Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has claimed that he has PTSD as a result of frequently facing threats of death, natural disasters, and terrorist assaults.
Speaking to The Guardian, Mr. Khan said that a string of incidents had a “cumulative” impact on his mental health, but he insisted that he wasn’t drawing comparisons to the severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that refugees or individuals in his shoes have gone through.
When asked if he suffered from PTSD, Mr Khan said: “Without a doubt. One of my best friends is a doctor and we talk about it.
“I think the phrase is cumulative.
“By the way, I’m not comparing what I am going through to some of the stuff people go through – as a lawyer my clients with PTSD were asylum seekers and refugees. I would never give equivalence to what I am going through, nor would I ever want people to feel sorry for me.
“I’m very privileged to do the job I do.”
He added: “By the way, if this means I’m a snowflake, so be it, right? Mental health is fragile if it’s not looked after. And I shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it.”
Mr. Khan discussed his conversations with former US President Donald Trump on Twitter and how those discussions resulted in a sharp rise in threats made against him on social media.
Speaking about the attack at the 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 horrible about me there’s a massive increase in hatred towards me on social media.
“Then there are people who follow Daesh (Islamic State) and al Qaida who think you can’t be a Muslim and a westerner, I get it from both sides in relation to the death threats.”
Mr. Khan said that the pandemic caused him to lose his mojo and that he found it difficult to think properly and to motivate his employees.
He has stated to The Guardian that his ultimate goal is to serve six terms as mayor of London. He is now seeking re-election for a third term.
His mission to make London cleaner is described in his book Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency.
