Sigh. He strikes me as a decent man … with no end of health struggles.
Good for him. Mental self care is hard enough when you’re not being scrutinized on a national level. I hope he gets what he needs.
I thought the exact same thing when I saw the thread title. I struggled with depression as a teen and young adult, and never sought treatment. I wish I had.
Particularly in his case, when you look at the level of personal vitriol that was directed at him in an election against one of the joke candidates the GOP put up. That he could only get 51% of the vote despite being clearly better than Dr Fucking Oz would make anyone despair.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the stroke triggered some things, as well. Heck, I wonder what medications he’s taken because of the stroke, and if they could play a part.
I saw a profile of him a couple of years ago, perhaps on CBS Sunday Morning, and I thought that perhaps he could appeal to enough people across the spectrum to win the presidency. But after his stroke and now this, that seems unlikely to happen.
TBH, I just don’t think he’s healthy enough to do his job, but he’s a heckuva lot better candidate than Dr. Oz.
I wonder if part of the depression is seeing close up as a Senator just how thoroughly impotent government is to get much of anything done with the current GOP dysfunction and obstruction. He strikes me as someone who wants to make life better for people and he’s stuck now in a job where there’s so little scope to get anything much done.
There is such a thing called post-stroke depression–and is very common:
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15030363
My best friend had a stroke a couple of years ago and I know he struggles with this. 
Depression is VERY common after a major life event, positive or negative, and that includes something like a stroke. I’ve heard that it’s almost universal after open heart surgery, and research has been ongoing as to why.
Over the years, there have been many elected officials who battled substance abuse, privately or not, and you can’t say MH issues weren’t usually a component of that, mainly as self-medication.
What are “MH issues”?
I’m assuming Mental Health.
I completely agree with all the compassionate and thoughtful replies above. The only thing I can add is a shudder of horror at how the right wing opposition must be feeling triumphantly vindicated - “We knew all along Fetterman wasn’t up to the job! Stupid liberals. This just goes to prove what idiots they are, we should have elected a strong, vital person like Dr. Oz, not a weak, compromised bleeding heart like Fetterman.”
My heart breaks even more for Fetterman knowing that he probably is thinking that too.
On a more practical level, I don’t really understand the mechanisms for replacing Fetterman, if it comes to that. Is there a special election held in which a Democrat or Republican could win? Or do Democrats get to keep the seat, finding the person of their choice to complete Fetterman’s term?
Thankfully, if Fetterman has to resign, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Democrat Josh Shapiro, would appoint an interim senator until a special election is held.
I don’t know how long until a special election must be scheduled. But for now, at least, Democrats have control of the process.
I hope Fetterman feels better soon. He worked so hard and sacrificed so much to win this election.
There have been a number of Senators who have suffered very major health problems and the Senate doesn’t push them out. So unless he dies the decision to leave is up to him.
Sadly, this is the first thing I thought, too. I’m not gonna go search, but I bet there’s plenty of this out there (and probably even harsher than your made-up example).
Hope you feel more like yourself soon, Senator!
I voted for him in the primary and general election. He always struck me as a very good man. This is further proof of the fundamental unjustness of the world we live in.
The special election is held at the next general election – so November 5, 2024.
Senator Tim Johnson suffered a major cerebral hemorrhage that left him unable to participate in Senate proceedings for nearly a year. And Senator Strom Thurmond was a shambling husk for the last several years of his Senate career. Both were accommodated.
I was hoping that was the case, just in case he wants an out. Thanks for digging that information up.
My personal preference is that Fetterman will take his time to heal and come back to do the job I feel sure he is more than capable of completing.