Shell shock - Revision history

Pankratz at 15:09, 24 April 2015

2015-04-24T15:09:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:09, 24 April 2015
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	~~The term ''shell shock'' was~~ used during the [[Great War\|First World War]] to describe the trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).		Term used during the [[Great War\|First World War]] to describe the trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
	The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.		The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.

Pankratz at 11:57, 5 November 2013

2013-11-05T11:57:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:57, 5 November 2013
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	The term "shell shock" was used during the [[Great War\|First World War]] to describe the trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).		The term ''shell shock'' was used during the [[Great War\|First World War]] to describe the trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
	The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.		The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.

Pankratz at 12:45, 21 November 2011

2011-11-21T12:45:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:45, 21 November 2011
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	The term "shell shock" was used during the [[First World War]] to describe the ~~psychological~~ trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).		The term "shell shock" was used during the [[Great War\|First World War]] to describe the trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
	The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.		The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.

K.schr: /* The Shell Shocked Soldiers */

2011-11-19T23:20:26Z

The Shell Shocked Soldiers

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	== The Shell Shocked Soldiers ==		== The Shell Shocked Soldiers ==

	Mentally broken soldiers were unable to deal with the terror, brutality and cruelty they experienced in the first mass industrial war. Haunted by images of battle scenes, men fighting in the warfare trenches were deeply traumatised. Therefore, the war also had an heavy impact on the individual. 80,000 soldiers of the British army (2% ~~of those in active service~~) were diagnosed to suffer from shell shock between 1914 and 1918. By 1916, already over 40 per cent of the fallen soldiers at the front lines were victims of shell shock. For many suffering from the condition, the psychological trauma did not stop with the end of the war. 20,000 men were still treated of shell shock after 1918. They could not manage to banish painful memories of warfare from their minds.		Mentally broken soldiers were unable to deal with the terror, brutality and cruelty they experienced in the first mass industrial war. Haunted by images of battle scenes, men fighting in the warfare trenches were deeply traumatised. Therefore, the war also had an heavy impact on the individual. 80,000 soldiers of the British army (2%) were diagnosed to suffer from shell shock between 1914 and 1918. By 1916, already over 40 per cent of the fallen soldiers at the front lines were victims of shell shock. For many suffering from the condition, the psychological trauma did not stop with the end of the war. 20,000 men were still treated of shell shock after 1918. They could not manage to banish painful memories of warfare from their minds.
	At that time, the general public interpreted the war neurosis as a sign of weakness or even cowardice so that there was little sympathy for those affected. Hence some of them were killed by their own comrades. Some fled the battlefields due to panic attacks and were later sued for desertion. While some even committed suicide, others were thought to be malingerers and sent back to the front.		At that time, the general public interpreted the war neurosis as a sign of weakness or even cowardice so that there was little sympathy for those affected. Hence some of them were killed by their own comrades. Some fled the battlefields due to panic attacks and were later sued for desertion. While some even committed suicide, others were thought to be malingerers and sent back to the front.


	[[File:300px-Shellshock2.jpg‎]]		[[File:300px-Shellshock2.jpg‎]]

K.schr: /* References */

2011-11-19T23:03:00Z

References

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:03, 19 November 2011
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	== References ==		== References ==
	BBC Inside Out. ''Shell Shock''. 2004. Accessed 19 Nov 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/extra/series-1/shell_shocked.shtml>		BBC Inside Out. ''Shell Shock''. 2004. Accessed 19 Nov 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/extra/series-1/shell_shocked.shtml>

	Duffy, Michael. ''A Multimedia History of World War One''. 2009. Accessed 19Nov 2011. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/shellshock.htm>		Duffy, Michael. ''A Multimedia History of World War One''. 2009. Accessed 19Nov 2011. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/shellshock.htm>

	Reid, Fiona. ''Broken Men. Shell Shock, Treatment and Recovery in Britain 1914-1918''. London: Continuum, 2010.		Reid, Fiona. ''Broken Men. Shell Shock, Treatment and Recovery in Britain 1914-1918''. London: Continuum, 2010.

K.schr: /* The Shell Shocked Soldiers */

2011-11-19T23:02:24Z

The Shell Shocked Soldiers

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:02, 19 November 2011
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	At that time, the general public interpreted the war neurosis as a sign of weakness or even cowardice so that there was little sympathy for those affected. Hence some of them were killed by their own comrades. Some fled the battlefields due to panic attacks and were later sued for desertion. While some even committed suicide, others were thought to be malingerers and sent back to the front.		At that time, the general public interpreted the war neurosis as a sign of weakness or even cowardice so that there was little sympathy for those affected. Hence some of them were killed by their own comrades. Some fled the battlefields due to panic attacks and were later sued for desertion. While some even committed suicide, others were thought to be malingerers and sent back to the front.

