Dubai: Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, claimed that he has post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of dealing with disaster relief efforts and death threats since taking office.
Khan called it a "cumulative" form of PTSD in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, making clear that he wasn't comparing it to the PTSD suffered by refugees or others who had similar experiences.
Khan, who plans to run for re-election in 2019 as well, admitted to the interviewer that he "lost his mojo" during lockdowns because the coronavirus also had an impact on his mental health.
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"I couldn't think straight. I wasn't as flamboyant. The 52-year-old claimed that he wasn't motivating his team.
The mayor claimed that the level of protection provided by his security detail is "the same level that the prime minister and the king receive," but he added that receiving death threats and dealing with the fallout from the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire have had an impact on his mental health.
He claimed that a friend who is a doctor informed him that he has a "cumulative" form of PTSD.
By the way, I'm not comparing what I'm going through to some of the things people go through — as a lawyer, my PTSD clients were asylum seekers and refugees, Khan was quoted as saying.
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"I would never compare what I am going through to anything else. I also wouldn't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I feel extremely fortunate to have the job I do.
By the way, I suppose it's okay if this means I'm a unique snowflake. If mental health is not taken care of, it can become fragile. And I shouldn't be embarrassed to discuss it. Khan also addressed the issue of housing, noting that the lack of reasonably priced housing in London is the reason his daughters are still living with him.
"Twenty years ago, if I were speaking to you today, I would be concerned about cleaners and bus drivers being unable to live in London. It's now teachers, nurses, and doctors. My children are living at home and have completed their degrees, he said.
"One in three 30-year-olds will still be living with their parents by the year 2030. I want my children to leave at some point, even though I love them dearly. Therefore, we must address the housing crisis. When I made my first home purchase, I was 24. Now, that is unimaginable.
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Khan stated that he intends to run for mayor for a total of six terms in order to build a London "that can have our children feeling they have a future rather than being worried about what the future holds.