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Soldiers who returned with shell shock generally could not remember much because their brain would shut out all the traumatic memories. [11] By the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, the British Army had developed methods to reduce shell shock. A man who began to show shell-shock symptoms was best given a few days' rest by his local medical ...
In World War I, shell shock was considered a psychiatric illness resulting from injury to the nerves during combat. The nature of trench warfare meant that about 10% of the fighting soldiers were killed (compared to 4.5% during World War II ) and the total proportion of troops who became casualties (killed or wounded) was about 57%. [ 2 ]
Shell shock or war neurosis are forms of hysteria that manifested in soldiers during war time, especially World War I. Symptoms that were previously considered somatic were reconsidered in a new light; trembling, paralysis, nightmares, mutism and apathy were grouped together in a broad spectrum psychological disorder known as "war neurosis".
During the world wars, the condition was known under various terms, including 'shell shock', 'war nerves', neurasthenia and 'combat neurosis'. [24] [25] The term "post-traumatic stress disorder" came into use in the 1970s, in large part due to the diagnoses of U.S. military veterans of the Vietnam War. [26]
Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) [1] [2] was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celticists and students of Irish mythology.
During his time serving in the war, Farr was hospitalised multiple times for shell shock and related symptoms. On 9 May 1915, shortly after Farr's battalion fought in the Battle of Aubers Ridge, [5] he was removed from his position at Houplines [9] and spent five months in hospital in Boulogne to recover from shell shock.
Prior to World War I, the U.S. Army considered the symptoms of battle fatigue to be cowardice or attempts to avoid combat duty. Soldiers who reported these symptoms received harsh treatment. [7] "Shell shock" had been diagnosed as a medical condition during World War I. But even before the conflict ended, what constituted shell shock was changing.
Before the term post-traumatic stress disorder was established, people that exhibited symptoms were said to have shell shock [6] [5] [2] [3] or war neuroses. [8] [3] [9] This terminology came about in WWI when a commonality among combat soldiers was identified during psychiatric evaluations. [3]