Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Colorado Congresswoman Yadri Caraveo recently announcing that she has begun
treatment for depression at Walter Read National Military Medical Center
in Maryland. Caraveo says she struggles with her mental health
and that her depression has become worse recently.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
However, she says she's not going to be taking any
breaks from her congressional responsibilities. Congressman Caraveo joining us now
on Colorado's Morning News, and we appreciate you coming on
with us and being open about your depression.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you about
this important topic.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
How are you doing now and what made you decide
to go public with us.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm doing very well now.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I have the advantage of, through this job, being able
to not just have health coverage, but have access to
some really renowned doctors at Walter Reed who have really
been able to help me with my treatment. And it's
because of that that I feel it's my responsibility to
pay us forward and talk to the public and my
constituents about the realities of depression, how common it is,
(00:55):
and how important it is to get treatment.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Congresswoman, when did you start feeling not well? When did
you were I may have something deeper going on here.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, I think I've struggled with depression since I
was a teenager, which is actually a really common time
for it to develop. And I've had up and downs
all through life and have been able to get through
those with treatment. And you know, I think stress can
sometimes make things worse, and I did initially stressed out
with a new job, a new environment, and was noticing
(01:25):
issues with my sleep, with my mood, with my energy.
I think getting more acclimated to those things not improving
that I realized the spring that it really was the
depression that was rearing its head and that I needed
to get treatment.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
What was the breaking point? Was there a moment, a person, something,
someone that came to you or spoke to you that
made you realize that you wanted to.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Get that treatment.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, I think it was cumulative. That was both that
I wasn't feeling well and I was wondering what was
going on. Family members and friends were concerned learned about
how I was doing. And with depression, if you're not
adequately treating it, you can get to a point where
you really feel hopeless, right, like things are never going
(02:10):
to get better and you can have very dark periods
and it was when that happened, it's time to get help.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I often use the phrase physician heals myself. How hard
is it for you to be somebody in that room
where you're helping people to realize I myself need help exactly?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I think that it is something very common amongst doctors
and frankly many other professions where you're helping people all
the time and you put yourself last many times, and
so it is always interesting to be a patient when
you are also a doctor. But I think whether you're
a farmer and rancher, because they have very high rates
(02:50):
of depression and suicide. Honestly, construction workers have very high rates.
Healthcare workers have very high rates. It's positions of stress
where you're taking care of your community that sometimes you
don't realize until things are very serious that you also
need to take care of yourself.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
You have great access to great doctors, great healthcare, those
opportunities with you, but also as a lawmaker too, what
would you say to those who do not have the
similar accesses but are looking for that help that they need.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You know, what I've learned through this experience and coming
forward publicly, is that so many people are dealing with this,
And I think that this only makes me understand the
ramifications of mental illness all the more, even more than
I understood them as a patient and as a physician,
And to see how much we need to work on access,
(03:42):
I think it's going to make me a more empathetic legislator.
I've already focused a lot of my time in Congress
on making sure that we're increasing access, for example, for
agriculture workers by creating a hotline to make sure that
they have crisis services when they need them. I release
a package of around youth mental health, which I know
we all saw worse during the pandemic, to make sure
(04:04):
that we're focusing on workforce, that we're researching why mental
illness is becoming so common amongst young people, and that
we're focusing on access and treatment.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Do you think sometimes what we see politically, the divide
and the squabbling and those difficulties, do you think part
of that was the fatigue that you're feeling in some
of the depressions.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, I think that that's probably a feeling that a
lot of people get around politics, right, that we can't
talk to each other. I think we've lost a lot
of sense of community because things have become so divisive.
Anything that creates a sense of isolation or loneliness is
going to make these illnesses worse, whether it's anxiety, depression, PTSD,
(04:43):
so many other issues. And so that is why I'm
hoping to take this experience and continue my work on
being more bipartisan, on being a reasonable voice from the
center where I work with Republicans on some of these
bills that I talked about around mental health and so
many other things.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Have you heard from colleagues from both sides of the
aisle and supportive of you coming out and sharing your story.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yes, yeah, I've had Republicans reach out that maybe some
people would be surprised at who are being really epathetic
and helpful with this. I've had obviously Democratic blobmakers reach out,
and then at the events that I've been at publicly,
so many people in the community who are telling me
about sisters, wives, husbands, siblings, cousins who have had this
(05:30):
issue and themselves significant struggles that families go through every
day that they're afraid to talk about. Everybody knows somebody
who's going through the struggle, and we need to talk
about it so that they're not afraid to get help
when they need it.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Congress Woman Karaveo, what does your mental health journey and
both your mental health and political journey look like from
now leading up to the November election.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, it's certainly going to be a busy election season.
I am unlucky, like I said, but I have a
great team doctors, a wonderful staff, an incredibly supportive family
and friends who are always looking at for me, even
at times when I tried to maybe overwork myself. It
will be something that I have to continue to think about.
