WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy has checked into a medical facility, according to a statement, although he did not disclose where he was receiving his treatment.
According to The Associated Press, Kennedy said that he has “decided to temporarily step away from my normal routine to ensure that I am being as vigilant as possible in my recovery.”
The eight-term congressman has battled depression, alcoholism and addiction for much of his life, and spent time in rehab most recently in 2006, after he crashed a car into a security barrier on Capitol Hill in Washington. He entered a rehabilitation program at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and subsequently agreed to a plea deal on a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs and received a year’s probation.
He is the son of U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.
I have been sober for over 30 years, and I know a little about the effects of alcoholism. This is Mr. Kennedy’s second chance at recovery. I hope he makes it this time. Unless he is willing to go to any lengths to stay sober, we will be reading about Mr. Kennedy again. If Mr. Kennedy doesn’t know this, it is a disease of self-centeredness. Maybe he should concentrate on staying sober and get out of politics. As a citizen, I don’t think I want decisions that might effect my life, being made by an alcoholic.
Resign