Democratic U.S. Senator John Fetterman is back in his hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania and looking forward to returning to work soon after being released Friday from Walter Reed military hospital in Maryland, where he was treated for depression.
"I am so happy to be home. I'm excited to be the father and husband I want to be, and the senator Pennsylvania deserves," Fetterman—who was hospitalized for more than a month—said in a statement Friday. "Pennsylvanians have always had my back, and I will always have theirs."
"I am extremely grateful to the incredible team at Walter Reed. The care they provided changed my life," he continued. "I will have more to say about this soon, but for now I want everyone to know that depression is treatable, and treatment works."
"This isn't about politics—right now there are people who are suffering with depression in red counties and blue counties," the senator—who also suffered a stroke while campaigning during the Democratic primary race last year—added. "If you need help, please get help."
In an interview slated to be aired on "CBS Sunday Morning" this weekend, Fetterman told anchor Jane Pauley that, for him, depression is like "you just won the biggest, you know, race in the country, and the whole thing about depression is that, objectively, you may have won, but depression can absolutely convince you that you actually lost."
"And that's exactly what happened," he added. "And that was the start of a downward spiral."
Fetterman is set to return to work the week of April 17 following the congressional recess, Politicoreports.
While still in the hospital on Thursday, Fetterman introduced his first bill—a railroad safety and accountability measure—with Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Brett Wilkins.