Dr. Peggy Drexler of CNN offers her eloquent and encouraging opinion:
“The best response, of course, is somewhere in the
middle—commending
Fetterman for his courage to seek treatment while considering, with
sincerity and when the time is right, whether continuing to serve in a
stressful position that impacts so many is in both his and his constituents’
best interests. The fact is that it’s a
fair question to ask. But it’s crucial to
remember that
depression is as common as the common cold.
Depression simply isn’t prohibitive to thriving in life and career. We’re right
to want to know about the health issues facing our leaders and the steps
they’re taking to get the help they need, but it’s important to remember
that millions of Americans battle depression and
lead highly productive,
successful lives
. We aren’t living in the 1970s anymore; we’ve come far in
our understanding of an illness that affects so many people.”