There are a number of traumatic events that can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, exposure to shooting may place someone at a particularly high risk for developing symptoms of PTSD.
Exposure to gun violence, such as a shooting, can be particularly difficult to cope with for a number of reasons.
First, shootings are unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Situations that are perceived as unpredictable and uncontrollable are much more likely to bring on high levels of helplessness, anxiety, and fear.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a very complex condition. PTSD symptoms and their impact are diverse and always a personal experience.
For many people, severe trauma results in physical responses, including changes to ‘auditory processing’ or the mechanisms used to collect and analyze sound.
Someone with PTSD can feel like their hearing is sending false signals. Or, at times of great stress, their brain ‘switches off’ sound or muffles it.
It’s the sort of thing that seriously erodes your confidence, making it difficult to go out in public to gather with friends or family, and to work.
That is why it’s vital to never struggle alone with any aspect of PTSD. Including problems with sound.
Hyperacusis is a condition that arises from a problem in the way the brain’s central auditory processing center perceives noise and is estimated to affect between 7% and 23% of the adult population.
It can develop as a result of physical damage sustained to the hearing apparatus (through a head injury, Lyme disease, air bag deployment, Bell’s Palsy etc), or from conditions such as PTSD.
There is a confirmed link between PTSD and hyperacusis due to a cerebral processing problem specific to how the brain perceives sound and as you can imagine, when they are present concurrently have the potential to exacerbate one another.
Hyperacusis is very different from the reduced tolerance for noise that most of us have when we’re tired or stressed, or reacting to an obviously unpleasant noise, such as someone scratching their fingernails down a blackboard.
People with with hyperacusis have difficulty tolerating sounds which do not seem loud to others, such as the noise from running water, sirens, a phone ringing, dogs barking, walking on leaves, a washing machine, laughter and shouting, and the vacuum cleaner.
Any sound can potentially trigger a reaction in someone with hyperacusis – even the sound of their own voice.
Even the sound of their own voice
Founder of PTSD UK says ‘When my PTSD was at it’s worst, I had a real issue with an advertisement on TV which featured a well-known comedian. In the advert, he pretends to be asleep and is snoring, and it used to drive through my head like nails. I had to mute the TV every time it came on.’
Although all sounds may be perceived as too loud, high frequency sounds may be particularly troublesome and can often lead to pain and discomfort.
Often too, for those with PTSD and hyperacusis, a sound may be linked to the previous trauma which means that every time they hear the noise, it automatically triggers the “fight or flight” response and fear, anger and anxiety or can trigger a flashback.
Is shooting near my private property in Florida legal?
Is shooting near my business in Florida legal?
Florida statute 790.15
Residents, homeowners, and lawful gun owners can not shoot firearms on the private property of homes in residential neighborhoods where the land is less than one acre.
However, with gated communities or ‘zero lot land,’ things are different. You cannot shoot in your backyard unless:
- the land is 1.25 acres
- have one home (or more)
- and your surrounding neighbors have one acre or more
Of course, even though it is legal to do so, you need to think about:
- Shoot safely
- Shoot responsibly
- Ensure your ammunition will not injure or kill someone on neighboring property
In almost every circumstance, you will want to shoot into a backstop that will catch the bullets.
There are many ways to build an acceptable backstop to shoot into. Search, and you will find specs and diagrams to suit your needs.
Although you can use many materials, sand and dirt are the cheapest and most accessible material to use in a backstop. Remember that bullets that hit rocks or hard objects can ricochet in unexpected directions. Naturally, this can be a significant safety concern for you and your neighbors. So make sure whatever material you use does not contain material that can cause ricochets.
This subsection does not apply:
(a) To a person lawfully defending life or property or performing official duties requiring the discharge of a firearm;
(b) If, under the circumstances, the discharge does not pose a reasonably foreseeable risk to life, safety, or property; or
(c) To a person who accidentally discharges a firearm.
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