Fetterman Details His 'Downward Spiral' Of Depression

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman candidly discussed his battle with depression during an interview airing on "CBS Sunday Morning" that was taped before he was discharged from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday.

Fetterman told CBS's Jane Pauley that prior to his hospitalization for clinical depression on Feb. 15, he had stopped leaving his bed, stopped eating and was losing weight. Although he didn't consider harming himself, he said he was "indifferent" to living.

Fetterman was elected to the Senate in November in one of the nation's most significant midterm races, but said he could not enjoy his victory over Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.

"You just won the biggest 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," Fetterman told Pauley. "And that's exactly what happened, and that was the start of a downward spiral."

Fetterman suffered a near-fatal stroke last May while campaigning for the Senate seat, and one of three stroke survivors suffer from depression. Fetterman, however, had occasional bouts with the affliction prior to his stroke.

Pauley noted that what makes Fetterman's story unique among the 21 million Americans who have battled major depression is that he is a politician publicly discussing his fight.

"My message right now isn't political," he said. "I'm just somebody that's suffering from depression."

Fetterman, 53, is now home in Braddock, the small town near Pittsburgh where he served as mayor before becoming Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor and then senator. He told CBS he plans to take his son "to the restaurant that we were supposed to go (to) during his birthday but couldn't because I had checked myself in for depression."

Fetterman is expected to return to the Senate the week of April 17. Describing his depression as being in remission, he said he is looking forward to "being the kind of dad, the kind of husband, the kind of senator that Pennsylvania truly deserves.”