Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A Proclamation
His Excellency Governor Deval L. Patrick
Whereas Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder that causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or other parts of their body, resulting in noticeable bald patches; and
Whereas Trichotillomania is estimated to affect one to two percent of the American population; and
Whereas For many, the psychological impact of TTM can be severe, including intense feelings of shame, isolation and loss of control; and
Whereas Research into treatments of TTM has grown over the past thirteen years, however, no one treatment has been found to be effective for everyone,
Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim October 1st – 7th, 2011 to be,
Trichotillomania Awareness Week
And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.
Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this thirteenth day of September, in the year two thousand and eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
By His Excellency
Deval L. Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts