MARQUETTE, Mich. ( WZMQ) – The 4th of July is a time to celebrate, light fireworks, attend parades and all things red, white and blue. While a lot of people are going to be lighting fireworks, counselors at the D.J. Jacobetti home for veterans want you to remember that while lighting fireworks may be fun, it may bring stress to some of the veterans at the home.
“You know it brings them right back into that survival fight or flight mode, where they’re worried for their lives,” says Julia Courchaine, social work manager, D.J.Jacobetti. “And it can be re traumatizing when you have triggers such as bright flashing light, sudden noises, certain smells, sounds, that sort of thing.”
Courchaine explained that hyper vigilance, loss of sleep, and spurts of violence are symptoms of PTSD.
As people gather for the holiday, the veterans home has put up signs to remind people to be courteous of the veterans if they are near by.
“One of our goals here at the Jacobetti is to not re traumatize our veterans, they’re here to live out their lives whether its short term or long term. We want to take care of our veterans.” said Courchaine.
Click here for more information on PTSD.
