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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	June 3, 2019 12:09 PM
From:	Senator Ryan P. Aument and Sen. Mike Regan
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness

In the near future, I plan to introduce a resolution designating June 27, 2019 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day and June 2019 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. The brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, who proudly serve this country and risk their lives to protect our freedom, deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The challenges of serving in combat do not stop for many veterans when they return home, but a new challenge begins that many of our servicemen and servicewomen must fight every day that causes them to struggle in silence. Post-traumatic stress injury can occur after exposure to extremely traumatic events including, but not limited to, combat, sexual assault, torture, abuse, life-threatening accidents, natural disasters, or interpersonal violence. The diagnosis now known as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD was first defined in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association to more accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress in Vietnam. Post-traumatic stress has historically been viewed as a mental illness caused by a preexisting flaw in the individual’s brain or character, and the term carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception. Additionally, referring to post-traumatic stress injury as a disorder not only perpetuates the stigma of and bias against mental illness, but it also discourages those suffering from post-traumatic stress from seeking proper and timely medical treatment. Destigmatizing the condition by referring to the invisible wounds it causes in the brain as an injury rather than a disorder is viewed as more honorable and can favorably influence individuals affected and encourage them to seek help without fear of retribution or shame. Please join me in designating June 27, 2019 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day and June 2019 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.

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