Shell shock

Shell shock is a term coined during World War I to describe the type of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) many soldiers were afflicted with during a time when the psychological impacts of war were not well understood. It is characterized by a range of physical and psychological symptoms following the experience of warfare.

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History and Etymology

The term "shell shock" was first used in 1917 by the medical officer Charles Myers in an article published in The Lancet. It was initially believed to be caused by soldiers being exposed to exploding shells. As more became known, it was realized that "shell shock" could occur without any exposure to explosions. The symptoms were also observed in individuals who had not been at the front lines. It was then understood to be a reaction to the intensity of the bombardment and fighting, or the horrific living conditions of the trenches.

Symptoms

Shell shock symptoms included fatigue, tremor, confusion, nightmares and impaired sight and hearing. It was often diagnosed when a soldier was unable to function and no obvious cause could be identified. Psychological symptoms were myriad and could encompass anything from mild anxiety and depression to more severe forms of amnesia, disorientation, and hallucination.

Diagnosis and Treatment

During World War I, shell shock was often seen as a sign of emotional weakness or cowardice. Many shell shocked soldiers were charged with desertion, cowardice, or insubordination because the military was largely ignorant of the condition. However, as the war progressed and the number of shell shock cases increased, the military had no choice but to acknowledge the disorder as a genuine war casualty and take steps to manage it.

Treatment for shell shock varied widely, and was largely experimental at first. Methods ranged from psychological therapies, such as hypnosis and suggestion, to physical treatments, including electric shock therapy.

In the years following World War I, shell shock was gradually replaced by the terms "war neurosis" and "battle fatigue". It has contributed greatly to the modern understanding of PTSD.

Modern Understanding

Shell shock is now understood as a manifestation of what we now call PTSD. This is a complex disorder that may occur after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as warfare, a natural disaster, a serious accident, or sexual assault.

See Also

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Combat stress reaction
• War neurosis

References

• Myers, C. S. (1915). A contribution to the study of shell shock: Being an account of three cases of loss of memory, vision, smell, and taste, admitted into the Duchess of Westminster's War Hospital, Le Touquet. The Lancet, 185(4772), 316-320.
• Leese, P. (2002). Shell shock: traumatic neurosis and the British soldiers of the First World War. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Jones, E., & Wessely, S. (2005). Shell shock to PTSD: Military psychiatry from 1900 to the Gulf War. Psychological Medicine, 36(2), 253-262.

External Links

• Shell Shock and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Historical Review
• History.com: Shell Shock

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