Kevin Hönicke, deputy district mayor in Lichtenberg, announced on his website on Tuesday that he had suffered from severe depression in the past year. Due to “a few private strokes of fate”, his condition had developed from “slight negative mood” to a mental illness requiring treatment.
At first, Hönicke writes, he struggled primarily with a sleep disorder. For months he could not sleep more than two hours a night. Then he got caught in a merry-go-round of thoughts and “at some point I just couldn’t control it anymore”. This ultimately led to severe physical pain, but doctors could not find any physical cause. “I woke up in the night and, in addition to the terrible pain in my legs and genitals, I had the feeling that someone was strangling me,” writes Hönicke.
He was aware that he was probably suffering from depression. But he didn’t want to admit it, took care of his children and continued to work – “more than 14 hours a day”. After all, the depression increasingly restricted him in his everyday and professional life. Shopping, taking the subway, making decisions – he was no longer capable of such everyday tasks.
“I was a slave to my thoughts and my soul,” explains the SPD politician. He lost 25 kilograms until his team finally forbade him to continue working. A friend then took him to a clinic, after all he was treated further in a day clinic.
“Thanks to all the help, I am better today than I was before I became depressed. I’m happy and grateful for my life,” Hönicke summarizes his current state of health. He hopes to be able to fight together with other prominent mentally ill people “that depression is a recognized disease in society.” But there is still a long way to go until then.
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