Flint’s U.S. Rep. Kildee Talks About PTSD After Capitol Attack

Congressman Dan Kildee is getting kudos for his transparency and openness on the aftermath feelings from the U.S. Capitol attacks on January 6th.

U.S. Rep. Kildee, who was elected in Michigan’s 5th Congressional District in 2012,was in the House chamber as rioters stormed the Capitol. Kildee told NBC News he has been seeing a therapist to help him with PTSD resulting from the attack.

During the attack, Kildee actually took video of the rioters as he was trapped inside the House chamber. Kildee said the impact of what had happened didn't fully hit him until he was home that night.

“I went home, I thought I was fine,” Kildee recalled. “It was after I got home and I started looking at some of the video from the event. I thought it was a few dozen people – it was hundreds and hundreds of people, violent people. And that triggered an emotional and physical reaction.”

Congressman Kildee told the Detroit Free Press he was encouraged to reach out to Dr.Jim Gordon, the author of “Transforming Trauma,” who has worked with survivors of past traumatic events around the world to get some help dealing with the flood of emotions.

The decision by Kildee to go public with something many feel they need to hide away has drawn applause from many who view the honesty as a huge step forward to removing overwhelming stigma many face from mental health issues.

“This is not something I ever expected to experience, not something that I anticipated," Kildee said in the interview. "We all carry it around with us, every one of us … it’s a day I’ll never forget."

Kildee went on to let people know there is help out there saying,

“Most people who experience trauma don’t experience it in real time on every network across the world,” the rep said. “They do it privately, quietly, painfully, silently, alone. And so if I can speak to them, that’s what I want to do.”

If you need help or are looking for mental health services, please contact Genesee Health Systems by visiting their website.