The Mayor of London talked about the pressures that come with his job (Picture: PA)
Sadiq Khan says he suffers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) working as Mayor of London.
The Labour politician said death threats, disasters and terror attacks have had a ‘cumulative’ effect on his mental health.
But the mayor stressed his mental trauma does not compare to those who suffer with severe PTSD.
When asked if he suffered from the condition, 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.’
Mr Khan 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.’
He said incidents like the Finsbury Park mosque attack in 2017 had an impact on him (Picture: PA)
He said interactions with former US president Donald Trump heightened his mental trauma when he received death threats on Twitter from his supporters.
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.’
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Mr Khan also admitted he struggled to think clearly and motivate his team during the pandemic, losing what he described as his ‘mojo’.
Despite his struggles, the politician is looking to run for Mayor of London again for a third term.
He hopes to run for six terms despite coming under fire by his critics for his expansion of the ULEZ zone in the capital.
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‘If this means I’m a snowflake, so be it, right?’
