mental health issues are just as prevalent in politics as they are elsewhere, and seeking help is an important step towards healing and growth.
				
			In an exclusive interview with CBS, Fetterman, who won his Senate seat by a narrow margin, spoke candidly about the weight of responsibility that comes with public office and how it affected his mental health. "I was in this downward spiral... I didn't know if I could do it," he shared.
Fetterman's openness about his struggles is a rare glimpse into the personal toll of public life on politicians, who often face intense scrutiny from voters and the media.
The senator's candor serves as a reminder that mental health issues are just as prevalent in politics as they are elsewhere, and seeking help is an important step towards healing and growth.
 . We all need to talk about mental health more, especially when its politicians who are already under a lot of pressure
. We all need to talk about mental health more, especially when its politicians who are already under a lot of pressure  . Its not just them, we should be supporting each other in our own ways too. I mean, have you ever felt like you're drowning in responsibilities and can't see an end to it?
. Its not just them, we should be supporting each other in our own ways too. I mean, have you ever felt like you're drowning in responsibilities and can't see an end to it?  It sounds like Fetterman went through something similar after his election win, but its awesome that he's speaking out now so others might feel more comfortable sharing their own struggles
 It sounds like Fetterman went through something similar after his election win, but its awesome that he's speaking out now so others might feel more comfortable sharing their own struggles  .
. . It takes a lot of courage to share something like that, especially when you're in the public eye. I can imagine it wouldn't be easy to talk about how dark things got, but he's showing us that mental health is just as important as physical health
. It takes a lot of courage to share something like that, especially when you're in the public eye. I can imagine it wouldn't be easy to talk about how dark things got, but he's showing us that mental health is just as important as physical health  .
. .
. Fetterman's bravery in sharing his struggles with depression is a huge deal! It's so refreshing to see a politician be honest about the emotional toll of public office
 Fetterman's bravery in sharing his struggles with depression is a huge deal! It's so refreshing to see a politician be honest about the emotional toll of public office  . Plus, it's awesome that he's using his platform to normalize conversations around mental health
. Plus, it's awesome that he's using his platform to normalize conversations around mental health  .
. it's so exhausting being under the microscope all the time. I mean, John Fetterman seems like a strong guy who can handle his responsibilities, but even he wasn't immune to those feelings
 it's so exhausting being under the microscope all the time. I mean, John Fetterman seems like a strong guy who can handle his responsibilities, but even he wasn't immune to those feelings  . It's good that he's speaking out, maybe it'll inspire others to do the same
. It's good that he's speaking out, maybe it'll inspire others to do the same  . Mental health matters, and we should be talking about it more often
. Mental health matters, and we should be talking about it more often  I'm glad Sen Fetterman is speaking out about his depression, but can't we get more than just a quick mention of it? Like, what specific steps is he gonna take to address the weight of responsibility in public office? Is there a plan to reduce the scrutiny or provide more support for mental health on the Hill? It feels like we're getting this info without any concrete solutions
 I'm glad Sen Fetterman is speaking out about his depression, but can't we get more than just a quick mention of it? Like, what specific steps is he gonna take to address the weight of responsibility in public office? Is there a plan to reduce the scrutiny or provide more support for mental health on the Hill? It feels like we're getting this info without any concrete solutions 
 . We need vulnerability and empathy from our public figures. Interesting!
. We need vulnerability and empathy from our public figures. Interesting!  . but talking to someone and seeking help made all the difference. we need more people in positions of power sharing their struggles so that others feel less alone
. but talking to someone and seeking help made all the difference. we need more people in positions of power sharing their struggles so that others feel less alone  ... I think it takes a lot of courage to share that kind of stuff, especially when youre in public office where everyone is watching what you do and say
... I think it takes a lot of courage to share that kind of stuff, especially when youre in public office where everyone is watching what you do and say  . The thing is mental health issues are super common among politicians too, and its not just them who suffer from it, we all need to look out for each other
. The thing is mental health issues are super common among politicians too, and its not just them who suffer from it, we all need to look out for each other  depression is still super stigmatized & politicians are human too... Fetterman's openness is a big deal!
 depression is still super stigmatized & politicians are human too... Fetterman's openness is a big deal!  , but he's showing us that vulnerability is strength
, but he's showing us that vulnerability is strength  . It's like, politicians don't have to be superheroes or anything (although, can we get one?) they're human too
. It's like, politicians don't have to be superheroes or anything (although, can we get one?) they're human too  and they need help just like the rest of us
 and they need help just like the rest of us 
 anyway back to senator fetterman... i think its awesome that he's talking about this stuff because ppl need to know that even those in power can struggle with mental health
 anyway back to senator fetterman... i think its awesome that he's talking about this stuff because ppl need to know that even those in power can struggle with mental health  . We need more of these open conversations so that we can start dismantling those toxic expectations around masculinity & perfectionism
. We need more of these open conversations so that we can start dismantling those toxic expectations around masculinity & perfectionism  !
! . It takes a lot of courage to share that kind of vulnerable stuff with the world. As someone who's been around politics long enough, I've seen how intense the pressure can be on politicians - and it's not just the public scrutiny, but also the constant need to present this perfect image, you know?
. It takes a lot of courage to share that kind of vulnerable stuff with the world. As someone who's been around politics long enough, I've seen how intense the pressure can be on politicians - and it's not just the public scrutiny, but also the constant need to present this perfect image, you know?