The term "
Shell shock was a term coined during the First World War that is now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is a psychological condition resulting from the stress a soldier experiences during battle. Symptoms include (but are not limited to) tremors, loss of sight or hearing and extreme fatigue.
Work from other clinicians after WWII and the Korean War suggested that post-war symptoms could be lasting. Longitudinal studies showed that symptoms could persist anywhere from six to 20 years, if they disappeared at all.
But 'shell-shock' also included hysterical disorders, such as mutism and paralysis, amnesia, and even 'personality loss', as in the case of one man who seemed to develop an entirely new identity, including a different accent, after he had been hit by a shell.
In World War II and beyond, the diagnosis of "shell shock" was replaced by that of combat stress reaction, which is a similar but not identical response to the trauma of warfare and bombardment.
They are the same because shell shock was an intellectual forerunner to PTSD. PTSD was influenced by the experiences of psychiatrists working with veterans returning from Vietnam. As such, the two ideas set out to do pretty much the same thing.
In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11th as the first observance of Armistice Day, the day World War I ended. At that time, some symptoms of present-day PTSD were known as "shell shock" because they were seen as a reaction to the explosion of artillery shells.
The most common treatment for shell shock was, at the time, electric shock therapy. During the course of war, shell shock became recognized as one of the primary afflictions and new forms of treatment were incorporated, including psychotherapy.
Probably over 250,000 men suffered from 'shell shock' as result of the First World War. The term was coined in 1915 by medical officer Charles Myers.
Men in the trenches killed lice by 'chatting' - crushing them between finger nails - or burning them out with cigarette ends and candles.
Once known as Shell Shock, Soldier's Heart or Battle Fatigue, the condition we now know as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects countless veterans.
War is particularly traumatic for soldiers because it often involves intimate violence, including witnessing death through direct combat, viewing the enemy before or after killing them, and watching friends and comrades die.
Shock waves pass through the skull, bruising the brain. Blast waves expose the body to huge amounts of kinetic energy, which can damage areas in the brain where tissues of different densities interact.
Over 41,000 men had their limbs amputated during the war – of these 69 per cent lost one leg, 28 per cent lost one arm, and nearly 3 per cent lost both legs or arms. Another two hundred and seventy two thousand suffered injuries in the arms or legs that did not require amputation.
We hypothesize that renaming PTSD to post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) would reduce the stigma associated with PTSD and improve patients' likelihood of seeking medical help.
Both men looked washed out and shell-shocked. You do go home shell-shocked. I was still shell-shocked and confused. A lot of people felt particularly shell-shocked by the intensity of media coverage.
The term 'shellshock' was banned as a medical term by 1917. It was not accurate enough as many cases of war neurosis developed in soldiers who were not directly exposed to shelling.
Medical treatment ranged from the gentle to the cruel. Freudian techniques of talk and physical therapy helped many victims, while more extreme methods involved electric shock therapy. During the latter, patients were electrocuted in the hope of stimulating paralyzed nerves, vocal chords, or limbs.
Combat stress, also known as battle fatigue, is a common response to the mental and emotional strain that can result from dangerous and traumatic experiences. It is a natural reaction to the wear and tear of the body and mind after extended and demanding operations.
Life on the Front Line
The soldier fired into No Man's Land, the area between the enemy trenches. Soldiers were ordered to keep firing even if they did not see anything. This was called the “morning hate.” The constant fire would keep the enemy from sneaking up on the trench.
A shock to the system
In the early years of World War One, shell shock was believed to be the result of a physical injury to the nerves and being exposed to heavy bombardment. Shell shock victims often couldn't eat or sleep, whilst others continued to suffer physical symptoms.
Instead, soldiers suffered from combat or battle exhaustion. The simplest therapy was rest, sometimes combined with tranquillizers. Other treatments included the use of electroshock therapy, hypnosis, and narcotherapy. This last treatment option involved the use of Pentothal, a 'truth serum.
Scientists believe that crying can make you feel physically and emotionally better. 'Having a good cry' is thought to rid the body of toxins and waste products which build up during times of elevated stress – so it's logical then that a person with PTSD may cry much more often that someone without the condition!
Some of those who suffered from shell shock were able to cope with it after the war, and even found that it lessened over time. But others – such as Bertram Steward's friend – were never able to readjust.