Veterans on Independence Day
By Tiffany Littler
OTHER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:
*flashbacks
*periods of dissociation
*nightmares
*increased irritability
*impulsivity/reckless behaviors
*paranoia
Volweider says people experience PTSD in different ways. Some have more of the emotional effects of the disorder, some have more behavioral effects. And for others, it may affect more of their cognitions or view of the world or self.
Growing popular in recent years, some veterans might have yard signs that say, “Combat veteran lives here. Please be courteous with fireworks.”
In an NBC News article from 2016, Veteran Kevin Rhodes said he put that sign on his front yard, but it didn’t work. He said people in the city still shot off fireworks, despite it being illegal. The sign wasn’t there to prevent a sleepless night, it was there to help keep his symptoms of PTSD at bay.
If you know someone in your neighborhood who’s a veteran, experts suggest talking to them and asking if fireworks would bother them. If you don’t know if there is a veteran in your neighborhood, this could be an opportunity to get to know your neighbors better.