U.S. Postal Service Issues 'Healing' Stamp to Help Americans Struggling With PTSD

Showing your support for military veterans and others afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is now just a lick away. This week, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released a new Healing PTSD stamp, with proceeds going toward the assistance and treatment of service members and civilians struggling with emotional and psychological symptoms brought on by a troubling life event.

The front of the stamp, which features a green plant growing from a pile of fallen leaves, is intended to symbolize healing. The stamp is what the USPS refers to as semipostal, which is postage that sells for a premium in order to raise funds for causes thought to be in the public interest. The Healing PTSD edition is 65 cents, or 10 cents more than a regularly-priced first-class stamp. That money, minus the postage paid and the reimbursement of reasonable costs acquired by the Postal Service, will be distributed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and routed to the National Center for PTSD.

The first semipostal stamp was issued in 1998 and was intended to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research. A stamp for Alzheimer’s research followed in 2017. Semipostal stamps are intended to be sold for no more than two years at a time.

The Healing PTSD stamp is available at local post offices and on USPS.com.