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Sen. Fetterman to Spend Weeks in Hospital for Depression Treatment — Has No Plans to Resign

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman will likely be at Walter Reed and receiving care for clinical depression for a ‘few weeks.’

On Friday, a senior aide to the Pennsylvania Democrat gave NBC News new details about Fetterman’s condition, after his office announced Thursday that he had checked into the Bethesda-based hospital for impatient treatment after his depression had become ‘severe.’

Fetterman suffered a stroke in May and his sensory problems and issues with communication have been well documented since he was sworn-in as a senator in January.

A senior aide told NBC that it’s been difficult to differentiate between the senator’s stroke recovery and the depression, with the staffer saying it’s sometimes unclear if he’s ‘not hearing you, or is he sort of crippled by his depression and social anxiety.’

CNN reported Friday that Fetterman’s symtoms included weight loss and lack of appetite, which led to his spell in the George Washington University Hospital last week, complaining of lightheadedness.

It will take time for doctors to get Fetterman’s medication fight, the network said.

Both sources said they believed the stint at Walter Reed won’t compromise Fetterman’s ability to do the job going forward, with CNN noting that the Democrat doesn’t plan to resign.

NBC’s source added that the staff and Fetterman himself were surprised by the severe onset of the depression.

The New York Times reported last week that the Democrat has struggled to adjust to life as a senator.

Fetterman refused an interview with the paper, but aides and allies said the already difficult transition to the Senate was made ‘vastly more difficult by the strains of his recovery,’ noting that it left him with ‘a physical impairment and serious mental health challenges.’

He still suffers from auditory processing issues, which means he has to use devices that provide him with closed captioning to engage with his Senate colleagues and constituents and participate in committee hearings.

When people talk to Fetterman, he hears something akin to how the adults in the Peanuts’ cartoons sound: squawking provided by a muted trombone, The Times reported.

Besides the hearing issue – which is exacerbated when Fetterman is feeling stressed – the Times reported that the stroke recovery had put a ‘very real psychological toll’ on the politician.

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