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HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The brave men and women of the United States Armed
3Forces who proudly serve the United States and risk their lives
4to protect our freedom deserve the investment of every possible
5resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and
6emotional well-being; and
 
7    WHEREAS, All citizens deserve the basic human right to the
8preservation of personal dignity; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The diagnosis now known as Post-Traumatic Stress
10Disorder (PTSD), was first defined to commonly and more
11accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe
12traumatic combat stress; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Combat operational stress has historically been
14viewed as a mental illness caused by a preexisting flaw of
15character and/or ability; the term Post-Traumatic Stress
16Disorder (PTSD) carries a stigma that perpetuates this
17misconception; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Post-traumatic stress can occur after
19experiencing a severely traumatic event to include sexual
20assault, child abuse, high-impact collisions and crashes,
21natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and military combat; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Post-traumatic stress is a very common injury to
2the brain that is treatable and repairable; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Referring to the complications from
4post-traumatic stress as a disorder perpetuates the stigma of
5and bias against mental illness; the stigma discourages those
6suffering from post-traumatic stress from seeking proper and
7timely medical treatment; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Making the condition less stigmatizing and more
9honorable can favorably influence those affected and encourage
10them to seek help without fear of retribution or shame; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Proper and timely treatment can diminish suicide
12rates; and
 
13    WHEREAS, All citizens suffering from post-traumatic stress
14injury deserve our compassion and consideration; those who have
15received these wounds in action against an enemy of the United
16States further deserve our tribute and acknowledgement;
17therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20designate June 27, 2016 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury

 

 

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1Awareness Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That we designate June of 2016 as Post-Traumatic
3Stress Injury Awareness Month in the State of Illinois; and be
4it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Public Health and
6the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to continue
7working to educate victims of abuse, crime, and natural
8disasters, service members, veterans and their families, and
9the general public, about the causes, symptoms, and treatment
10of post-traumatic stress injury; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12delivered to Governor Rauner.