Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash

Congressman Talks About Darkness Of Depression

All the crocodile tears over Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-NJ, and his serious bout with severe depression have nothing to do with compassion and everything to do with trying to resurrect a lost campaign for a vital GOP seat in Congress.

If Kean looks like he will lose reelection, all the feigned empathy will vanish quicker than the lady in the magician’s trunk while the Grand Old Party tries desperately to find a winning replacement.

After a flurry of stories about well-meaning colleagues and journalists, Kean has had his moment in the sun, misplaced as it is. If there was true concern for the congressman, Republicans would be asking if returning to the pressure cooker world of politics will cause a relapse into the misery world of depression. No such sentiments were made.

There are many unanswered questions concerning Kean’s illness and how he and others responded. It took four months for Kean to come out publicly about his illness; was that how long it took for the GOP brain trust to conclude that enough was enough.

The question also lingers about why Kean waited four months before announcing his return. That was four months without voting and without representing the people of his district. Were the doctors unable to even generally project when the congressman would be well enough to return to work and more importantly, did they approve that his return would not put him in harm’s way.

Clinical depression is not simply “feeling sad.” It is a pervasive, hopeless enemy that can keep a person from leaving their homes or even getting out of bed. It is a dark enveloping cloud that gets in the way of relationships, including family, friends and work and can lead to suicide.

The nation has a long, long way to go before the majority adopt an enlightened attitude toward psychiatric illness. For every Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Demi Lovato, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michael Phelps, Taraji P. Henson and Lady Gaga who publicly discussed their treatment for severe depression, there are millions of people who are not celebrities and who suffer quietly, never finding help.

Look at the homeless man screeching for attention on the subway while the passengers pretend he is invisible while they move away in the train. Some fear the man, others see him as simply an annoyance but nobody reaches out to him.

Or witness the police officer’s impatient attitude toward the person with a psychiatric illness who may seem threatening to the officer who may at accordingly with tragic consequences. Or the obviously impaired youth who wants desperately to fit in school but is cruelly bullied by his classmates while his teacher offers no protection.

Knowing or being in contact with a person with psychiatric illness is a good way to reduce stigma. Individuals like Kean who share their stories can have a positive impact.

There are many people who are so uneducated and so callous, like Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. One of the most despicable members of congress, Boebert was perhaps the most honest among her colleagues in her reaction to Kean.

According to the right wing lawmaker, mental health issues should not prevent a member of congress from fulfilling their duties and that Kean’s explanation for his time away from Congress was “embarrassing.”

“I think it’s embarrassing, still, even more so. I mean, sure, like, take care of yourself, get healthy, but who gets to take four months off of work because they’re sad? Like, that’s not [an excuse],” Boebert said.

Boebert has apparently never experienced the debilitating natuire of severe depression and expressed her complete ignorance of the nature of the illness.

Boebert responded with not a scintilla of compassion, “Well, he might not be sad. Depressed. He’s depressed. He’s sad. And I, okay, whatever the reasons, maybe it’s embarrassing. I don’t care what party you’re part of, it’s not okay. I mean, I think there’s a dose of depression that comes with these pins that we’re given and so I mean, if you can’t build up a tolerance to it, then maybe don’t be here.”

Prevalent Illness

Studies show that more than half of people with psychiatric illness don’t receive help, fearing that they will be treated differently or lose their jobs. People with illnesses, such as depression, often face negative or discriminatory attitudes that others may have about mental illness. They may internalize shame about their illness or the stigma may reach into policies of government and private organizations that limit opportunities for people with mental illness.

Stigma around mental illness is universal but may be especially an issue in some diverse racial and ethnic communities and it can be a major barrier to people from those cultures accessing mental health services. For example, in some Asian cultures, seeking professional help for mental illness may be contrary to cultural values of strong family, emotional restraint and avoiding shame. Among some groups, including the African American community, well documented distrust of the mental healthcare system can also be a barrier to seeking help.

