Confronting America’s Fixable Depression Crisis

After suffering a stroke last year, US Senator John Fetterman, a man who’d long seemed sad to those around him, plunged into deep depression. In the pit of his despair, he lost the motivation that had driven him to the pinnacle of politics. He lost weight, stopped showering, and <a href="https://time.com/6296038/john-fetterman-depression-cover-story/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">didn’t expect to recover</a>. But with professional help, a mixed bag of remedies and a lot of support from family, friends and even strangers — not to mention an excellent healthcare plan afforded people in Congress — Fetterman pulled back from his self-described brink of existence and got better. The 53-year-old freshman senator from Pennsylvania joins a growing list of high-profile Americans who’ve been crushed at times by the darkness (tennis phenom <a href="https://medium.com/wise-well/can-we-prevent-depression-ec25706406b7" rel="noopener">Naomi Osaka</a>, gritty Tour de France biker <a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/07/26/cycling-and-depression-tour-de-france-legend-mark-cavendish-opens-up-in-new-documentary" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Cavendish</a>, actress <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/gma/story/american-beauty-actress-mena-suvari-opens-postpartum-depression-94180122" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Mena Suvari</a>, singer <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a43567508/megan-thee-stallion-tory-lanez-case-interview-2023/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Megan Thee Stallion</a>) and are helping to lift the stigma of depression by speaking openly of their experiences—dark periods that are increasingly common across all corners of America. “I want everyone to know that depression is treatable, and treatment works,” Fetterman <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/depression/fetterman-hospitalization" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">said</a> earlier this year. “This isn’t about politics. Right now, there are people who are suffering with depression in red counties and blue counties. If you need help, please get help.” A lot of people need help. Whether they can find it is another question. <a href="https://medium.com/wise-well/confronting-americas-fixable-depression-crisis-53239c14310e">Read More</a>