HR0056 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0056 LRB100 08544 MST 18669 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, All citizens of the United States possess the basic human right to the preservation of personal dignity; and

WHEREAS, All citizens of the United States deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and

WHEREAS, The brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who proudly serve, risk their lives to protect our freedoms; and

WHEREAS, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first defined by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980 to commonly and more accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress; and

WHEREAS, Combat stress has historically been viewed as a mental illness caused by a pre-existing flaw of character or ability; the word "disorder" carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception; and

WHEREAS, Post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) can occur after experiencing a severely traumatic event to include, but not be exclusive to, sexual assault, child abuse, high-impact collisions and crashes, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and military combat; and

WHEREAS, PTSI is a very common injury to the brain that is treatable and repairable; and

WHEREAS, Referring to the complications from post-traumatic stress as a disorder perpetuates the stigma and bias against mental illness; this stigma can discourage the injured from seeking proper and timely medical treatment; and

WHEREAS, Making PTSI less stigmatizing and more honorable can favorably influence those affected and encourage them to seek help without fear of retribution or shame; and

WHEREAS, Proper and timely treatment can diminish suicide rates; and

WHEREAS, All citizens suffering from PTSI deserve our compassion and consideration: those who have received these wounds in action against an enemy of the United States further deserve our tribute and acknowledgement; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare June 27, 2017 as "Illinois Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we declare June of 2017 as "Illinois Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Public Health and the Department of Veterans' Affairs to continue working to educate victims of abuse, crime, and natural disasters, and service members, veterans and their families, and the general public, about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress injury; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Governor, the Director of the Department of Public Health, and the Director of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.