Many false stereotypes get in the way of seeking help. For example, a common misconception is that people with psychiatric illness are dangerous, unpredictable, incompetent and to blame for their illness. They may face prejudice from employers who may not hire them or property owners who may not rent to them.

The media also offers false representations of people with psychological illness. For example, in the film “Joker” (2019), the lead character is as a person with mental illness who becomes extremely violent.

People with significant psychiatric illnesses, who do not seek help, often see a hopeless future, lower self-esteem, difficulties with social relationships and at work. Harmful effects of stigma can include a reluctance to seek and remain in treatment; social isolation; lack of understanding by family, friends and others; bullying, physical violence or harassment; and health insurance that doesn’t adequately cover treatment.

Prejudice against psychiatric illness remains strong. A 2022 national poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) found that about half (48 percent) of workers say they can discuss mental health openly and honestly with their supervisor, down from 56 percent in 2021 and 62% in 2020.

In a more positive trend, fewer adults are worried about retaliation if they take time off or seek care for their psychiatric health. About one in three (36 percent) worried about retaliation if they took time off, compared to 48 percent in 2021 and 52 percent in 2020. Less than one-third (31 percent) were worried about retaliation for seeking care, compared to 43 percent in 2021 and 2020.

Help Is Available

Many organizations lead campaigns on addressing the issue of psychiatric health stigma and discrimination.

The “Love, Your Mind” campaign, from the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council, offers inspiration, community and educational resources to encourage people to be more open and proactive about their psychiatric health.

“Stop Stigma Together” is working to unite organizations to create resources, generate funding, bring clarifying awareness, and address the issues around psychiatric health and substance use disorders.

“This is My Brave” is a storytelling theatre show where individuals from the community share their stories of living a successful life despite psychiatric illness. Since 2014, the program has produced nearly 800 storytellers sharing personal stories on overcoming depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other illnesses.

“Bring Change to Mind” is a nonprofit that encourages dialogue about psychiatric health and raising awareness, understanding, and empathy. Actress and activist Glenn Close co-founded the organization in 2010 after her sister and nephew were diagnosed.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) leads a campaign to end stigma and create hope for those affected by the illness.

“Stamp Out Stigma” is led by the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness to reduce the stigma surrounding psychiatric illness and substance use disorders.

Experts offer tips on responding to people who open up about their depression with such compassionate responses as: “Thanks for opening up to me”; “Is there anything I can do to help?”; “I’m sorry to hear that. It must be tough”; and simply “I love you.”

Comments that can be destructive include “It could be worse”; “Just deal with it”; “Snap out of it”; “You may have brought this on yourself”; and “Maybe try thinking happier thoughts.”

The National Depression Hotline at 866–629–4564, offers free crisis support, 24/7, from a professional therapist.

Treatment Options

Medications and psychotherapy are often effective for most people with depression after consultation with a primary care doctor or psychiatrist. People with severe depression may need a hospital stay, or participate in an outpatient treatment program.

Many types of antidepressants are available, including:

· Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered safer and generally cause fewer side effects than other types of antidepressants. SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft) and vilazodone (Viibryd).

• Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs, include duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, Khedezla) and levomilnacipran (Fetzima).
• Atypical antidepressants include bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR, Aplenzin, Forfivo XL), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone, trazodone and vortioxetine (Trintellix).
• Tricyclic antidepressants include imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), amitriptyline, doxepin, trimipramine (Surmontil), desipramine (Norpramin) and protriptyline (Vivactil).
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil) and isocarboxazid (Marplan) may be prescribed.

Treatments can be a great help but they also can cause significant side effects including memory and concentration problems, sexual dysfunction, weight changes, sleep disruptions and physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and gastrointestinal changes.

Another form of treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), is a well-established, evidence-based treatment for severe psychiatric conditions, particularly when rapid symptom relief is needed or other treatments have failed. With modern anesthesia, muscle relaxants, and controlled electrical dosing, ECT is considered a safe and effective option for many patients.

