Every Fourth of July, Tom McKenna has to prepare himself.
McKenna, 48, is among U.S. military veterans who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. For him, fireworks sound like the explosions of combat — loud, unexpected and heard in the dark.
"They can be very uncomfortable and can cause flashbacks that can cause agitation and throw me off," said McKenna, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Somalia and Iraq and now works with the veterans support organization Every Third Saturday.
Seven of 100 veterans will have PTSD at some point in their life, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Rates are higher for those who served in recent conflicts, including the Persian Gulf War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Fireworks also can trigger other groups of people with PTSD, including victims of gun violence and refugees who've experienced violent conflict. The St. Paul-based Center for Victims of Torture recommends that people be aware of their refugee neighbors, give them advance notice of fireworks or parades and avoid setting off fireworks in their neighborhood.
McKenna reminds himself every year that it's likely he'll hear fireworks leading up to and on July 4th. To drown out the noise, he'll turn up the TV or listen to an audiobook. His wife will sit by his side on the couch, ready to reassure him with the words, "It's just fireworks."
"It kind of starts the week prior to the Fourth of July and might go a few days after and can be very jarring, especially the big ones, most of which should be illegal in Minnesota," McKenna said.
Consumer-grade fireworks such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles are illegal in Minnesota, but that doesn't stop people from traveling to other states, including Wisconsin, to buy them.
