I open my eyes and jumped out of bed. My heart was pounding, and I could feel it in my throat. I heard another explosion and ducked. I rose my hands above my head to cover myself.

There is an estimated 11 to 20 percent of veterans of the post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan wars diagnosed with PTSD. PTSD stands for posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can occur after a person has been through a traumatic event, this includes something terrible and scary that he or she see, hear about, or that happens to them personal like combat, child sexual or physical abuse, sexual or physical assault, serious accidents or illnesses, or natural disasters. During a traumatic event, the person thinks that his or her life or others' lives are in danger. Almost everyone will experience stress-related reactions after a traumatic event, yet this does not mean that everyone gets PTSD. Most people who experience trauma have some stress-related symptoms at first, but only some will develop PTSD. There are factors that PTSD depends on such as: how intense the trauma was or how long it lasted, if the person was injured or lost someone important to them, how close she/he was to the event, how strong the person’s reaction was, how much they felt in control of events, and how much help and support the person got after the event.

While fireworks don't trigger PTSD for all soldiers or veterans, it seems to be a more common occurrence in recent years. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville said fireworks were an issue for veterans from as far back as the Vietnam and Gulf wars.

Symptoms of PTSD usually start soon after the traumatic event, and they also may come and go over years. If the symptoms last longer than four weeks, and cause great distress, or interfere with work or home life the person could have PTSD. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has four main symptoms: reliving the event or re-experiencing event; one can have bad memories or nightmares. The person can have a flashback which is when he/she feels like they’re going through the event again. A second symptom is avoiding situations that remind the person of the event, a third: negative changes in beliefs and feelings which can affect the ways the person thinks about themselves and others. The fourth is hyperarousal; where the person may be jittery or always alert and on the lookout for danger or have may have trouble concentrating or sleeping.

I looked up and saw my mom looking at me with her hands pressed against her mouth. Another explosion. She was crying. Another and another and another. Was I seeing her reaction from heaven as she received the news of my death? My life flashed before my eyes like it had for the twelve months that I was stationed in Afghanistan.

Seventeen percent of Marines reported symptoms of PTSD after their deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Longer and more deployments could be a leading factor for troops to return with PTSD. Theater placement can also have an effect on the mental health for soldiers. Those who see or hear combat such as the killing of their “battle buddies,” or they themselves must kill have an increase chance of developing PTSD. The military now faces a problem with soldiers who have PTSD and other illnesses both physical and mental: soldier suicide. From 2005 to 2009 more than 1,100 members of the Armed Forces took their lives. Though many soldiers can relate to each other, many still feel alone because of the stigma that comes with PTSD. However, talking to soldiers with similar experiences, like in all other traumatic events, can stop the feelings that come with PTSD.

My mom picked me up. She opened the front door and walked me our minivan. “You’re okay, honey,” she said as she started the van. I didn’t understand, I lit fireworks for New Year’s and I was fine. Why was this day so different?

Fireworks can remind Veterans of what might sound like an incoming rocket or gunfire, which can cause them to get on alert and it can cause them to be frightened. Sometimes a flashback can occur which can cause intrusive thoughts. They could start remembering a traumatic event like when they got blown up in an IED attack or lost a friend to some kind of explosion.

“What’s wrong with me?” I asked my mom who was sitting across from me at a Waffle House holding a cup of black coffee and watching the coffee as if all the answers to the universe, the answers to me could be found there.

“Nothing is wrong with you, hon.”

In the back of my mind I knew. I knew this was a possibility. I was becoming a stat, a combat vet with the dreaded PTSD. I felt a tear rolling down my left eye. I still didn’t understand why I got triggered when I wasn’t triggered during New Year’s.

It isn't to stop fireworks. Fireworks have been a July 4^th tradition for as long as I can remember. We light fireworks not just on New Year’s and the 4^th of July, but for almost everything, fireworks are beautiful. I am in no suggesting that fireworks be ban, that would take away the freedoms that the brave men and women of the United States military fought for. However, leading, during, and after the 4^th of July, if you're going to be setting off fireworks if you could give the veterans a heads up. It's the unexpected fireworks that are what bothers them and what can trigger PTSD.