Who else hates fireworks?

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I never feel at ease when fireworks go off. Sure, they're pretty to look at, but the sound scares me more.

People in the area I live in were setting off so many fireworks last night that my neighborhood sounded like a war zone. I was so scared that I bolted to my bedroom and put in earplugs. My pets were hiding with me, and I had a really hard time sleeping because of my anxiety. I woke up really early in the morning still feeling anxious, then somehow went fell asleep again. It didn't help that people were posting their 4th of July celebrations on social media and all I saw were fireworks.

My fear of fireworks came from being more sensitive to sound. It didn't help how my ABA therapists tried to "desensitize" me to noises loud enough to damage a child's hearing. The sound of fireworks was just one of several extremely loud noises they exposed me to.

What is your experience with fireworks?

Me. I may like looking at them from about 10 to 20 miles away, but I don't want to go to fireworks displays etc. Nooo way!

You aren't alone with that at all - I've complained on this forum before about my disdain for fireworks but I'll go ahead and share with you in solidarity - I hate them too. We were in a similar position last night in that we were surrounded at all corners by folks who had their own display going. I knew it was coming, since unfortunately several of the guilty parties have been setting off FW the whole season and do so even in the winter sometimes, and I knew with the stay-home orders and lack of parades the 4th would be worse this year. I put on my headphones, louder music, and drew on my digital tablet to distract myself, but it doesn't make it a less miserable experience. I'm sorry you had to go through it (I'm also sorry to hear about your experience with 'immersion therapy' - that sounds really irresponsible of your doctor/therapist and I'm sorry you went through it).

I heard someone explain sensory issues recently as 'painful' as opposed to the conception of it being a fear. I.E. you or I might not be 'afraid' of loud noises in the strictest terms, it's more that it can be painful (to the nervous system? I don't know I'm not an expert). Anyways, that may or may not be true, but it did make some sense to me since I'm not 'afraid' of the noise. I know fireworks can't hurt me (unless they burn up someone's yard and start a wildfire . If I had to put my finger on what I think the problem is for me, it's that the noise is startling and unpredictable. I have no reference for when the noise will stop, when a new 'pop' will come, etc., and it takes me out of my element and I can't think or focus. Plus, it's just unpleasant noise. Oh well! I hope there will be no more FW in your area from here on.

Never hated it... I even enjoy playing with dangerous fireworks.
Maybe I'm alone in this.

I grew up with the norm here for like less than a decade ago: Fireworks with practically no regulations.
So yes... Imagine unlicensed underaged kids, running around, all allowed to lit any fireworks as long as we can afford them -- legal, possible, and happens at least every year.

I was one of those daredevil kids who could've had fingers blown up -- but I'm too lucky for that.

Unless I'm not feeling well to react fast enough for it...
Yeah, I'm not worried about playing fire, creating loud noises up close and a fair risk of having my hand getting caught in fire and explosions.



It's not the same now.
Fireworks are here now regulated thanks to annual deaths and injuries.
Although... It's quite inevitable, because it gets quieter and less brighter ever year as economy gets crappy.

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Although I jump easily at sudden loud noises, I don't actually mind fireworks. I can stand at a firework display and not jump once or be afraid. I think it's because the bangs are in the sky so it just doesn't seem to shake up my nerves like some other loud noises do. When I was a kid I used to be scared of the bangs from fireworks, so I'd rigidly spend my whole time at a firework display with my fingers in my ears.

What I am afraid of is the noise of some of the buses at work when they let air out. If they're sitting with their engines on waiting to be refuelled, some of them let out a sudden PPPSSSHHHHHHH!! !! ! that is so loud and so sudden that if I'm near enough I jump each time, and I even go all disorientated for a few seconds.

But fireworks just don't seem to have that same unpleasant effect on me.

I didn't really have issues with fireworks when I was a kid, and I don't know why but now I do. It's not really a sensory thing, so it's probably just me associating sudden loud noises with people in my family arguing/fighting. It was lowkey terrifying last night though because there were fireworks constantly going off, one after the other, and it sounded like an actual war zone. I've never heard fireworks like that in my life. lol

Animals don't like it. They are mostly illegal for household/domestic use here, and organized displays are preferred. I attended one once at the city rugby stadium when there was a big and well attended celebration sponsored by the main city newspaper as a promo. Fortunately there are no houses really close so animals would mostly have heard them from a distance.

Our annual Autism end of year / Halloween party always features sparklers, those quietly sizzling sticks which are pet friendly and sensory friendly.

I think fireworks are pretty but hate the noise. I had my noise-cancelling headphones on for all of last night and still had to cut my dog’s evening walk short because of all the noise (he actually doesn’t seem to mind very much, I keep thinking how he’d be a great dog for, say, a veteran with PTSD who was triggered by noises like fireworks and thunder because he stays calm through those noises (and actually, he is a service dog, just not one who’s been trained to help someone who’s having a panic attack or anything). I sure minded the noise, though.). I thought about looking up some YouTube videos of firework displays last night so I could watch some fireworks without the noise, but I was too anxious because of the noise of fireworks going off here.

As a boy, I enjoyed playing with fireworks. My specialty was putting a "cannon cracker" in a small paper bag of dust and throwing it in the air. I have also really enjoyed various large displays. I was certainly amazed at the size and frequency of US home shows compared to Canada's. Not many national anthems mention rockets. Here, the show is modest and quite artless, but too noisy to sleep through, so I try to enjoy it. This year, the crew found one more rocket after everyone was getting up to go. They do seem to be a significant source of pollution, though, so they may be phased out by formations of lighted drones, etc.

They didn't bother me much when I was a kid, but my sound sensitivity has worsened, so now they are irritating and focus-destroying. Also I no longer have a kid's interest in bright and sparkly things, so I have less tolerance in general.

They are illegal here but people still buy them and set them off at night. Last night wasn't bad because I live in a nice area now, but in more ghetto places fireworks would be going off randomly until 1 AM.

I love them. The louder the better. My sensory problems seem to revolve around an issue with being unable to handle a certain amount of information, rather than an aversion to a certain degree of intensity (i.e. brightness or volume). I actually like the slight feeling of being overwhelmed by fireworks.

They make me uncomfortable too...I've always been very averse to loud noises (balloons popping is pretty much a phobia). They are okay if I'm indoors and they aren't too close, but even then they leave me unsettled.

I like watching fireworks but not hearing them.

I think this year people have been using them as more of a protest than is usual (at least in my area). Many people are upset right now, tensions run high. Last night (July 6th) they were set off at 2am and 4am in my general area (which is a very safe and quiet neighborhood). Generally I do find them annoying but this year I admit I did think twice about why people were doing it.

I absolutely love fireworks APART those huge EXPLOSIVE ones
The colours are so stunningly beautiful but the BANGS stress me out

Hate hate hate fireworks. I jump out of my skin as soon as they start every 4th of July. Then as soon as I start to get used to them I'll space out and get startled again by the next BANG, and that's the worst! Can't stop expecting things to set on fire. I don't mind setting off one or two fireworks myself when I get the chance to - I find it's a lot less freaky I find when you set it off yourself and mentally prepare yourself for the explosion. Would've felt awkward participating this year though.