Every year, as the 4th of July approaches, we see an increase in the number of calls we receive because of fear of fireworks. For the individual who is experiencing it, fear of fireworks can be very embarrassing and isolating. Society tends to assume that only kids will fear loud noises such as thunder, or fireworks. As a result, the person who is dealing with it internally feels excluded even more.

Usually, at the root of the fear of fireworks, there is a negative emotional experience. Sometimes, there is also intense generalized anxiety in the person’s daily life. Either way, the anxiety can make the situation even worse. After having to hide in the closet for hours, scared to death, the person’s confidence takes a huge hit.

Hypnotherapy can help! Hypnosis has been known to be helpful with many fears and phobias, and fear of fireworks and thunders is definitely one of them. Hypnotherapy can help with releasing the attachment to the early traumatic events that may have caused the fear as well as helping deal with anxiety attached to the fear.

 

 

What is the fear of fireworks and/or thunders?

We are all born with two congenital fears: Fear of loud noises and fear of falling down. It is normal to be startled upon hearing a really loud noise as a newborn or a baby. In time, as we get used to hearing louder noises, we learn to get more comfortable around fireworks, or popping balloons.  

Fear of fireworks is the intense anxiety that is felt before, during, or after the event of fireworks. The same thing applies to fear of thunders as well. Oftentimes, the anticipation begins even before the fireworks or thunders start.

For example, in the case of the 4th of July, many people who have fear of fireworks start taking avoidance measures in June. The anticipation and fear begin weeks before the actual event. As the day approaches, it only gets worse.

Fear of fireworks or thunders can feel like this: 

- Loss of sleep as the anticipated date gets closer

- Being startled by other loud noises

- Being on high alert in daily life as the date gets closer

- Hiding in a closet, basement, or traveling outside of the country/ city

- Panic attacks

- Not breathing properly

- Increased heartbeat

 

 

How does fear of fireworks or thunders develop? 

In the subconscious mind, everything is about associations. We associate positive meanings with certain things and we also associate negative meanings with certain things. With the fear of fireworks and thunders, the same principle applies. Even though fear of loud noises is a natural fear that we are all born with, in time, we either learn to normalize it or attach a negative emotional response to it.  

Think about little children who have to live in countries facing war. Even extremely scary and loud bombing noises or gun fires are most likely – and unfortunately- normalized subconsciously for them. This is because as long as the bomb or gun is not aimed close to them, their subconscious mind chooses not to focus on these loud noises in order for them to continue surviving and living somehow.

 

Early life events

In the case of someone who is fearful of fireworks or thunder noises, there is usually an event that set off a negative emotion during a firework show or thunder. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a traumatic or an extreme event. As long as the person felt helpless and threatened at the time, seeds of the fear were probably planted.

In her article “Discovering the Traumatic Roots of My Phobia of Fireworks”, Jessica Gentile shares her story about the fear of fireworks. Even though it took Gentile some time to figure this out, she discovers that her phobia started when during a 4th of July celebration, as a little girl, she was standing right by her uncle who set off a bunch of fireworks right by her unexpectedly, without any warning. This threatened her as a little girl and she probably felt very helpless. From that day on, every firework show became a nightmare and she was hiding in the basement.

 

 

Generalized anxiety

Just like many other fears and phobias, people who are dealing with generalized anxiety are unfortunately more prone to developing a fear of fireworks and thunders as well. When someone is already having anxiety internally, fireworks or thunder becomes a channel to focus anxiety on.

In these cases, even without the possibility of fireworks or thunders, individuals may find themselves in extreme avoidance behaviors. For example not driving by Disneyland in case of unexpected fireworks, or not leaving the home in case of an unexpected thunder are common avoidance behaviors.

Even though there is no known threat of fireworks or thunders, because of anxiety, they tend to be already on high alert and in a state of fight-flight-freeze.

 

 

 

How can hypnosis help with the fear of fireworks and thunders? 

Hypnotherapy is a great tool to explore the subconscious landscape and modify subconscious associations and beliefs. Depending on the person and the causes of the fear of fireworks and thunders, there may be a variety of approaches a hypnotherapist can choose from. However, the goal would be the same: changing the negative association to fireworks or thunder, and replacing the anxiety reaction subconsciously.

 

Hypnosis can help with identifying the root cause

A big portion of people who deal with the fear of fireworks or thunders has a subconsciously repressed event that triggered the fear. The worst part is, oftentimes they don’t even know that there had been an event like this!

Usually, they claim that there isn’t anything that could set this fear but during hypnosis, we end up discovering an event that may or may not be directly related to fear of fireworks or thunders. In the case of Jessica Gentile, she didn’t know about the root of her fear either. She identified the cause when she randomly uncovered a video of the day.

Even though you may not be aware of it, your subconscious mind knows exactly where that fear comes from. Hypnosis can help with re-surfacing the cause and also releasing the attachment from that person, event, or emotion.

Every time you are exposed to fireworks or thunder; your subconscious mind regresses you back to that very first event when you felt helpless and frightened. By resolving and releasing the event subconsciously with hypnosis, you would be responding to the trigger of fireworks like an adult rather than the younger version of you!

 

 

Hypnotherapy can help with regulating anxiety

It is already difficult to live with anxiety day-to-day. When the anxiety is paired with fear, life becomes even more difficult to deal with. Anxiety is the result of the threatening feeling which triggers the fight-flight-freeze response. This is why you may feel shaky, shivering, disoriented, or out of breath. Because your body is reacting as if there is a life threat approaching you!

Hypnosis can help with regulating the unconscious fight-flight-freeze activation. So instead of reacting, you would be responding in a more controlled way. Remember, anytime you are not consciously making a choice of how you’d like to feel, your subconscious mind takes over and results are based on your associations.  

Hypnotherapy can help regulate the unconscious processing of triggers and emotions. With positive suggestions or imagery journeys, during hypnosis, we can work on creating a positive association in the mind about fireworks and thunders rather than an immediate negative threat reaction.

 

 

Final words from B Hypnotized

If you are dealing with an intense fear or a phobia, probably it’s affecting your life significantly. You may be avoiding even the things that you enjoy! Don’t let fear control your life. You have the power to turn things around. If you need help from a professional along this journey, don’t forget to reach out to a mental health specialist or a hypnotherapist who can help with your personal transformation!