Essay on Shell Shock

In the first two weeks of a battle, the British with other allies managed to shoot 4,283,550 shells at the German defenses and 800,000 of them got shell shock (Simkin). The trenches never protected soldiers from shell shock. Soldiers who exposed themselves to continuous amount of shellfire produced a number of symptoms. These symptoms included tiredness, irritability, and lack of concentration, headaches, and

An American machine gunner, Charles Yale Harrison, says in his novel, Generals Die in Bed: “[War] take[s] everything from us: our lives, our blood, our hearts; even the few lousy hours of rest, they take those, too. Our job is to give, and theirs is to take,” (Harrison, 26). In this example, Harrison explains how war is the most selfish and strongest of all evils; war continues to take everything someone has until they have nothing left to take. The war also created long-term effects for soldiers; one being shell-shock. This term is used to describe the damage of constant loud shelling during war which greatly affected those who were not exposed to shelling frequently (Unnamed). Another term that is still used today is PTSD, (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”), which is used to describe the effect war had on the soldiers afterward (Unnamed). World War I brought major psychological disorders upon the soldiers during and after the war had ended leading to great damage for the rest of the victim’s

The tactics used in World War I were radically different than that of previous wars. The majority of the war was fought in the trenches, and the war itself seemed to have no end. Due to this, the psychological impact of the war was unlike anything that had been seen before. During the early days of the war, the soldiers, on both sides, seemed to lack the dedication that would have been necessary to exterminate their enemy. However, as the war progressed, the desire to avenge their fallen comrades overcame their ethics and they began to kill their enemy indiscriminately. Surviving soldiers experienced a phenomenon that was, at that time, referred to as shell shock. Today we refer to this phenomenon as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At this time, this psychological condition was misunderstood and the doctors lacked the training necessary to effectively treat this condition.

Likenesses that identify with those of this disease can be found all through the story "The Things They Carried." Men and women of prior wars moreover mirrored the shared characteristics related to PTSD. In days of old, it was named "Shell Shock" and "Battle Fatigue." Because of studies directed by medical research organizations, e.g., The National Institute of Health (NIMH) we know and

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can produce emotional responses caused by the trauma endured during combat operations. It does not have to emerge immediately, but can actually happen weeks, months, or even years after the traumatic event. PTSD was often referred to as “combat fatigue” or “shell shock” until 1980 when it was given the name post-traumatic stress disorder. According to

During World War I, similar symptoms arose among the soldiers. Physicians began calling it “shell shock” or “combat fatigue.” Charles Myers, a psychologist serving at the front, wrote that shell shock occurs “where the tolerable or controllable limits of horror, fear, and anxiety are overstepped.”(Thomas 11) Many of the soldiers were considered to be crazy. They were evacuated, hospitalized, and often treated with electric shock treatments. Men who wandered away from the front on their own were branded deserters and set before a firing squad.(Thomas 12)

The First World War was a war of many firsts. Not only was it the first true contemporary war, but it was also the first war that introduced new forms of industrial warfare, which resulted in many repercussions. One of these repercussions was the development of shell-shock or neurosis as a result of war in soldiers returning from the battle front. In “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Enrich Maria Remarque the psychological effect of industrial warfare on soldiers was depicted as a paradoxical combination of exhilaration on the battlefront as well as a deep state of numbness and melancholy.

Physical disorders or disease meant that soldiers could be fixed and later sent back to the front lines of war. The diagnosis of “exhaustion” was not comprehended as a legitimate illness because soldiers were just “tired men” instead of being seen as scared and traumatized (Eagan,p. 360). As time continued to pass, more and more soldiers were diagnosed with “exhaustion” which later was coined “shell shock” followed by “combat fatigue” (Eagan,p360-362). While terminology changed, the remedies of the illness did not. However, with the rising numbers of diagnosed men leading up to the First World War, the process of enlisted men did change. When the military was concerned about the “economic costs of psychiatric casualties”, they began “psychiatric screening of enlistees”(Eagan,p. 362). The military began using screenings because they believed that they could minimalize the amount of “psychologically unfit” soldiers that could not face the “intensity of war”(Eagan,p 362). Discussing how men were starting to breakdown from the trauma of war, Eagan states that men are seen as weak and worthless due to