	[[File:~~http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Shellshock2.jpg/~~300px-Shellshock2.~~jpg~~]]		[[File:300px-Shellshock2.jpg‎]]



	== Symptoms ==		== Symptoms ==

K.schr at 22:58, 19 November 2011

2011-11-19T22:58:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:58, 19 November 2011
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	~~Term~~ used during the [[First World War]] to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. ~~Deeply traumatised men were unable~~ to ~~deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War~~. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]''.		The term "shell shock" was used during the [[First World War]] to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. The term was coined in 1917 by Medical Officer Charles Myers. It was also known as "war neurosis" or "combat stress". Nowadays it is mostly referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
			The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]'' and with Lord Peter Wimsey, the protagonist of Dorothy Sayers’s works of detective fiction.




			== The Shell Shocked Soldiers ==

			Mentally broken soldiers were unable to deal with the terror, brutality and cruelty they experienced in the first mass industrial war. Haunted by images of battle scenes, men fighting in the warfare trenches were deeply traumatised. Therefore, the war also had an heavy impact on the individual. 80,000 soldiers of the British army (2% of those in active service) were diagnosed to suffer from shell shock between 1914 and 1918. By 1916, already over 40 per cent of the fallen soldiers at the front lines were victims of shell shock. For many suffering from the condition, the psychological trauma did not stop with the end of the war. 20,000 men were still treated of shell shock after 1918. They could not manage to banish painful memories of warfare from their minds.
			At that time, the general public interpreted the war neurosis as a sign of weakness or even cowardice so that there was little sympathy for those affected. Hence some of them were killed by their own comrades. Some fled the battlefields due to panic attacks and were later sued for desertion. While some even committed suicide, others were thought to be malingerers and sent back to the front.

			[[File:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Shellshock2.jpg/300px-Shellshock2.jpg]]



			== Symptoms ==
			Tiredness, irritability, giddiness, lack of concentration and headaches were early symptoms of shell shock. But soon soldiers returned from the trenches paralysed and mute, sometimes even deaf and blind. Typical symptoms of a breakdown were getting worse and also included anxiety, hysteria, limping, muscle contractions, nightmares, insomnia, heart palpitations, dizziness, disorientation, depression and loss of appetite. Yet symptoms varied widely in intensity. Doctors struggled with this disease pattern as they had not seen such conditions before. Initially, the symptoms were thought to be physical effects caused by a bursting shell that injured the brain. This is where the name “shell shock” derives from. As a consequence, medical officers increasingly began emphasising psychological factors as providing sufficient cause for breakdown.


			== Medical Treatment ==
			Special hospitals for traumatised soldiers had to be build as there was not enough space in the hospitals already existing. Except for few cases, a successful therapy was generally hopeless as there was no experience with such a new psychological phenomenon and hence no therapeutic approach. The treatment of shell shocked men was often harsh and included solitary confinement, electric shocks, shaming, physical re-education and emotional deprivation. “Lucky” men were treated with a variety of cures that included hypnosis, massage, rest and dietary treatments.

			At Newton Abbott's Seale Hayne in Devon treatment was revolutionary. This hospital treated shell shocked patients with dignity and sympathy. The army major Arthur Hurst was known at Seale Hayne for his “miracle treatments” (BBC) and his ability to heal 90 per cent of the nervous wrecks in one session with dramatic strategies of cure.
			Hurst encouraged his patients to use their creativity while working in peace and quite in the countryside. He even comforted them to shoot and rekindle their memories in reconstructed settings of the trenches. Hurst's pioneering approach is said to be a miracle that saved the lives of many broken soldiers.



			== References ==
			BBC Inside Out. ''Shell Shock''. 2004. Accessed 19 Nov 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/extra/series-1/shell_shocked.shtml>
			Duffy, Michael. ''A Multimedia History of World War One''. 2009. Accessed 19Nov 2011. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/shellshock.htm>
			Reid, Fiona. ''Broken Men. Shell Shock, Treatment and Recovery in Britain 1914-1918''. London: Continuum, 2010.

Pankratz at 15:43, 9 November 2011

2011-11-09T15:43:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:43, 9 November 2011
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	Term used during the [[First World War]] to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. Deeply traumatised men were unable to deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[~~Viginia~~ Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]''.		Term used during the [[First World War]] to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. Deeply traumatised men were unable to deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Virginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]''.

Pankratz at 15:42, 9 November 2011

2011-11-09T15:42:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:42, 9 November 2011
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			Term used during the [[First World War]] to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. Deeply traumatised men were unable to deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in [[Viginia Woolf]]'s ''[[Mrs Dalloway]]''.
	~~Shell Shock was a term~~ used during the First World War to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. Deeply traumatised men were unable to deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in ~~Vigina~~ Woolf's ''Mrs ~~Dollaway~~''.

K.schr at 12:01, 9 November 2011

2011-11-09T12:01:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:01, 9 November 2011
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	~~Deeply traumatised soldiers of~~ the First World War suffered ~~from shell shock~~. ~~Men~~ were unable to deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences ~~for soldiers~~ was often thematised in literature, e.g. in Vigina Woolf's ''Mrs Dollaway''.
			Shell Shock was a term used during the First World War to describe the psychological trauma soldiers suffered serving on the war's front line. Deeply traumatised men were unable to deal with the brutality and cruelty they experienced in the Great War. The horror of trench warfare and its consequences was often thematised in literature, e.g. in Vigina Woolf's ''Mrs Dollaway''.