Sadiq Khan says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder following death threats and disasters
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was struck by mental trauma after regularly experiencing death threats, disasters and terrorist attacks.
Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Khan said the coincidence of a series of events had a “cumulative” effect on his mental health, but reiterated that he wasn’t comparing it to the extreme levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that refugees or People suffer similar situations as he experienced himself.
When asked if he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, Mr Khan said: “Without a doubt. One of my best friends is a doctor and we talk about it.
“I think the sentence is cumulative.
“By the way, I don’t compare what I’m going through to what others are going through – as a lawyer, my PTSD clients have been asylum seekers and refugees. I would never equate what I’m going through, nor would I want people to feel sorry for me.
“I feel very privileged to be able to do my job.”
He added: “By the way, if that means I’m a snowflake, then that’s the way it’s supposed to be, right? Mental health is at risk if not cared for. And I shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it.”
Mr Khan spoke about the interactions he had with former US President Donald Trump on Twitter, which led to a sharp rise in threats against him on social media.
Commenting on the attack on Finsbury Park Mosque in 2017, Mr Khan said: “The terrorist was looking for me.
“He couldn’t find me, so he decided to target Jeremy Corbyn and Muslims. Every time Trump says something terrible about me, the hate against me on social media increases massively.
“Then there are people who follow Daesh (Islamic State) and al-Qaeda and think you can’t be a Muslim and you can’t be a Westerner. I understand that from both sides regarding the death threats.”
Mr Khan also admitted he lost his mojo during the pandemic and struggled to think clearly and inspire his team.
He is running for his third term as London mayor and has told The Guardian that he is ultimately hoping for six terms.
He has written a book called Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency, in which he details his goal of making London a cleaner city.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/sadiq-khan-ptsd-mayor-donald-trump-london-b1082503.html Sadiq Khan says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder following death threats and disasters
