By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Mayor Al Arreola has issued a proclamation designating June 2023 as “PTSD Awareness Month” and June 27, 2023, as “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Day” in Del Rio.
Arreola issued the proclamation during the regular city council meeting on Tuesday.
The mayor read the proclamation as follows:
“Whereas, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after a person experiences trauma including but not limited to the stress of combat, rape, sexual assault, child abuse, bombings, accidents and natural disasters, and affects approximately eight million adults in the United States annually; and whereas, PTSD is associated with chemical changes in the body’s hormonal system and automatic nervous system and is characterized by symptoms including flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, avoidance, hypervigilance, anxiety and depression; and
“Whereas, the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, Border Patrol and law enforcement agencies who proudly serve the nation and risk their lives to protect our freedom and communities deserve the investment of every possible resource ensure their lasting physical, mental and emotional well-being; and whereas, despite its treatability, many cases of PTSD remain undiagnosed and untreated due to a lack of
awareness of this condition and the persistent stigma associated with mental health conditions; and
“Whereas, raising awareness of this condition is necessary to remove the stigma and encourage those suffering to seek proper and timely treatment that may save their lives; and whereas, all citizens suffering from PTSD deserve our consideration, and those who are affected by PTSD from wounds received while protecting our freedom, deserve our respect and special honor; and
“Whereas, the month of June each year is designated as “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Month” to bring awareness to those with PTSD and to encourage people to reach out to their fellow citizens to provide support and remove the stigma associated with this disorder; and whereas, the 27th of June each year is designated as “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Day,
“Now, therefore, I, Alvaro Arreola, as mayor of the city of Del Rio, Texas, do hereby proclaim the month of June 2023 as “PTSD Awareness Month” and June 27, 2023, as “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Day,” Arreola finished.
Arreola then recognized former mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano and asked him to speak about the importance of recognizing and treating PTSD. Arreola also asked the former mayor to speak about a recent 5K run/walk Lozano had organized to promote PTSD awareness in the community. “I want to thank the community. We had a 5K for PTSD awareness month over the weekend, and it was the first event of its kind here, and I just want to thank the community for participating, including some members of our audience tonight who were in attendance, and I want to thank the city staff for being present and keeping our parks so clean,” Lozano said.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the community. I know that we’ve been through a lot of trauma collectively, as you mentioned earlier. PTSD was first diagnosed for veterans in military service, especially among those served in the Vietnam War. “When our men and women came back from Vietnam, many of them did not get diagnosed for 20-some years. In my family’s case, it was 40 years, for my father, who served in Vietnam. He and his comrades internalized their PTSD, and a lot of them drank themselves to death. It really hits home in my household, as we had to manage our father’s PTSD,” Lozano said.
“And then, also, just in the community in general, a lot of us are veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and the Gulf War in 1991, and a lot of us are just now beginning to see the effects of PTSD in our lives and come to the forefront as we get older. A lot of us have filed away our experiences into the filing cabinets of eternity, never thinking that any of it would come back out, and a lot of that is
coming back out again.
“I also want to support the Border Patrol agents who have been there consistently since they were founded, rescuing migrants who are crossing our borders unlawfully, for whatever reason, trying to find a better life in the United States, and a lot of the men and women who rescue these individuals go undiagnosed silently with PTSD, so my heart and soul goes out to the men and women of the Border Patrol,” Lozano said.
“I also want to extend an olive branch of support to the community members of Uvalde, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, regionally, collectively, to let Uvalde know they’re not alone. A lot of our families did feel the effects of the aftermath of the mass shooting in Uvalde last year. . . It was so close to home, and I know a lot of us in Del Rio were affected by that directly,” he said.
“And lastly, I’d like the community to know that PTSD is not just for law enforcement or the military. There are those individuals in our community that are suffering and holding their trauma silently, whether it’s from sexual assault, natural disaster or collectively, from the mass shootings, the migrant crossings. You’re not alone. There are resources available. Please reach out to myself or to Mayor Al Arreola, and we will work to help get you the care you need,” Lozano finished.
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Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
