Morrison said that former Labor speechwriter Don Watson’s biography of Paul Keating,Recollections of a Bleeding Heart,was “the best biography I have ever read ... but he does chronicle a fairly dark period for Paul” during the former prime minister’s term in the top office.
“I’ve never heard Paul confirm or deny[that he was depressed] ... personally,I found that the most endearing and encouraging,when I found myself going through similar difficult times,to know that people[who] had lived in that building[the Lodge] before had gone through similar difficult times,” he said.
Morrison added that people treated politicians like they were made of stone,but they were not and to cope with the demands of high political office “we put on a brave face”.
“I have no doubt that the halls of parliament are filled with people going through enormous mental anguish on a daily basis. And that’s not just the stuff they’re dealing with in their professional life,but the impact that has,you know,being away from their family and all of this. It’s not a complaint,it’s just true and I think we’ve got to sort of be transparent about that.”
Morrison writes that as the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic mounted,and the pressures dealing with China and putting together the AUKUS deal grew,his anxiety got worse.
When he finally saw a doctor,they were “amazed I had lasted as long as I had before seeking help”.
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“Without this help,serious depression would have manifested. What impacted me was the combination of pure physical exhaustion with the unrelenting and callous brutality of politics and media attacks,” he writes.
“As a politician I know this goes with the territory. That’s not a complaint or even an accusation. It’s just reality. Politicians are not made of stone,yet they’re often treated as though they are,including by each other.”
Describing his personal turmoil,Morrison writes:“You dread the future and you can’t get out of bed. It can shut you down mentally and physically. It robs you of your joy and can damage relationships. I know this from personal experience”.