Patrick Kennedy, a democratic representative, can’t remember a car crash he was part of in the middle of the night. That is precisely why he will enter a Minnesota rehab facility.

According to reports, Kennedy, part of the famous Kennedy family, has battled depression since he was a teenager. He has also had battles with drug addiction, which apparently continue to this day.

He entered a treatment clinic Friday night to fight his addiction to prescription pain medication. He entered the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the same place he entered in December. He left the clinic after Christmas and returned to Congress “healthy.”

Police originally said the crash may have been because Kennedy, son of Senator Edward Kennedy, appeared to be intoxicated. Kennedy said it had nothing to do with alcohol.

Kennedy was cited with three traffic violations and said he would cooperate with police.

Kennedy said he would not resign from Congress. “”I need to stay in the fight.”

“I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions,” said Kennedy, 38.

Police indicated that after the crash, Kennedy told them, that he was “headed to the Capitol to make a vote.”

Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1994. He is the nephew of President Kennedy.

Patrick released this statement:

Over my 15 years in public life, I’ve felt a responsibility to speak honestly and openly about my challenges with addiction and depression. I’ve been fighting this chronic disease since I was a young man, and have aggressively and periodically sought treatment so that I can live a full and productive life.

I struggle every day with this disease, as do millions of Americans. I’ve dedicated my public service to raising awareness about the chronic disease of addiction and have fought to increase access to care and recovery supports for the too many Americans forced to struggle on their own.

This past Christmas, I realized that I had to seek help again so checked myself into the Mayo Clinic for addiction to prescription pain medication. I was there over the holiday and during the House recess getting well, and I returned to the House of Representatives and to Rhode Island reinvigorated and healthy.

Of course, in every recovery, each day has its ups and downs, but I have been strong, focused and productive since my return. But in all candor, the incident on Wednesday evening concerns me greatly.

I simply do not remember getting out of bed, being pulled over by the police, or being cited for three driving infractions. That’s not how I want to live my life, and that’s not how I want to represent the people of Rhode Island.

The recurrence of an addiction problem can be triggered by things that happen in everyday life, such as taking a common treatment for a stomach flu. That’s not an excuse for what happened Wednesday evening, but its a reality of fighting a chronic condition for which I’m taking full responsibility.

I am deeply concerned about my reaction to the medication and my lack of knowledge of the accident that evening. But I do know enough to know that I need to seek expert help. This afternoon, I’m traveling to Minnesota to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic to ensure I can continue on my road to recovery.

The greatest honor of my public life is to serve the people of Rhode Island, and I’m determined to address this issue so that I can continue to fight for the families of Rhode Island with the same dedication and rigor that I have exemplified over the last decade.

I hope that my openness today and in the past, and my acknowledgment that I need help, will give others the courage to get help if they need it. I am blessed to have a loving and supportive family who is in my corner, and I am grateful to my friends, especially those in Rhode Island, who have reached out to me. Thank you for you prayers and your support.

His father, Edward, released this statement:

I love Patrick very much and am very proud of him. All of us in the family admire his courage in speaking publicly about very personal issues and fully support his decision to seek treatment. He has taken full responsibility for events that occurred Wednesday evening, and he will continue to cooperate fully in any investigation.

I have the rare and special honor of being able to serve with my son in the Congress, and I have enormous respect for the work Patrick has done. The people of the 1st District of Rhode Island have a tireless champion for the issues they care about, and today I hope they join me in feeling pride and respect for a courageous man who has admitted to a problem and taken bold action to correct it.


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