Michigan Democrat says he sought treatment for PTSD after Jan. 6 riot

Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee (D) said in an interview that aired on Monday that the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot caused him to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Speaking with MSNBC reporter Hallie Jackson, Kildee said he thought he was “fine” immediately following the attack. But when the congressman returned home, saw the videos and images of the riot and realized how many people had stormed the Capitol, he had an “emotional and physical reaction,” he said.

“I had a lot of tension in my chest, my breathing was difficult. I became really irritable,” Kildee told Jackson.

A friend in Congress recommended that Kildee see Jim Gordon, an author and psychiatrist who specializes in trauma. Gordon said he immediately recognized symptoms of PTSD in Kildee.

“We all carry it around with us”: In our exclusive interview, @RepDanKildee breaks his silence about his mental health struggles and post-traumatic stress since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/VVKqvfsiJO

— Hallie Jackson Reports (@HallieOnMSNBC) April 12, 2021

“I’ve worked in war zones and post-war, post-disaster situations, after-school shootings and with war-traumatized vets. And what Dan was experiencing as he talked about it is what people experience,” Gordon said.

“This is not something I ever expected to experience,” Kildee said, when asked if he ever thought he would be publicly speaking about PTSD with his therapist. Kildee said his regular sessions with Gordon and the meditation techniques he’s learned are helping him deal with his trauma.

Fellow Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) has also opened up about the mental toll the Capitol attack had on her. During an Instagram livestream shortly after the attack, Ocasio-Cortez said she would likely seek counseling. She shared there was a moment during the Capitol breach that she thought she “was going to die.”

“I’m sure I’m going to talk to somebody and just, you know, seek and discuss with a counselor, just to make sure that we can get started on that path on the right step,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “And I’m not ashamed to say that, because I think we should all — nobody should be ashamed to say that.”