Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., has entered a treatment facility and will temporarily step away from his job as a congressman.
Kennedy, 41, has suffered from depression and addition throughout his life and said in a statement released Friday that he decided to enter treatment again after consulting with his doctor, “to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery.”
Kennedy, who is serving his eighth term, did not say what prompted him to seek treatment or where he would be going to receive it.
In 2006, Kennedy left Congress for rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic after crashing his car on Capitol Hill while under the influence of prescription drugs.
He has long been an advocate for mental health legislation and helped usher through Congress a bill that calls for insurance companies to provide the same coverage for for both mental and physical illnesses.
Kennedy said in his statement that he hopes his decision to publicize his treatment “can help remove the stigma that has served as a barrier for many Americans reluctant to get they help they need.”
