CSHJR 30(STA): Urging the American Psychiatric Association to change the term "post-traumatic stress disorder" or "PTSD" to "post-traumatic stress injury" or "PTSI"; urging the governor to support usage of the term "post-traumatic stress injury"; respectfully requesting that the Alaska delegation in Congress champion this change of designation in the United States Congress; and designating June 27, 2016, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day.
00 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 30(STA) 01 Urging the American Psychiatric Association to change the term "post-traumatic stress 02 disorder" or "PTSD" to "post-traumatic stress injury" or "PTSI"; urging the governor 03 to support usage of the term "post-traumatic stress injury"; respectfully requesting that 04 the Alaska delegation in Congress champion this change of designation in the United 05 States Congress; and designating June 27, 2016, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury 06 Awareness Day. 07 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 08 WHEREAS the brave men and women of the armed forces of the United States who 09 proudly serve the nation and risk their lives to protect the freedom of its citizens deserve 10 empathy for and attention to their physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and 11 WHEREAS hundreds of thousands of American service members have been 12 clinically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and the injury affects an estimated 13 total of 7,700,000 Americans; and 14 WHEREAS it is estimated that thousands of Alaskans suffer from combat-related
01 post-traumatic stress injury; and 02 WHEREAS combat-related post-traumatic stress is significantly pronounced, given 03 that many men and women in the armed forces are highly exposed, often daily, to traumatic 04 events, including life-and-death situations, for weeks, months, and even years; and 05 WHEREAS service members and veterans often struggle with combat-related post- 06 traumatic stress for years after leaving service; and 07 WHEREAS the extreme survival skills and defensive behaviors acquired as a result 08 of service are often difficult to manage; and 09 WHEREAS, during the American Revolutionary War, a post-traumatic stress injury 10 was called "nostalgia"; during the American Civil War it was known as "soldier's heart"; 11 during World War I, it was called "shell shock"; during World War II, it was called "battle 12 fatigue"; during the Korean War, it was called "gross stress reaction"; and during the Vietnam 13 War, it was called "Vietnam combat reaction"; and 14 WHEREAS a post-traumatic stress injury occurs after a person has experienced a 15 trauma and can result from the stress of combat, as well as rape, sexual assault, battery, 16 torture, confinement, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or 17 natural disasters, and is characterized by numerous symptoms, including flashbacks, 18 avoidance, hypervigilance, nightmares, re-experiencing, anxiety, emotional numbness, 19 alienation, cognitive deficits, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, and thoughts of suicide; and 20 WHEREAS post-traumatic stress can occur at any age, including in childhood; and 21 WHEREAS post-traumatic stress has historically been viewed as a mental illness 22 caused by a preexisting flaw in the person's brain or character; and 23 WHEREAS many people still believe post-traumatic stress injury is incurable; and 24 WHEREAS, in fact, post-traumatic stress is a very common injury to the brain that is 25 treatable and reparable; and 26 WHEREAS the United States Department of Defense, the United States Department 27 of Veterans Affairs, and the National Institute of Mental Health have made significant 28 advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of post-traumatic stress injury and its 29 symptoms; and 30 WHEREAS the term "post-traumatic stress disorder" carries a stigma of 31 misconceptions that the injury is a disorder that is not repairable or treatable; and
01 WHEREAS that stigma discourages people who suffer from post-traumatic stress 02 from seeking proper medical treatment; and 03 WHEREAS service members, veterans, first responders, and victims of abuse, crime, 04 and disaster, as well as their family members, see that the negative associations of having a 05 psychological disorder keep some people from seeking treatment; and 06 WHEREAS efforts should continue to be made to make the condition less 07 stigmatizing and more honorable to increase the number of those affected who voluntarily 08 seek help and assistance; and 09 WHEREAS proper and timely treatment can reduce suicide rates among all citizens, 10 particularly veterans; and 11 WHEREAS all citizens who suffer from post-traumatic stress injury deserve 12 recognition, and those who have received those wounds while serving our nation and 13 defending our freedom deserve respect and special honor; and 14 WHEREAS this resolution does not advocate changing the current qualifications for 15 the Purple Heart; and 16 WHEREAS the American Psychiatric Association uses the term "post-traumatic 17 stress disorder" in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental 18 Disorders; 19 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature believes that the term "post- 20 traumatic stress disorder" should be universally changed to "post-traumatic stress injury"; and 21 be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the American 23 Psychiatric Association to change the term "post-traumatic stress disorder" to "post-traumatic 24 stress injury" in the next revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental 25 Disorders; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the Governor to 27 support usage of the term "post-traumatic stress injury"; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that 29 the Alaska delegation in Congress champion this change of designation in the United States 30 Congress; and be it 31 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature designates June 27, 2016,
01 as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day to bring awareness to the people suffering 02 from post-traumatic stress injury and encourages people to reach out to their fellow citizens to 03 provide support and eliminate the stigma associated with this injury; and be it 04 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the 05 Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Health and Social 06 Services to continue educating service members and veterans, victims of abuse, crime, and 07 natural disaster, their respective families, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and 08 possible treatment of post-traumatic stress injury. 09 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of 10 the United States; the Honorable Ashton B. Carter, United States Secretary of Defense; the 11 Honorable Robert A. McDonald, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs; General Joseph 12 F. Dunford, Jr., Chair, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Honorable Bill Walker, 13 Governor of Alaska; Brigadier General Laurel J. Hummel, Commissioner, Department of 14 Military and Veterans' Affairs; the Honorable Valerie Davidson, Commissioner, Department 15 of Health and Social Services; the Honorable Craig Stowers, Chief Justice of the Alaska 16 Supreme Court; Renée Binder, M.D., President, American Psychiatric Association; Joshua 17 Sonkiss, M.D., President, Alaska Psychiatric Association; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski 18 and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. 19 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.