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Upsetting for children

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The Human Touch

It appears that we are all animal lovers on this group and page which is fantastic, but I feel that we are missing the human angle on the distress that fireworks cause. There are many illnesses and conditions made worse by random fireworks. Illness in whatever guise is not as easy to share as the cute cuddly lost dog photos, not as ugly to see as the death and damage done to our animals. There is a huge section of society that huddles behind closed doors during the winter months because of fireworks.

One of our members has written this about her son, he is normally a happy, healthy and top of the class little boy but random fireworks affect him. I will not include the photograph as I don’t want to violate his privacy. Please consider stepping forward to tell your story help us open those doors for those who think they are coping alone.

From MJ
I appreciate that animals suffer horrendously during “firework season”, and I feel it is wrong that any adult can buy fireworks to set off. The surprise element means that animals cannot be prepared i.e. sedated/taken from the area, and the stress caused to animals and their owners is horrendous.
From a personal point of view, our son (9) has very sensitive hearing & even using ear defenders, he can get distressed & upset by random fireworks. It has to be regulated more! Restrict sales to smaller time frames, or to professional displays only!

Story of a panic attack sufferer

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So fireworks only affect animals? This is just an excerpt taken from a statement sent to me earlier this year.

27/02/2016 17:30PM ish-19:40PM ish. Constant loud bangs that never stopped. No notice or expectation. Had major panic attack(s), wanted to hurt and kill myself, couldn’t stop hyperventilating or shaking. Still can’t stop. Can’t walk for the disorientation. Head and mind shattered. Feels like I am drowning. Can’t calm down and won’t be able to for a long time now. Will now have a panic attack at every noise and be terrified for weeks every day when the sky darkens to night. Beyond sick of suffering because of other people.

If the person had known to expect fireworks on the 27th February maybe they would not have been so distressed. If you care about how fireworks affect people in your community share this story and make people aware of the impact random fireworks have on people.

A rape survivor’s account

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So Fireworks only affect animals ? This lady begs to differ.

Please share her story far and wide on Facebook – The wider community is unaware of how distressing random fireworks are to people. Don’t just use the emojis – share – takes no more time than giving a thumbs up or a teary face. This lady has faced her demons for us – at least give her story the recognition it deserves.
It has been said and mocked by those who love fireworks that victims of rape should get over it, it has nothing to do with fireworks. I beg to differ, anyone who has had a traumatic event in their life can succumb to PTSD. I am talking about ordinary people not military who suffer with COMBAT PTSD. How does it affect me and my life? The noise of fireworks brings back memories, the sound of glass breaking, of thudding steps. Imagine being laid in the safety of your own bed in your own home and hearing that. What followed changed my life and how I looked at myself – but as part of surviving rape I adapted to the new me. What I cannot adapt to is laying in my bed, in my house and hearing fireworks – the memories they bring with them prevent me sleeping, take me back to a time of real fear for my life. I am on high alert and sleep is the enemy – my heart races, I feel sick – the fight or flight within me fights for dominance. Then another firework goes off and the little bit of self-control I have disappears. This goes on for nights, the lack of sleep affects my depression and I spiral further down. I know people tell me oh it’s because of the nights’ drawing in and I let them believe that – it’s easier than explaining to someone who doesn’t know why. When I hear fireworks on 5th November and New Years’ Eve I know what it is, it doesn’t stop the absolute panic, but I am able to reason with myself and take the diazepam. But in the corner of my mind……

Sad story from an former member of the Armed Forces

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Another story in our ‘So fireworks only affect animals ?’ series

The men and women who keep us safe, really shouldn’t have to suffer like this. This is only part of a statement sent into us last year and with Remembrance Sunday so close we thought it apt to post and share this story.

I would like to give you an insight as to how Firework Season impacts on the life of myself and my husband who suffers from Complex Combat PTSD and Enduring Personality Change After Catastrophic Reaction after serving ten years in the Armed Forces Please note the term Firework Season as it just seems to get longer and longer with each passing year, then just when you think it’s safe along comes New Years Eve and we start all over again. He lives ‘safely’ in his bubble he has created to not only protect him but to protect us around him. Suddenly his bubble is no longer safe as all around him at any given time are fireworks. It’s not only the sound or the flash. It’s the smell and if close enough the feel of them going off. Firework Season for my husband means there is added anxiety, hyper vigilance and anxiety induced incontinence, less sleep, more nightmares and flashbacks. He doesn’t eat when he anxious, due to the PTSD. For myself there is being a loving wife watching all the afore mentioned and not being able to do a single thing to help him. If we do sleep in the same bed, I get the job of feeling him lying there shaking uncontrollably. But to be honest we rarely do as he worries about lashing out during a nightmare and hitting me.