Sign The Petition here.
*Please do NOT donate to Change.org. We do NOT receive the funds from this, nor does that money go to helping those with C-PTSD, or the advocacy efforts. If you want to donate money to help our work, please check out the support page to ensure your contribution is going to the right place.
Check out other ways you can advocate below!
Why Does C-PTSD Need to Be in the DSM?
We are pushing a national agenda to make C-PTSD a recognized disorder in DSM. With our advocacy efforts, we are forging relationships with survivors and mental health professionals to make successful leaps to provide the recognition our community deserves.
We know that when there is more awareness around a disorder, there is more research devoted to it, and helping sufferers. With C-PTSD in the DSM, more mental health professionals will better learn about the symptoms so they are better equipped to serve our community.
Receiving a C-PTSD diagnosis can be scary. For many of us, we have felt relief and empowerment through this diagnosis, as we finally begin to realize there is nothing wrong with us. The symptoms that come along with C-PTSD are a normal reaction to an abnormal situation, like trauma.
When C-PTSD is a recognized disorder, more people will be able to receive the care they deserve. Therapists and providers will be more likely to spot the symptoms so people don’t have to suffer in silence, from an undiagnosed reason.
C-PTSD in the DSM reaffirms what we know at Healing & CPTSD: trauma has lasting effects on the body and mind.
Through appropriate care, healing is possible.

Further Advocacy Steps
Have you already signed our petition? Awesome! We are so appreciative. There is no shortage of other ways to get involved!
Writing letters to both APA's (American Psychological Association) & (American Psychiatric Association) is our way to demand our voices to be heard. This is how we can make noise in a professional and respectful manner.
We hope that the APA's will listen when 1. Our own community expresses support of this addition and 2. When mental health professionals, who have seen first hand how this diagnosis can affect us and have fatal consequences if ignored or not recognized, speak up and use their experience to push just how paramount and life-saving the addition of C-PTSD to the DSM is.
If you are a mental health professional: Write A Letter to APA (American Psychological Association)
The APA will take our efforts more seriously when mental health professionals get involved.
We ask those in the mental health field: therapists, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, etc to write letters in support of the APA adding the diagnosis C-PTSD.
We ask for you to send your letters directly to healingandcptsd@gmail.com. We will then put your letter with our advocacy files, and give you physical addresses and direct email addresses that you can send your letter directly to those who make these decisions. We will also do this on your behalf. Please place in the subject line: C-PTSD Letter for the APA.
If you are a c-ptsd warrior: Join our Recognize C-PTSD Campaign.