US Senator John Fetterman, who won a resounding victory in the congressional elections last November by defeating the famous Dr. Oz, was hospitalized on Wednesday for treatment of severe depression, Reuters and News.ro reported.

Despite still reeling from the holiday attack with only 6 months to go before the November election, John Fetterman won a landslide victory, picking up the Republican seat in Pennsylvania and solidifying his Democratic-leaning majority in the upper house of Congress.

The 53-year-old Democrat’s victory was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he still had difficulty speaking after suffering a stroke and the fact that he managed to defeat Mehmet Oz, or “Dr. Oz,” is an extremely well-known media figure in the United States.

Fetterman, who as of 2019 was the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, and “Dr. Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has had one of the most controversial and expensive Senate races in the country.

Fetterman was briefly hospitalized last week after feeling dizzy, but doctors determined he had not suffered another stroke, the main concern, so he was released two days later.

On Monday at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, the Pennsylvania senator was again evaluated by a congressional doctor who recommended hospitalization, this time for depression.

“John has had episodes of depression throughout his life, but in recent weeks it has become severe,” Adam Gentleson, Fetterman’s chief of staff, said Thursday.

The senator decided to follow the doctor’s advice and went to the hospital on Thursday to be hospitalized and receive specialized treatment for severe depression.

President Joe Biden is conspicuously absent from the Senate

“After examining John, the doctors at Walter Reed told us that he is receiving the care he needs and that he will make a speedy recovery,” Gentleson said.

The statement did not specify how long Fetterman is expected to remain in the hospital, but his absence from the Senate could prove difficult for Democrats. Democrats and three independent lawmakers from their caucus hold a 51-seat majority in the 100-seat Senate, while another Democratic senator is currently absent for medical reasons after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer.

Fortunately for President Joe Biden’s party, senators are scheduled to go on vacation next week, so there is no threat that Republicans will be able to eventually push the controversial bills through the chamber.

In addition, the vote that could tip the scales, in the event of a tie, belongs to Vice President (Democrat) Kamala Harris, who is also the president of the Senate. But the absence of any other Democratic senator would result in President Joe Biden’s party losing its majority in the Senate, given that Republicans already control the House.

Who is John Fetterman?

With his large arm tattoos, disheveled beard and preference for dressing in hoodies and shorts, Fetterman has gained a national profile for his position.

A staunch progressive, Fetterman is an outspoken supporter of raising the minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, reforming the justice system and passing legislation to protect same-sex marriage.

“Having been through what he’s been through over the last year, probably no one has talked about his own health more than John. I am so proud of him for seeking help and getting the care he needed,” the senator’s wife Giselle Barreto Fetterman tweeted after it was announced he had been hospitalized for depression.

The couple, married since 2008, have three children.

Fetterman suffered a stroke last May, later admitted he was “going to die” and struggled to adjust to life in the Senate until he recovered.

After the stroke, he had persistent problems with speaking and processing the speech he heard. It uses monitors that transcribe sound into text, according to a report published this month by The New York Times.

Why do people who have had a stroke become depressed

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 5% of adults experienced regular depression in 2019 — and studies have shown that the prevalence of depression has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But depression is a well-known problem for stroke survivors, at least in part because the resulting brain damage can disrupt the body’s production of stress hormones.

Research shows that one in three people who have had a stroke will eventually develop post-stroke depression.

Currently, the mainstay of treatment is a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, who discussed her past mental health issues in a 2019 Senate speech, said Thursday that Fetterman did the right thing by accepting medical help and seeking treatment.

“Seeking help when needed is a sign of strength, not weakness, which John shows us all,” Smith wrote on Twitter.

Fetterman’s success in last year’s election has been seen as an inspiration to stroke survivors and other Americans with disabilities, some of whom have been encouraged by his efforts to continue his campaign despite apparently facing lingering effects from his stroke. postponed in May.