Oregon Congressman David Wu: I'm Receiving Mental Health Treatment

Democratic Congressman: I'm Receiving Mental Health Treatment

Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) said Tuesday that he's receiving treatment following concern among his staff about his mental health.

"Last October was not a good month. It was very stressful. I did some things, I said some things, which I sincerely regret now. And as a result of those things, I saw fit to consult professional help. I got the help I needed then. I'm continuing to consult medical help as I need it, and I'm in a good place now," Wu said on ABC News' "Good Morning America."

Wu's erratic behavior elicited a harsh response from within his staff in October, mere days before the election, The Oregonian reported last week.

Following a series of strange emails, campaign appearances and even a picture of a rosy-cheeked and smiling Wu in a tiger-suit Halloween costume -- which he sent to his staffers -- the congressman appeared to risk mutiny within his ranks.

According to the Oregonian, "at least six staffers plus the leadership of a veteran campaign team that guided him to a seventh term amid complaints about his public behavior."

During his interview Tuesday, Wu took responsibility for some of those actions, and admitted that they were inappropriate.

"I think a take home lesson from this is while they were very, very unprofessional, you shouldn't ever send photographs of yourself in a Halloween costume, something you intend to wear to a private party a couple of nights later, it's just not profession even when you are joshing around with your kids a couple of nights before Halloween. I did send those photographs, it was unprofessional, inappropriate," he told GMA.

With that said, Wu claimed he was doing much better and was fully prepared to continue his work for Oregon.

"I have gotten myself into a good place where I am taking care of my kids, I am taking care of my 88 year-old mother, I am taking care of myself and very importantly, I'm taking care of [my constituents]," Wu said. "And I emphatically can do the job and only time will demonstrate that to my constituents."

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