4th Of July Celebration Can Trigger PTSD For Veterans
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — 4th of July is of course a celebration of America’s independence, but how we celebrate sometimes hurts those who fought for that independence.
Parades, cookouts, and of course the fireworks.
“When it starts going boom boom boom, thatβs when the partyβs over for me,” said Marine veteran Jeffrey Young of fireworks.
That 4th of July tradition ends the celebration early for many of our veterans.
“Fourth of July has a great meaning to it, but it has a lot of harm to us veterans,” explained Young who runs a non-profit called Veterans Helping Veterans and Their Communities.
“Nine times out of 10 youβll see veterans hiding under their bed, jumping in the bathtub, going in the closet, sitting in their house screaming with a pillow on their head. They canβt take it,” said Army veteran Curtis Drafton.
Drafton has been helping his fellow veterans though the difficult holiday week for years. He says his non-profit, US Veterans Hall Of Fame,Β gets calls when the 9-8-8 crisis hotline is busy.
“Over five years now weβve actually covered maybe 900 or so calls not necessarily through our office, but through collaborations,” explained Drafton.
Drafton is expecting calls for several day. He explains that the explosions can cause a delayed trigger.
“If theyβre with family or friends and they can last through the night loving on their families and enjoying the holiday. However, that episode has been triggered, it may pop up tomorrow or the next day,” explained Drafton.
Drafton and Young say if you have a neighbor who served, a simple conversation can go a long way.
“You give him a heads up so they can prepare. Whether he can get a hotel room somewhere or be summer he doesnβt have to actually be truly right there,” Young said of talking to your neighors.
