In a recent interview with Dave Allen, the host of “Syracuse’s Morning News” on 570 WSYR in New York, Jared Halpern, who serves as the National Correspondent for Fox News Radio, shared his experiences with struggling with mental health issues. Halpern disclosed that his depression had reached a point where even getting out of bed in the morning had become daunting.
“I wasn’t able to eat and physically do much,” Halpern recalled. “I was incapable of focusing on work or anything else, and it boiled over to the point that working wasn’t going to be something I could do anymore. So, Fox News graciously said take time, you must get better, you must heal, and I spent about six weeks focusing on my mental health.”
Halpern said that he dedicated himself to improving his mental health by regularly attending therapy sessions and seeking medical advice for suitable medication. He also revealed that he tried establishing healthier routines to improve his physical well-being.
“That was the most eye-opening to me, the physical toll that mental health can take,” he said. “I had a doctor’s appointment, and my cholesterol had jumped sixty points. I put on what is a lot of weight for me. I was lethargic and incapable of doing the things I enjoyed. For me, that meant isolating.”
As a dad to a 10-year-old son, Halpern stressed the importance of putting his family first and spending meaningful time with them. This drove him to concentrate on his healing process.
“I wanted him to remember his dad,” he said. “I got help, and it didn’t take long. I’ve dealt with anxiety and stress before and panic attacks since college, but I’ve always been able to manage them and let them simmer on the back burner and let them pass and get over them. This was not that. This was a much more severe case. You take time and heal if you have a broken leg or arm. Mental health is no different.”
Halpern returned to the White House earlier this week and expressed his joy at returning to the job through a post on his LinkedIn profile.
“FOX News Media is committed to promoting the mental well-being of all employees. Taking care of mental health is of utmost importance to our team and we offer our full support to Jared in this matter. FOX offers an employee assistance program to support all of our employees, and we have on-site clinicians at our major employment locations,” Fox News said in a statement to Barrett News Media.
