[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PTSD AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
this past Sunday, June 27, as National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 
Awareness Day; and June as National PTSD Awareness Month.
  We must do more to defy the stigmas surrounding mental health. 
National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month is intended to 
raise public awareness about issues related to PTSD, reduce the stigma 
associated, and to help ensure those suffering receive proper 
treatment.
  Currently, about eight million people in the United States are 
struggling with PTSD. PTSD treatment is a crucial tool that helps many 
individuals, particularly our Nation's veterans, process, cope, and 
treat emotional and mental trauma.
  While PTSD can develop among any individual who faces a traumatic 
experience, it is often common in our servicemen and -women. Many of 
our servicemembers return home with injuries and scars, but in some 
cases it is the invisible scars that hurt the most.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs offers a variety of resources to 
help those suffering with PTSD. There are a wide variety of options, 
group meetings, individual meetings, meetings via telemedicine. This 
ensures our veterans can receive timely assistance wherever they may 
live.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank our Nation's veterans for their service, and I 
encourage those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder to 
pursue treatment.

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