Michelle Obama talks about mental health struggles during Covid

“Depression is understandable in these circumstances, during these times,” she said in an interview with People magazine. “To think that somehow we can continue to rise above all the shock, trauma and convulsion that we have been experiencing without feeling that way is just unreal.”

Last summer, Obama revealed in his podcast that she was suffering from “low-grade depression” during the height of the pandemic, racial adjustment in the United States and political conflicts.

For the cover story of the issue, Obama told People magazine that “I needed to recognize what I was going through, because we often feel that we have to cover that part of ourselves, that we always have to stand up and look as if we are not rowing. hard under water. “

“We continued to kill black men at the hands of the police. Just watching George Floyd’s video, experiencing those eight minutes. This is a lot to face, not to mention being in the middle of a quarantine, ”she said.

Obama also told People magazine that she was vaccinated against Covid-19.

“I encourage everyone to get the vaccine as soon as they have the opportunity,” she said.

The former first lady also shared that the pandemic allowed her and former President Barack Obama to build a stronger relationship with their two daughters while quarantined at home.

“These were difficult times. Many people struggled: lost jobs, people starving,” she told People. “We learned to count our blessings, the importance of health and family.”