It’s that time of year when the leaves are changing colour, the nights are drawing in and there’s a nip in the air.  Inevitably these seasonal changes also bring the loud unexpected sounds of fireworks.  I remember being told from an early age to keep pets at home on bonfire night and to look after them as they get scared by the loud noises, but what about humans?

If you’ve experienced a traumatic event you may find that you are more jumpy and easily startled than you used to be.  Some people find that the noise of fireworks can trigger ‘flashbacks’.  This is a very frightening experience where you loose sight of the present moment and feel like you are literally back at the time of the trauma and it’s all unfolding around you again.  Fireworks are more likely to cause this if they are somehow similar to what happened at the time of the event, for example the smell of fire, flashes of light and the sound of gun fire or loud bangs during a car accident.

The reason you may feel jumpy, easily started and experience flashbacks is because our brains struggle to process traumatic events.  It’s a very complex process but to put it simply, the amygdala is responsible for detecting and responding to threat so when we experience a traumatic event it comes on-line to protect us.  However, the brain struggles to process traumatic events into memories and gets a bit confused about what’s in the past and what is present.  When the amygdala sees a trauma memory as ‘present’ it responds as if it’s happening again.  So, you may feel like you’re ‘going mad’ but in fact your reaction is perfectly sane and simply your brains way of trying to protect you.  Think of the amygdala as being like a faulty smoke alarm which keeps going off after the fire has been extinguished.

If you find yourself struggling with flashbacks and being easily started and jumpy due to the increased fireworks this month there are steps you can take to help yourself:

Play ‘spot the difference’ – yes there may well be elements of loud noises which are similar to the trauma which you experienced but there will also be lots of differences too and that’s what you need to focus on.  Differences might be the cause of the noise, your physical location, your age, the time of day/year, what you are wearing etc. To help you to focus on these difference try writing them down, read over them and even say them out loud.

Remind yourself that you are safe now and the traumatic event is over.  It can help to have a physical reminder of the time which has passed since the event, perhaps happy times you’ve had since then, holiday photos or treasured items.  

If possible, physically movement can also help.  If you were trapped during the event move your body in a way which reminds you that you are no longer trapped.  If you were physically hurt and this has healed, look at that part of your body and move it.

If the smells of bonfire night are triggering try to focus on other smells which you find more calming and associate with happier memories.  Try a favourite perfume, candle or aromatherapy diffuser.

Tell your friends and family that you are struggling and ask for their support.

Seek professional support.  If you are experiencing flashbacks and are more jumpy than usual following a traumatic incident then you may benefit from treatment for PTSD.  CBT is the NICE recommend treatment and I have lots of experience in this area so please contact me to discuss further – 07926 485 362 or email elizabeth@forresttalkingtherapies.co.uk