Michelle Obama said that she's dealing with "some form of low-grade depression" due to the coronavirus lockdown, racial strife in the U.S., and the Trump administration.
In the second episode of her new podcast, the former first lady spoke with her friend Michele Norris, the former longtime host of NPR's All Things Considered.
Obama described trouble sleeping and periods throughout the lockdown in which she has felt down. "Spiritually, these are not ... fulfilling times," she said.
"I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression," Obama continued. "Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting."
She's not the only one feeling depressed right now.
More than 1 in 3 Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in a recent pulse survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. A year ago, that figure was 1 in 10.
Obama said that she hasn't been moving around as much during this time, so she's not knock-out tired at the end of the day, and she goes to bed later. "And I'm waking up in the middle of the night, cause I'm worrying about something, or there's a heaviness."