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that can follow a traumatic incident (Emory). PTSD can stem from a variety of traumatic events, such as sexual assault, floods, being kidnapped, and major catastrophes like 9/11 (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic). A major symptom of PTSD is re-experiencing trauma by either distressing thoughts or memories, and sometimes by vivid flashbacks in the most severe cases. Other symptoms can include increased anxiety and paranoia, depression, or avoiding situations where flashbacks can be triggered. An estimated 5% of men and 10% of women experience some form of PTSD in their lives (Emory). However, in a smaller demographic, veterans, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have estimated

Trenches flooded easily and offered little protection from the elements, making them breeding-grounds for diseases like dysentery and typhoid. Not only were these some bad conditions, but as time went by and bodies of dead soldiers started to rot, the trenches got infested with large rats, who fed on fallen soldiers. Living in this environment, under the constant threat of death, took an emotional toll on the young, yet fearless soldiers. Many suffered from shell shock, a condition similar to posttraumatic stress disorder. Several characters in the novel had a worse experience of shell shock, causing them to freeze up, go mad, or attempt to flee during battle. Paul states “no one can survive the war completely

The article, Understanding Critical Disability Studies, written by Geoffrey Reaume, illuminates his grandfather’s horrific experience in World War 1 and how he was dismissed as psychologically unfit due to sickness that was subsequently confirmed as shell shock. According to Reaume, World War 1 haunted his grandfather for the rest of his life like several veterans. Reaume further solidifies that his grandfather’s experience in the war can only be described as mud-spattered, noisy and deadly which triggered his symptoms of shock, and individuals who suffered psychological distress were seen as outcasts rather than heroes and fighters. Chiefly, the value of this article is gripping because of the terrors men faced in the war and ignorance they

Post-traumatic stress disorder is commonly known by the acronym PTSD, can be caused by witnessing a terrifying and usually life-threatening event. It has also been previously known as “shell shock” or “battle syndrome” which was directly related to the onset due to person’s who have been in combat warfare. A more in-depth explanation can be explained as exposure to one or more traumatic events such as major stress, sexual assault, death of a loved one, warfare, natural disasters or other threats on a person’s life. Posttraumatic stress disorder can also not only affect the individual but the person’s family and friends. An example where it would be someone other than the directly affected individual would be emergency and first responder worker’s family or friends. Posttraumatic stress disorder can affect

While PTSD was not yet defined it was clear that these symptoms were caused because of the disturbing things that had been seen. With no treatments available and a stigma that the effected persons were cowards or scared soldiers were often sent home with no supervision. During World War I physicians began calling it “shell shock” or “combat fatigue”, they believed that concussions caused by the impact of shells disrupting the brain caused the symptoms. Treatments included hospitalization and electric shock therapy. By World War II medical personnel noticed that soldiers that were engaged in longer more intense fighting had much higher levels or psychiatric disturbances and started using the term battle fatigue or combat exhaustion. Soldiers were being labeled as fearful and lacking in discipline and PTSD was still not fully recognized as a disorder, at this time treatment included barbiturates.

When a soldier enlists into the military forces they know they are going in to fight for their country and freedom for everyone. They spend months training and preparing for the war and what to come. They learn to fight, shoot, and kill enemies, but what they do not learn is how to cope with the after math of the war. Soldiers in war every year come home with many post traumatic effects from what they had witnessed. During world war two this was known as shell shock; however what can be concluded is that world war two impacted the soldiers emotionally and physiologically from the time they entered to post war.

Shell shock, poor living conditions for soldiers, and the effects of the war’s desperation on people are facts confirmed in the movie. Shell shock or PTSD became emphasized in World War I. In the movie Roland was shown with signs of shell shock after he returned for a short period of time. During