Fourth of July Fireworks Can Trigger U.S. Veterans PSTD
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Military with PTSD, a non-profit organization, is asking people to be respectful and mindful of U.S. war veterans whose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might be triggered by the lights and sounds caused by fireworks.
According to CNN, the organization started out as a Facebook group geared towards helping people with PTSD and their families.
The group was started by Shawn Gourley, the wife of a U.S. veteran. Gourley's husband, Justin, served in the U.S. Navy from 2000 to 2004 in Iraq and Afghanistan war.
Justin was diagnosed with PTSD in 2009. The National Institutes of Health explains that PTSD "develops after a terrifying ordeal," and can affect the fight or flight reflex in our bodies.
The NIH adds that around 31 percent of Vietnam War veterans and 10 percent of Gulf War veterans have PTSD, reports Reuters. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs calculates that about 11 to 20 percent of Americans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from the disorder each year.
The Veterans Health Administration explains that "loud blasts and flickering lights" can cause panic attacks and other stress-related responses in veterans, since it is similar to gunfire and other noises heard on the battle field, reports Reuters.
In particular, fireworks during the Fourth of July can cause discomfort, anxiety, and stress for people who have PTSD. In an effort to help people suffering with the disorder, Shawn Gourley has taken to distributing lawn signs, which inform neighbors that a war veteran is living in the area.
The sign reads: "Combat veteran lives here, please be courteous with fireworks."
"Anytime that we get scared, we react. [Veterans] do the same thing," explained Gourley, whose husband's PTSD is triggered by fireworks. Justin Gourley paces back and forth when firework sounds can be heard and immediately searches for ways to protect his family from danger that he feels is present.
So far, Gourley has sent over 2,500 signs to the homes of veterans around the country, an additional 3,000 signs are to be made for people still on the waiting list.
All the signs are free of charge, since they are paid for with donated money, however some people choose to pay for the cost of shipping. Sometimes people will also pay to get an extra sign made for another war veteran, notes CNN.
According to Yahoo, some believe that the signs prevent people from fully enjoying Independence Day, because fireworks are considered almost synonymous with the holiday in America.
"I think people wonder how you can be courteous with fireworks. It's not like you can make them quieter," said Gourly.
She further explains, "No veteran that served the United States wants to take a freedom away from people, especially fireworks, which represent freedom. They don't want them to stop. What they're asking for is for people to give them a heads up."
