Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego said his decision to address his post-traumatic stress disorder was driven by a desire to be a better father.
Rep. Ruben Gallego talks about mental health during a discussion with ABC News and other lawmakers, March 23, 2023.alongside Reps. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Richie Torres, D-N.Y., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Gallego said coming to grips with his mental health helped him better understand himself -- in turn helping him become a better parent and better person.
"It helps you be a better father, better husband, a better person by being able to really understand what's going on inside your heart, inside your soul, inside your brain," said Gallego, a Democrat who is now running for Senate against incumbent independent Kyrsten Sinema."I want to be a better father, and that's why I did it," he said of seeking treatment. "And that's why I continue forward.
Rep. Ruben Gallego talks about mental health during a discussion with ABC News and other lawmakers, March 23, 2023."I suffer from PTSD, from the war, and just a lot of the things that I suffer from there. I sometimes feel a lot of regret. I feel sometimes that I should have gone instead of some of my guys that went.
The topic was thrust into the political spotlight after Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., checked himself into inpatient care in mid-February for what his staff called severe depression. He is expected to return to the Senate the week of April 17.
"You could play political games," he added. "I put myself up here, I'll take the hits. But just remember that there's a lot of other people that really are going to shy away from seeking help because they're afraid of being stigmatized. And that's only going to cause more and more problems."
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