One of the key features that defined World War 1 was the psychological trauma experienced by the soldiers fighting in the war. The psychological impact of the war on people was a major crisis which people responded to in a number of different ways. As a result of the war, doctors gained a better understanding of the human psychology. Some of the crises that need to be discussed, are the symptoms soldiers experienced and the causes of shell shock. In response to the crisis, doctors made treatments to help the suffering and the view soldiers and society had on shell shock was changed. The psychological effects World War 1 had on soldiers was detrimental. Shell shock was a term invented by Charles Myers, in 1915, that described the psychological …show more content…
The soldiers experienced a high amount of stress, when they were out fighting on the battlefield, that built up and caused great damage to their mental health. This meant that their physical and psychological capabilities were affected by psychological pressure, preventing them from fighting to their full capabilities. Another, crisis that needed to be addressed was the symptoms soldiers experienced from shell shock. The most common symptoms of shell shock are fatigue, nightmares and panic attacks. Many soldiers displayed these symptoms throughout the war but because the doctors back then had very little understanding of shell shock, many soldiers were left untreated. This then meant that the untreated soldiers were left to suffer, the mental health crisis followed them for the rest of their …show more content…
There are no words to describe the horrors of watching the people around you die, but sadly, so many soldiers during World War 1, experienced the horror. This left them with life-long, mental health issues and the dreaded shell shock. In response to shell shock, many soldiers were left with survivors guilt, a condition where they questioned why they didn’t die. Many soldiers would isolate themselves from society and sometimes had a difficult time talking to others. In more serious cases, they would show signs of disillusionment, which meant they questioned life and the human value. These were all common responses that soldiers experienced, but with the treatments and cures available to help them, most soldiers were able to get the support they needed and there was hope that the mental health crisis might come to an end. Society’s most common view on shell shock, was an excuse for soldiers to not fight in the war. At the beginning of the war, shell shock wasn’t well understood by doctors and the military. As the war progressed, over time the number of cases increased, and the mental health crisis grew. Most people in society, viewed soldiers with shell shock, with suspicion. Society rejected the idea of a mental health crisis and their opinions affected the military’s view as well. Did you know over 300 soldiers were killed in their own country, because they showed signs of
Junger 125: Through this quote, Junger gives a realistic wake-up call to the readers. Depression and PTSD rates in soldiers are so high because they come back from war, to a society that is at war with itself. Junger concludes that modern society is completely disconnected from our tribal instincts, this disconnection is what leads to PTSD and other mental disorders. This disconnection is shown through the hostility that civilians in America have towards one another, as well as the many statistics Junger provides on a variety of topics.
He supports his claim by giving statistical facts of how many veterans exposed to Agent Orange during their time at war requested examinations and counseling by Veteran Affairs. Scott then states that men of all wars, not just the Vietnam War, struggled to gain support in treatment for war related injuries. He thoroughly supports Spake’s claim of psychological distress within his article by stating that when at war claims of distress were low, but once home, mental and physical anguish intensified. Scott’s purpose is to explain, inform, and describe the mental trials of Agent Orange exposed war veterans in order to make readers aware of the hardships the men faced. Scott creates an informative tone for readers of higher education and an interest in psychological disorders and war
One of the major diseases that almost permanently affected the soldiers was Shell Shock which was due to constant exposure to horrific scenes of death. Source A1 is an extract from a historian writing for the First World war aimed at students, focuses on ...
The war scarred the soldiers permanently, if not physically then mentally. After the war the soldiers usually never recovered from the war. Two of the most common side affects of the war were shell shock and stir crazy. When suffering from shell shock a soldier’s brain doesn’t function properly and the man is a “vegetable”. This means the man is alive but he can’t do anything because he is in a state of shock because of the war. Stir crazy is a mental illness caused by the firing of so many bullets that when no bullets are heard by the victim he goes insane. Everyone was scared to go to war when it started. Young recruits were first sent because the veterans knew they were going to come back dead. "When we run out again, although I am very excited, I suddenly think: “where’s Himmelstoss?” Quickly I jump back into the dug-out and find him with a small scratch lying in a corner pretending to be wounded.” (P 131) Even the big men like Himmelstoss are scared to go fight. They too go through the mental illnesses like stir crazy and shell shock. “He is in a panic; he is new to it too.
