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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Fourth of July - the celebration of our nation's independence and, for many a time of revelry. If you're like many Americans, at the beginning of July you were engulfed in the festivities - parades, cookouts, and fireworks - an abundance of fireworks! According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, in fact, on July 4th, 2016 alone Americans detonated more than 285 million pounds of fireworks! The rockets red glare, indeed. But for our nation's veterans, the celebratory screech, squeal, and explosion of seemingly innocent fire and light may be anything but innocuous - for the 5.2 million Americans who experience PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) during the course of a given year, the distant echo of a neighbor's target practice, the backfire of a car, or the tell-tale rat-a-tat-tat of an annual fireworks display may be cause for terror. As defined by the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), PTSD entails the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to an extreme traumatic stressor wherein there is perceived or actual threat of serious injury or death, the witnessing thereof, or the exposure to the threat of such injury to a close associate or family member.   Fight or Flight…