The procedure is done under general anesthesia as small electric currents pass through the brain, intentionally causing a brief seizure. ECT seems to change brain chemistry, and these changes can quickly improve symptoms of certain mental health conditions.

Much of the stigma attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses of electricity were given without medicines to put people to sleep. This led to greater pain, more fear and anxiety, fractured bones, and other serious side effects.

Depressed Leaders

Many world leaders have suffered with clinical depression. The most notable was President Abraham Lincoln who experienced severe and recurrent episodes of depression, sometimes accompanied by suicidal thoughts. In one instance, he was rumored to have been found wandering the woods with a shotgun following the death of a close friend

Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War II, struggled with bipolar disorder, which included depressive episodes he referred to as his “black dog.”

Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator, had authoritarian and paranoid traits, and may have suffered from bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depressive disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. experienced severe depressive episodes well into adulthood, including two reported suicide attempts as a young man.

Diana, the late Princess of Wales, suffered from severe depression and bulimia.

Bruce Springsteen had bouts of depression in his 60s that “lasted for a long time.” He described the illness as “this thing that engulfs you. I got to where I didn’t want to get out of bed.”

Elected leaders who admitted to struggling with psychiatric illness include:

Former Sen. Thomas Eagleton, D-Mo., served in Congress from 1967 to 1987 and was selected as a running mate for presidential Democratic nominee George McGovern in 1972. Shortly after the announcement, it was made public that Eagleton had been hospitalized for depression three times in the 1960s and had undergone ECT, a medical history he had not disclosed to McGovern. The candidate discussed his treatment after the details were made public and he ultimately bowed to public pressure and withdrew from the ticket 18 days after being selected. The senator went on to serve two more terms.

Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., publicly admitted to struggling with substance use and bipolar disorder in 2006 after he ran his car into a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol at 2:45 in the morning, under the mistaken belief that he was late for a vote.

Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., served four tours in Iraq before entering politics in 2014. A year after arriving home, Moulton started therapy to help with post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his service. He publicly spoke about his struggles with PTSD in 2019 before introducing a proposal to expand mental health services available to military members.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., battled depression in her 30s and spoke about her experiences in support of legislation to expand access to mental health care.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., has discussed his long battle with depression along with his antidepressant treatment.

First elected to Congress in 2014, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is a Marine Corps combat veteran who was deployed to Iraq in 2005. Gallego has since been open about his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Former Sen. Lawton Chiles, D-Fla., served in the Senate and also was governor of Florida. When running for governor in 1990, Chiles was open about taking Prozac for depression and mood swings and encouraged others with the condition to seek help. Chiles’ depression began following a heart surgery in 1985. His openness about his mental health was relatively rare at the time.

Former Rep. Lynn Rivers, D-Mich., was the first openly bipolar member of Congress. Rivers revealed she had been living with the condition for 20 years, having been diagnosed at age 21.

Other prominent Americans who have spoken about living with depression include:

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, an actor, producer, and former wrestler, has battled depression many times, including when he was 15 and saved his mother from a suicide attempt.

Actor Kirsten Dunst revealed in her 20s that she entered rehab for depression, which she linked to bottling up anger. She stressed the importance of medication and therapy, urging people to seek help when needed.

Jon Hamm, known for his role in “Mad Men,” has been open about depression since his father’s death while he was in college. He credits therapy and antidepressants for recovery.

Lady Gaga, the Grammy-winning artist, has lived with depression and anxiety since childhood, including after a traumatic sexual assault. She co-founded the “Born This Way Foundation” to promote mental health awareness and has spoken about using her art to process pain..

Michael Phelps, the historic Olympic swimmer with 28 medals, has struggled with depression since 2004, reaching a low point after the 2012 Games. He spent days alone in his room before he sought treatment.

Actor and producer Reese Witherspoon faced depression in her teens and 20s, and later postpartum depression after her first child’s birth.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin openly discussed depression and alcohol abuse after his historic moon mission, highlighting the toll of high-stakes achievements on mental well-being.