Why does Pete Davidson have PTSD? SNL alum's mental health issues explored as he reportedly checks into a wellness facility

Pete Davidson is taking some time away from the stage and the spotlight as he checked himself into a wellness facility seeking mental health treatment.

The former Saturday Night Live star's decision to enter a wellness facility, which People reported on Wednesday, July 31, comes after his stint at a rehabilitation facility on July 31 last year. Davidson was seeking treatment related to his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Davidson openly talks about his mental struggles, including that he has PTSD after losing his father, Scott Davidson. He was a firefighter who lost his life during the 9/11 attacks.

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

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Pete Davidson has been "in and out of mental health facilities" since he was nine

The American comedian and actor has been candid about his mental health struggles, which largely come from the death of his father while in service during the September 11, 2001 attacks. He told Variety in 2018 that he's had a long stint in mental health facilities since he was young, saying:

"I've been in and out of mental health facilities since I was 9. I tried to drown myself in the pool when I was in the fourth or fifth grade."

The SNL star also admitted to having PTSD because of it, opening up about the struggle during an interview with Jon Bernthal in his podcast in 2023, saying:

"[My therapist and I] agreed that a lot of it stems from the fact that [my father] had told [me] he would pick [me] up on 9/11."

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2016: He was diagnosed with BPD

During an interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast in September 2017, Pete Davidson opened up about having mental breakdowns. He recalled freaking out and then not remembering anything that happened after, calling it "blind rage."

The comedian said that he went to rehab for it in case it could help his situation, and he was told that he "might be bipolar" and was given medication.

However, he admitted that it didn't help or change things for him and he was in a "really bad mental breakdown" just two months after getting out of the facility. He was later formally diagnosed as having borderline personality disorder by his psychiatrist and was put on new meds.

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2020: Pete Davidson admitted to having suicidal thoughts

With his years of mental struggles, Pete Davidson admitted that, at some point, he had suicidal thoughts. During an interview with Tony Dokoupil for CBS Sunday Morning in June 2020, he said:

"I got as close as you can get—just like testing the waters."

Fortunately, the comedian has managed to meet the right doctors and get the right treatments, but at one point, he said it "got pretty dark and scary" for him.

As some of his fans would recall, Davidson threatened to end his life in a now-deleted Instagram post that he shared in 2018, where he said that he "really don't want to be on this earth anymore."

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2023: He went to rehab for ketamine use

In September 2023, Pete Davidson addressed his stint in rehab in June of that year during a comedy tour with Jon Stewart and John Mulaney in New Jersey. He checked himself into the facility for treatment for his years of daily ketamine use to treat depression.

Taking about his time in rehab, he said:

"I am fresh out of rehab, everyone. I got that post-rehab glow. Seventh time's a charm."

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Amid the latest news that he's checking himself into a facility, Pete Davidson has canceled show dates in Florida.