Smoke, flashes of light, loud explosions, and fireworks on bonfire night can be reminders of frontline combat for veterans with post-tramuatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Sergeant Roger Roe of the Royal Engineers said: “The flash and bangs sound and look like a firefight on a battlefield. When I first got home from Afghanistan I found any loud noise triggering and alarming.”
Sgt Roe, from Ecclesall, Sheffield, returned from a tour of Afghanistan in 2014 and with time has started to feel safe at bonfire night so long as he is with his daughter and other military personell.
He said: “I think it would help if there was a place for vulnerable veterans to get together on bonfire night to help each other and feel safe, even organised firework displays with quiet bangs to help adjust.”
Combat Stress, a mental health charity for veterans, says the smell, sights and sounds associated with bonfire night leave veterans with PTSD feeling back in a warzone.
Professor Catherine Kinane, Medical Director at Combat Stress, said on their website: “We see a higher rate of distress in veterans accessing our services at this time of year. The sound of fireworks can be reminders of what they were exposed to the horrors of war in service to this country.”
Combat Stress has urged the public to buy silent fireworks and advise veterans to surround themselves with loved ones, reduce possible triggers and try to ground themselves.