Army veteran withdraws from Kansas City mayor campaign to focus on depression and PTSD, and many are applauding him
Jason Kander, army veteran, former Missouri secretary of state, and current Kansas City, Mo., mayoral hopeful, announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing his candidacy. The reason for his withdrawal has sparked messages of support and kindness from people who want to see more attention paid to mental health awareness.
Kander, a Democrat who was seen by many as the favorite to win the 2019 election, issued a statement on his website and his Facebook page announcing his decision to withdraw and instead focus on his treatment for depression and PTSD.
Kander served on a four-month tour in Afghanistan in 2006 as an army intelligence officer, investigating activities of al-Qaida and the Taliban. He told himself that he couldn’t “have PTSD … because [he] didn’t earn it.”
Despite those feelings, four months ago he contacted the VA for help. “I went online and filled out the VA forms, but I left boxes unchecked — too scared to acknowledge my true symptoms. I knew I needed help and yet I still stopped short. I was afraid of the stigma. I was thinking about what it could mean for my political future if someone found out,” he wrote.
He buried himself in his work, but despite becoming a best-selling author, leading an effective Let America Vote campaign, and finding out he was on track to raise more money than any Kansas City mayoral campaign ever had in a single quarter, Kander still found himself troubled enough to call the Veterans Crisis Line, where he acknowledged he had suicidal thoughts.
“Instead of dealing with these issues, I’ve always tried to find a way around them. Most recently, I thought that if I could come home and work for the city I love so much as its mayor, I could finally solve my problems. I thought if I focused exclusively on service to my neighbors in my hometown, that I could fill the hole inside of me. But it’s just getting worse.
So after 11 years of trying to outrun depression and PTSD symptoms, I have finally concluded that it’s faster than me. That I have to stop running, turn around, and confront it,” he wrote.
He hopes that his honesty will help “veterans and everyone else across the country working through mental health issues realize that you don’t have to try to solve it on your own.” He added, “Most people probably didn’t see me as someone that could be depressed and have had PTSD symptoms for over decade, but I am and I have. If you’re struggling with something similar, it’s OK. That doesn’t make you less of a person.”
Messages of support and gratitude are already pouring in.
Mr. Kander, I lost my husband to suicide last summer. I am now a single mother of an 8 year old, a 5 year old and a 2 year old. He also hid his depression because he was afraid of talking about it.
Thank you for sharing. It is incredibly important that we try to end the stigma.— Anonymous White House Official (@dvorakoelling) October 2, 2018
Right there with you brother. Been going to therapy every week at the VA. Good on you for putting it out there to lessen the stigma for our sister and brothers who might be struggling too.
— Chris “Cal” Carnahan (@xtrixcyclex) October 2, 2018
Jason Kander taking a break from politics to seek treatment for PTSD when he's regularly spoken of as a potential presidential contender someday is one of the most courageous things I've seen. He saved lives today. The example this sets cannot be underestimated.
— Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) October 2, 2018
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