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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, All citizens of the United States possess the | ||||||
| 3 | basic human right to the preservation of
personal dignity; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, All citizens of the United States deserve the | ||||||
| 5 | investment of every possible resource to
ensure their lasting | ||||||
| 6 | physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first | ||||||
| 8 | defined by
the American Psychiatric Association in 1980 to more | ||||||
| 9 | accurately understand and treat veterans
who had endured severe | ||||||
| 10 | operational combat stress; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Combat stress injuries have historically been | ||||||
| 12 | unjustly portrayed as a mental illness
caused by a preexisting | ||||||
| 13 | flaw of character or ability, and the word "disorder" has | ||||||
| 14 | carried a
stigma that perpetuates this misconception, which can | ||||||
| 15 | discourage the injured from seeking
proper and timely medical | ||||||
| 16 | treatment; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Referring to the complications from combat | ||||||
| 18 | operational stress as a disorder
perpetuates the stigma of and | ||||||
| 19 | bias against mental illness; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, It has been shown though electro-magnetic imaging | ||||||
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| 1 | that the condition is more
accurately described as an injury; | ||||||
| 2 | and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Severe post-traumatic stress is a very common and | ||||||
| 4 | treatable injury to the brain
that can occur following exposure | ||||||
| 5 | to extremely traumatic events, such as
interpersonal violence, | ||||||
| 6 | combat, life-threatening accidents, or natural disasters; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Referring to the condition as post-traumatic | ||||||
| 8 | stress injury (PTSI) is less stigmatizing
and is viewed as more | ||||||
| 9 | honorable, and this designation can favorably influence those | ||||||
| 10 | affected and
encourage them to seek treatment without fear of | ||||||
| 11 | retribution or shame; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, All citizens suffering from post-traumatic stress | ||||||
| 13 | injury deserve our compassion and
consideration, and those | ||||||
| 14 | brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have
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| 15 | received these wounds in action against an enemy of the United | ||||||
| 16 | States further deserve our
special tribute and acknowledgment; | ||||||
| 17 | and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) is an injury | ||||||
| 19 | that is repairable, and timely
treatment can diminish | ||||||
| 20 | complications and prevent suicides among the injured; | ||||||
| 21 | therefore, be it
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| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 2 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 3 | we declare June 27, 2020 as "Post-Traumatic Stress Injury | ||||||
| 4 | Awareness Day" in the State of Illinois; and be it further | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, That we declare June of 2020 as "Post-Traumatic | ||||||
| 6 | Stress Injury Awareness Month" in the State of Illinois; and be | ||||||
| 7 | it further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Public Health and
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| 9 | the Department of Veterans Affairs to continue working to
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| 10 | educate victims of abuse, crime, and natural disasters and
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| 11 | service members, veterans and their families, and the general | ||||||
| 12 | public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of
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| 13 | post-traumatic stress injury; and be it further | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
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| 15 | delivered to the Governor, the Director of Public Health, and | ||||||
| 16 | the Director of Veterans Affairs.
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