Copyright dailymail
John Fetterman has opened up about his battles with suicidal thoughts in a forthcoming memoir set to be released on Tuesday. The Pennsylvania senator’s revelations stunned Washington, DC, on Monday, offering new insight into the health struggles that have long drawn emotional reactions from across the political aisle. Fetterman, 56, recounts for the first time the health crisis that nearly derailed his 2022 campaign as well as his battle with depression in an exclusive excerpt published by The Free Press. He suffered a stroke just days before the Democratic primary election. His wife Gisele recognized the warning signs and rushed him to the hospital, where doctors removed a life-threatening blood clot and later implanted a pacemaker. Though he survived and won the primary, the stroke left him with auditory processing difficulties. The senator pressed forward with his general election campaign against Republican Mehmet Oz despite his condition. On reflection in his memoir, released more than three years later, he says: 'In hindsight, I should have quit.' Fetterman has faced intense media scrutiny and personal attacks about his health, which he says contributed to severe depression. In Unfettered, he traces these struggles to deeper psychological wounds stemming from being born to teenage parents, which he says left him with persistent feelings of shame and inadequacy throughout his life. Fetterman writes: 'Once, as I lay in bed, I asked myself, what would you do if there were a pill on the nightstand you could take and not wake up?' I would have taken it.' Reacting to the shocking excerpt, one user wrote on X: 'Respect to him for sharing that, heavy but needed.' Another said: 'Wow! An amazing story. I'm a conservative so I would not naturally listen to this, but two things, One, after my wife died I became suicidal so now when I see people discussing that, it interests me, and, two, I have seen Fetterman stand up to the Jew haters and as a Jew, I appreciate that, especially considering that now we see both parties tolerating very evil Jew haters inside the parties. 'Definitely a book I will read. I wish him well.' During the campaign, his mental health worsened, especially after a disastrous debate that drew public mockery. He became consumed by self-loathing and suicidal thoughts. Even as he won the general election by five points - outperforming President Biden in most counties - his struggles continued. His victory brought no relief. He spent months bedridden, emotionally detached, and unable to function. By early 2023, he was isolated, barely eating or sleeping, and finally entered Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. There, he was diagnosed with severe depression that further affected his physical health. At Walter Reed, through therapy and reading, he slowly began to heal. A young therapist's reminder, delivered with a simple phrase — 'Children need their daddy' —became a turning point, rekindling his will to live and reconnect with his family. The love and encouragement delivered by his three children ultimately brought him home after 44 days. Now, in 2025, Fetterman reflects candidly on surviving both a stroke and suicidal depression while serving as a U.S. senator. He acknowledges that stigma and political criticism persist, especially regarding his independent positions; however, he has found strength in his family and self-acceptance. His message to others struggling with depression is clear: recovery is slow, love is essential, and survival - however fragile - is possible. He also opened up candidly for the first time about the worries that he had about the impact that his various health conditions had been having on his wife, Gisele. 'After the stroke, I think the depression broke Gisele - as it does so many spouses trying to deal with it in a partner,' Fetterman writes in one excerpt of his book. 'The depressive says over and over, 'you don't understand the pain I am in.' The spouse says, 'what I don't understand is your refusal to do anything about it. How can I help when you refuse to help yourself,' he also noted. The work offers an eye-opening glimpse into the inner battles Fetterman has faced in private, despite being in a public-facing role. It may also provide a deeper insight into why Fetterman has been unafraid to buck his party and side with Republicans and Trump on issues such as immigration, Israel, and his unwavering commitment to reopening the government amid the shutdown that has plagued Washington for nearly six weeks.
