As the 4th creeps closer and closer, I'm getting more and more anxious.

Fireworks largely trigger the flashbacks and anxiety attacks. The only way I've survived the 4th in the past is to combine large amounts of sedatives and alcohol, but I don't want to do that this year... I've got no idea WHAT to do though.

It's not the fireworks themselves. I love fireworks, I love fire, so long as I'm in control of it, but when there's so many fireworks going off, it's really scary. I don't know what it is about them. I guess it's similar to a gunshot, but not really... they sound so different, and I know they're not the same... which makes it all the more frustrating that the 4th is causing so much anxiety. I really don't think there's anywhere around here that I can go that won't have fireworks going off. :(

HI Trapped,


I really don't have any advice other than ear plugs, or going somewhere that there aren't any fireworks. I love fireworks, but the noise.....It's almost like it's in my chest, and I can feel them. I end up getting paranoid, have anxiety and I get freaked out, but I keep telling myself I am ok, it's only fireworks.

The last 4th of July was really tough for me. I was still going through withdrawals from the klonopin. The night of the 4th I wrapped myself around my husband and held on as boom after boom created jump after jump in my body. He told me that me being that close to him made him understand what it's like to have to uncontrollabled muscle jerks caused by noise. He told me he didn't like it. Yeah, honey...I don't either!

Hopefully this year will be better since I'm feeling better. But unexpected, loud noises have become the bane of my existence. But short of being in an area where there is no fireworks (i.e. out in the middle of the nowhere) I can't think of anything either. Having a very sensitive startle reflex really sucks, but it's just part of who we are now.

Lisa

I hate fireworks too. Not so much the public displays, but the people who shoot them off in their back yards all night. Police never seem to do anything about them either even though most of them are illegal where I live.

My dog is terrified of fireworks as well as thunder and tries so hard to escape them by running away. What we have learned is that if we know there are going to be scheduled fireworks in the area, we take her for a drive away from it, usually stop at a McDonalds for a hamburger. Then when everything has passed, we drive home and for the most part, miss all the noise.

Maybe something to alleviate the random neighborhood fireworks would be to plan a day away from your neighborhood. While people tend to shoot off fireworks in their back yard, I've never seen anyone shoot them off at the mall or any other public place. Maybe if you feel up to it, a nice lunch somewhere, shopping, or a movie can get through a large part of the day.

Another idea, if you can't get away for the day - several people I work with have IPODS. When you go to talk to them, they can hear nothing! They're always either listening to music, and one even watches/listens to movies while he's working. They don't hear anything at all.

Good luck, and I bet with a bit of creative thinking you might be able to alleviate the aggrivation of the annoying neighborhood fireworks.

Trapped,
It may not be the fireworks that is causing your anxiety... could it be the crowd? The inability to focus with all the people? Seems plausible, just a thought.

I totally loved fireworks until about 6-9 months ago. Now I'm like a cat in a cartoon hanging from the ceiling. One of my dogs is terrified of them too. He also doesn't like storms or any loud noises...even lawnmowers and weed-wackers. We have a white noise machine in our room and when something is bothering him we turn it on and he'll literally hug the machine...paws around it and head right next to it. I'll probably be doing the same this 4th ...and not to bring more bad news....since the 4th is on a Friday we'll probably have morons shooting stuff off all weekend. Sorry. We will probably light off a few for my 6 yr old son but i'm also ok with that...as long as i can see it coming. You're point about random noise and neighbors catching you off guard is probably my issue also. I second the ipod idea....I use that often when i'm on over-drive at home with tv, lawnmowers, cars, kids playing outside, mice farting.

What is it with so many people shooting off fireworks in our neighborhoods. And when did it become common place to do this not only for the 4th of July but also for New Year's?

This past New Year's the neighborhood fireworks completely freaked out our neighbor's dogs. Neighbors weren't home. Dogs broke through fence. We tried to keep them contained in our yard so that they wouldn't run off and get lost/hurt. They managed to escape again. One of them killed another neighbor's cat. After several hours of trying to look out for their dogs' safety (we couldn't find a way to get in touch with the neighbors who were away for the evening) we finally had to call animal control to come and pick them up. We were assured the animals wouldn't be hurt and that our neighbors would be able to get them back. We really did it because we didn't want the dogs to get lost or hurt but they also became a danger to other people and animals in the neighborhood. I was truly afraid that if they hurt a person instead of just a cat (and I don't say that lightly, I am a cat person but I never let my two babies out of the house) that the consequences for them would be far more dire than just spending a night at the county pound. Anyway, our neighbors were not very happy and haven't really spoken to us since.

That was ever so slightly off topic. Personally, I get a little jumpy from the fireworks but they don't tend to bother me too much. I get more upset because they're going off for hours after my little girl is sleeping and I don't want her to wake up frightened. I also get irritated because the fireworks upset the neighborhood pets. Maybe it's just because I grew up in a rural area and we didn't really have these kinds of issues.

I think you got half the battle won trapped. You know this is a trigger for you. If you are anxious about now stay away from festivities and have a head set ready to listen to some heavy bass music. I would recommend something classical like handel, mozart or bethoven. Lively stuff.

Fireworks...firecrackers...get them about 3-4 times/yr...July 1st (those of us in Canada), Halloween, New Years...and soemtimes completely random...They freak me out...I tried ear plugs...they were not as effective as one would hope...I've posted on this before...so I won't get into all the details of how they takeme back to the trauma etc...

Oh and in response to Marlene...wanted to add...sonic booms are some of the most frightening expereinces I've had...