But you know, I've made it through medical school, residency,
(06:15):
and being a practicing doctor while serving at the State House,
and so there are pressures that I can handle. But
I can handle them because I have access to treatment
and because I have that supportive network behind me. Then
I'm going to use this to continue to advocate for
populations that maybe not everybody thinks about when it comes
to mental illness or many other things, like rural Americans,
(06:38):
people in skilled labor, et cetera, where the stigma is
even higher. They need the help all the more.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Colorado's eighth District Congresswoman Yadarra Caraveo, Congressman Caraveo, thank you
so much for sharing your story this morning. We really
appreciate it. Please be back on with us soon for
any other updates leading up into the November election as well.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Happy to talk to you anytime
Colorado Congresswoman Yadri Caraveo recently announcing that she has begun
treatment for depression at Walter Read National Military Medical Center
in Maryland. Caraveo says she struggles with her mental health
and that her depression has become worse recently.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
However, she says she's not going to be taking any
breaks from her congressional responsibilities. Congressman Caraveo joining us now
on Colorado's Morning News, and we appreciate you coming on
with us and being open about your depression.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you about
this important topic.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
How are you doing now and what made you decide
to go public with us.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm doing very well now.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
You know.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I have the advantage of, through this job, being able
to not just have health coverage, but have access to
some really renowned doctors at Walter Reed who have really
been able to help me with my treatment. And it's
because of that that I feel it's my responsibility to
pay us forward and talk to the public and my
constituents about the realities of depression, how common it is,
(00:55):
and how important it is to get treatment.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Congresswoman, when did you start feeling not well? When did
you were I may have something deeper going on here.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, I think I've struggled with depression since I
was a teenager, which is actually a really common time
for it to develop. And I've had up and downs
all through life and have been able to get through
those with treatment. And you know, I think stress can
sometimes make things worse, and I did initially stressed out
with a new job, a new environment, and was noticing
(01:25):
issues with my sleep, with my mood, with my energy.
I think getting more acclimated to those things not improving
that I realized the spring that it really was the
depression that was rearing its head and that I needed
to get treatment.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
What was the breaking point? Was there a moment, a person, something,
someone that came to you or spoke to you that
made you realize that you wanted to.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Get that treatment.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah, I think it was cumulative. That was both that
I wasn't feeling well and I was wondering what was
going on. Family members and friends were concerned learned about
how I was doing. And with depression, if you're not
adequately treating it, you can get to a point where
you really feel hopeless, right, like things are never going
(02:10):
to get better and you can have very dark periods
and it was when that happened, it's time to get help.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I often use the phrase physician heals myself. How hard
is it for you to be somebody in that room
where you're helping people to realize I myself need help exactly?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I think that it is something very common amongst doctors
and frankly many other professions where you're helping people all
the time and you put yourself last many times, and
so it is always interesting to be a patient when
you are also a doctor. But I think whether you're
a farmer and rancher, because they have very high rates
(02:50):
of depression and suicide. Honestly, construction workers have very high rates.
Healthcare workers have very high rates. It's positions of stress
where you're taking care of your community that sometimes you
don't realize until things are very serious that you also
need to take care of yourself.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
You have great access to great doctors, great healthcare, those
opportunities with you, but also as a lawmaker too, what
would you say to those who do not have the
similar accesses but are looking for that help that they need.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You know, what I've learned through this experience and coming
forward publicly, is that so many people are dealing with this,
And I think that this only makes me understand the
ramifications of mental illness all the more, even more than
I understood them as a patient and as a physician,
And to see how much we need to work on access,
(03:42):
I think it's going to make me a more empathetic legislator.
I've already focused a lot of my time in Congress
on making sure that we're increasing access, for example, for
agriculture workers by creating a hotline to make sure that
they have crisis services when they need them. I release
a package of around youth mental health, which I know
we all saw worse during the pandemic, to make sure
(04:04):
that we're focusing on workforce, that we're researching why mental
illness is becoming so common amongst young people, and that
we're focusing on access and treatment.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Do you think sometimes what we see politically, the divide
and the squabbling and those difficulties, do you think part
of that was the fatigue that you're feeling in some
of the depressions.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, I think that that's probably a feeling that a
lot of people get around politics, right, that we can't
talk to each other. I think we've lost a lot
of sense of community because things have become so divisive.
Anything that creates a sense of isolation or loneliness is
going to make these illnesses worse, whether it's anxiety, depression, PTSD,
(04:43):
so many other issues. And so that is why I'm
hoping to take this experience and continue my work on
being more bipartisan, on being a reasonable voice from the
center where I work with Republicans on some of these
bills that I talked about around mental health and so
many other things.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Have you heard from colleagues from both sides of the
aisle and supportive of you coming out and sharing your story.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yes, yeah, I've had Republicans reach out that maybe some
people would be surprised at who are being really epathetic
and helpful with this. I've had obviously Democratic blobmakers reach out,
and then at the events that I've been at publicly,
so many people in the community who are telling me
about sisters, wives, husbands, siblings, cousins who have had this
(05:30):
issue and themselves significant struggles that families go through every
day that they're afraid to talk about. Everybody knows somebody
who's going through the struggle, and we need to talk
about it so that they're not afraid to get help
when they need it.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Congress Woman Karaveo, what does your mental health journey and
both your mental health and political journey look like from
now leading up to the November election.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, it's certainly going to be a busy election season.
I am unlucky, like I said, but I have a
great team doctors, a wonderful staff, an incredibly supportive family
and friends who are always looking at for me, even
at times when I tried to maybe overwork myself. It
will be something that I have to continue to think about.
But you know, I've made it through medical school, residency,
(06:15):
and being a practicing doctor while serving at the State House,
and so there are pressures that I can handle. But
I can handle them because I have access to treatment
and because I have that supportive network behind me. Then
I'm going to use this to continue to advocate for
populations that maybe not everybody thinks about when it comes
to mental illness or many other things, like rural Americans,
(06:38):
people in skilled labor, et cetera, where the stigma is
even higher. They need the help all the more.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Colorado's eighth District Congresswoman Yadarra Caraveo, Congressman Caraveo, thank you
so much for sharing your story this morning. We really
appreciate it. Please be back on with us soon for
any other updates leading up into the November election as well.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
Happy to talk to you anytime
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