Montana VA encourages residents to think about veterans with PTSD before lighting fireworks Alexie Aguayo and last updated 2021-07-03 00:15:34-04 MONTANA â Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS) encourages all Montanans and non-Veterans to consider Veterans and the impacts of fireworks on people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) before they light a firework. The VA says many people are not aware that a Fourth of July celebration could affect others, and a conversation is the simplest way to start that awareness and support people with PTSD. âThe Fourth of July can be a difficult time for our nationâs heroes because fireworks create sights, sounds and smells that can activate flashbacks, nightmares, and anxietyâ explained MTVAHCSâs Acting Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health Services, Dr. Robert Connell. âThe sudden, sharp explosions of unexpected fireworks can create a state of hyperawareness and hypervigilance for Veterans with PTSD.â