He has one and it’s actually relevant
The media is happy to help the Republicans stigmatize stroke recovery, hinting broadly over and over again, that John Fetterman has some kind of cognitive deficiency that calls into question his ability to serve simply because he uses an auditory aid during his recovery.
Meanwhile, this is fine:
Confronting a barrage of accusations about his personal life — including claims he threatened women and paid for an abortion despite his public opposition to the procedure — Herschel Walker has repeatedly invoked his history of mental illness in his defense.
“As everyone knows, I had a real battle with mental health, even wrote a book about it,” Mr. Walker, the Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, said in a television ad released at the height of the abortion controversy. “And by the grace of God, I’ve overcome it.”
In the ad, and on the campaign trail, Mr. Walker, a former football star, does not elaborate. But in his 2008 memoir, “Breaking Free,” he revealed that he had been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. He described his 12 “alters” — distinct identities that helped him cope with the trauma of being bullied as a child. He wrote of rage and “out-of-control behavior”; he played Russian roulette with a loaded gun.
Now, as he tries to steady a campaign that could determine control of the Senate, Mr. Walker often speaks of these events in religious, not medical, terms. He either denies the accusations or says he does not remember what happened. Still, he casts himself as a redemption story, saying he is a Christian “saved by grace.”
But experts say Mr. Walker’s assertion that he has “overcome” the disorder is simplistic at best: Like other mental illnesses, dissociative identity disorder cannot be cured in the classic sense. Psychiatrists say that while patients can learn to manage this disorder — and even live symptom-free for extended periods — the symptoms can recur, often triggered by stress.
“You can get better,” said Dr. David Spiegel, a Stanford University psychiatry professor who studies and treats dissociative identity disorder. “But it doesn’t just evaporate.”
Dr. Spiegel and other experts interviewed for this article have not treated Mr. Walker and could not speak to the specifics of his case.
Mr. Walker’s retelling does not account for other complicating details. Experts say the disorder does not cause violent behavior. Some of the episodes — including an ex-girlfriend’s accusation that he had threatened her — took place after Mr. Walker claimed to have his disorder under control.
The Walker campaign did not respond this week to questions about his health history and has not released his medical records.
Last Friday night, during a debate with his Democratic opponent, Senator Raphael Warnock, Mr. Walker said he no longer needed treatment: “I continue to get help if I need help, but I don’t need any help. I’m doing well.”
Why isn’t the media harassing Walker to release his medical records? He admits that he has a history of mental illness and it’s quite serious. He held a gun to his former wife’s head. He had his minions play russian roulette. And he played football for many years which we know can result in concussions and brain damage.
John Fetterman is being dogged by the media every day to be “more transparent” and release more and more of his medical records beyond his GP. They want to see his x-rays, a report from his neurologist, his speech pathologist and more. The fact that he must temporarily use a device to fix his auditory communications problem as he recovers is constantly portrayed as a cognitive issue which it is not and which he demonstrates every time he speaks. Walker, on the other hand, is clearly cognitively impaired in some way. And yet, I don’t think I’ve heard of one reporter who has brought up the fact that he has a history of health problems and demanded more transparency.