• MSN
  • Hotmail
  • More
    • Autos
    • My MSN
    • Video
    • Careers & Jobs
    • Personals
    • Weather
    • Delish
    • Quotes
    • White Pages
    • Games
    • Real Estate
    • Wonderwall
    • Horoscopes
    • Shopping
    • Yellow Pages
    • Local Edition
    • Traffic
    • Feedback
    • Maps & Directions
    • Travel
    • Full MSN Index
  • Bing
  • NBCNews.com
  • TODAY
  • Nightly News
  • Rock Center
  • Meet the Press
  • Dateline
  • msnbc
  • Breaking News
  • Newsvine
  • Home
  • US
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Travel
  • Local
  • Weather
Advertise | AdChoices
  • Recommended: More 'devastating' tornadoes possible on Tuesday, forecasters warn
  • Recommended: Crews comb devastation in Oklahoma; confirmed death toll lowered to 24
  • Recommended: Arias expected to address jury over possible death sentence
  • Recommended: 'Bless you for posting': Facebook group reunites tornado victims with photos, documents

NBC News reporters bring you compelling stories from across the nation. For more US news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

  • ↓ About this blog
  • ↓ Archives
    • Icons Email E-mail updates
    • Icons Twitter Follow on Twitter
    • Icons Feed Subscribe to RSS
  • 13
    Aug
    2012
    4:23pm, EDT

    Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. 'responding well' to bipolar depression treatment

    By NBC News staff

    Mitch Dumke / Reuters

    In this file photo, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 10, 2008. The congressman is currently on medical leave.

    Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is "regaining his strength," following his admittance to the Mayo Clinic for bipolar disorder earlier this summer, the Rochester, Minn., facility said Monday.


    Follow @NBCNewsUS

    The Illinois Democrat, who has been on medical leave from his job since June 10, is being treated for Bipolar II depression, the clinic said. Jackson has been at the Mayo Clinic since July 25.

    "Congressman Jackson is responding well to the treatment," Mayo Clinic spokeswoman Traci Klein said in a statement. Jackson asked the clinic to distribute this information on his behalf, and Monday's update comes after mounting pressure to reveal the nature of his medical leave.


    The Mayo Clinic says Bipolar II disorder is a treatable condition, affecting parts of the brain that control drive, thought and emotion. This type of depression is most likely caused by a set of genetic and environmental factors.

    Jackson's wife said earlier this summer that the congressman was "completely debilitated" by depression.

    Klein said the 47-year-old congressman underwent gastric bypass surgery back in 2004, which changes how the body absorbs things like foods, liquids and medications.

    There's no timeline for Jackson's recovery, according to Jackson's father, civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson. The elder Jackson said earlier this month that his son has no plans to step down from his post.

    Jackson is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for his connections to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted on corruption charges for trying to sell off Barack Obama's Senate seat after Obama was elected president. Jackson has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the scandal and has not been charged.

    Former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Monday he plans to visit Jackson on Thursday at the Mayo Clinic, The Associated Press reported. Kennedy was treated at the Mayo Clinic himself for addiction and depression in 2006 after a late-night car crash at the U.S. Capitol. He decided not to run for a ninth term in 2010 and retired from Congress last year. 

    More content from NBCNews.com:

    • Big debt threatens security clearance for troops
    • Wife of former congressman dies after being run over by her own car
    • Report: Ex-Navy sub commander faked death to get out of affair
    • Evangelist Billy Graham 'doing fine' at hospital
    • Family: Cops didn't have to shoot knife-wielding man near Times Square
    • Video: Multiple cameras show man driving wrong way

    Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

    89 comments

    Responding well to treatment??? what a load of BS. Funny how someone magically becomes Bipolar when they think they are going to jail

    Show more
    Explore related topics: congress, depression, jesse-jackson-jr, mayo-clinic, biopolar-disorder

Browse

  • featured,
  • crime,
  • military,
  • weather,
  • california,
  • updated,
  • florida,
  • environment,
  • us-news,
  • new-york,
  • shooting,
  • texas,
  • education,
  • chicago,
  • police,
  • gulf-oil-spill,
  • kari-huus,
  • nbcnewyork,
  • los-angeles,
  • murder,
  • new-jersey,
  • guns,
  • obama,
  • afghanistan,
  • colorado,
  • sandy,
  • nbclosangeles,
  • trayvon-martin,
  • barack-obama,
  • crime-and-courts,
  • politics,
  • gay,
  • veterans,
  • connecticut,
  • fire,
  • crime-courts,
  • religion,
  • arizona,
  • boston-marathon-tragedy
Also
Advertise | AdChoices

Archives

  • 2013
    • May (308)
    • April (608)
    • March (548)
    • February (510)
    • January (563)
  • 2012
    • December (457)
    • November (460)
    • October (477)
    • September (432)
    • August (525)
    • July (519)
    • June (508)
    • May (566)
    • April (538)
    • March (576)
    • February (471)
    • January (417)
  • 2011
    • December (455)
    • November (190)
    • October (9)
    • September (3)
    • August (51)
    • July (8)
    • June (3)
    • May (12)
    • April (5)
    • March (3)
    • February (1)
    • January (8)
  • 2010
    • December (5)
    • November (1)
    • October (2)
    • September (28)
    • August (40)
    • July (35)
    • June (177)
    • May (50)
    • April (9)
    • March (2)
    • February (2)
    • January (4)
  • 2009
    • December (5)
    • November (5)
    • October (2)
    • September (11)
    • August (4)
    • July (12)
    • June (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (1)
    • March (3)
    • February (3)
    • January (2)
  • 2008
    • December (3)
    • November (2)
    • October (6)
    • September (30)
    • August (26)
    • July (10)
    • June (4)
    • May (8)
    • April (13)
    • March (9)
    • February (7)
    • January (6)
  • 2007
    • December (10)
    • November (6)
    • October (22)
    • September (11)

Most Commented

  • Obama calls IRS flap 'inexcusable,' announces resignation of acting IRS chief (3706)
  • NTSB recommends lowering blood alcohol level that constitutes drunken driving (1582)
  • Benghazi, IRS, AP: A guide to the 3 storms confronting the White House (2543)
  • Fired lesbian teacher: Catholic educators union won't back me (2050)
  • Majority of Colorado sheriffs file suit against new gun laws (1949)
  • At least 51 killed, including 20 children, as tornado tears through Oklahoma (1788)
  • Judge blocks Arkansas' tough new abortion law (1874)

Other blogs

  • The Body Odd
  • Cosmic Log
  • Red Tape Chronicles
  • PhotoBlog
  • Open Channel

NBCNews.com top stories

3147,10
© 2013 NBCNews.com
  • US news on NBCNews.com
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Site map
  • Careers
  • Closed captioning
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Advertise