and psychological traumas that individuals and families faced as a result of the Gallipoli campaign 1915-1916 (Lindsay, 2006). From the diaries of Australia’s Official War Correspondent, C.E.W. Bean, letters and diaries of soldiers and nurses who served at Gallipoli, and books painstakingly comprehended by historians, one can catch a glimpse of their human suffering. Combatants of Gallipoli faced extremely harsh conditions, high casualties, and the physical and psychological consequences of prolonged trench warfare. The Australian Army Medical Service and the Australian Army Nursing Service are detailed as having endured long stressful months of caring for their horribly wounded and sick fellow men in the sub-standard conditions of hospital ships. Whilst back at home families anguished over the worry of losing their loved ones to an indiscriminate war. 8709 Australian men lost their precious lives and almost 20,000 were physically wounded, however many more individuals and family members of those that served suffered on with psychological scars from the trauma that such a shockingly violent war can leave (Lindsay, 2006).
An outcome of World War I was a new medical disorder classified as Shell Shock. Shell Shock is a medical disorder developed to describe the symptoms that soldiers developed without a probable or obvious lesion as the cause after serving time on the war front. Shell Shock is one of the most prominent injuries of World War I; the symptoms varied among each soldier, treatments were still being developed, and doctors were still trying to understand the severity of the disorder. The symptoms soldiers described are due to the stress they encountered while they served on the front line. Shell Shock is a condition that soldiers have begun to develop after serving in the war.
Throughout history there have been records of soldiers experiencing ‘shell shock,’ ‘battle fatigue,’ ‘gross stress reaction,’ and ‘soldier’s heart.’ The soldiers who suffered from these combat induced physiological traumas were branded as cowards, and removed from positions, reprimanded and even court marshaled. Vietnam veterans began to experience similar ailments immediately following the war. This new surge of afflicted soldiers forced the public as well as medical professionals and government officials to take notice of what is now ...
Anti-depressants, psychiatrists, massages...there are many different things offered in American society today to help individuals fight the stress of life. People are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for medicine and treatments that promise to give them a better life. They will spend hours of their time at a masseuse or a psychiatrist in constant search for relief from the lives they live. During the Vietnam War, however, soldiers were not exposed to any of these traditional "coping mechanisms". Instead, these men were forced to discover and invent new ways to deal with the pressures of war, using only their resources while in the Vietnamese jungle. It was not possible for any soldier to carry many items or burdens with them, but if something was a necessity, a way was found to carry it, and coping mechanisms were a necessity to survive the war. Each soldier had a personal effect, story, or process that helped him wake up each morning and go to battle once again, and it was these personal necessities that enabled men to return home after the war. Stress was caused by the war itself and the continual conditions of battle, as well as the knowledge and guilt of killing another ...
... middle of paper ... ... Although Hemingway accurately illustrates the negative impact war has on soldiers emotionally, he fails to address any positive learning experiences a soldier may have. Works Cited Spiller, Roger J. - "The 'Piece' of the World" "Shell shock; time after time in this troubled century, our whole society has made itself forget about the terrible, invisible battle wounds once known as shell shock, later as combat fatigue, and now PTSD - posttraumatic stress disorder.
One of the article’s many main points state that men and women who have served in combat often have side effects such as mental health from experience of the war. It does not matter if they did serve in active duty or only served in military occupations, either way they are still affected. In this article Mr. Hoglund and Mrs. Schwartz perform multiple polls and research that help sustain their point of view to compare the men and women who suffer in it and to the civilians’ mental health. With these three comparisons of choice it helps to open the audience’s eyes, such as experts or even a general audience who have loved ones serving, about the side affects that come with war. Studies of military personnel deployed veterans of war have investigated gender differences in the association between combat exposure and/ or war zone deployment and...
While defending their country in wars, thousands of brave souls perish, forcing their loved ones to move on without them. Others are lucky compared to these soldiers because they get to return home suffering from minor things such as disease, injury, or nightmares. In combat, warriors are forced to see horrific things that scar them mentally for the rest of their lives. Others are scarred physically and are constantly reminded of their treacherous memories from serving in the military. Often times, sleeping turns into a hassle for the veterans because they re-live the atrocities that occurred on the battlefield. Many people come back home needing psychiatrists to cope with the emotions racing through their body.
War has been a consistent piece of mankind 's history. It has significantly influenced the lives of individuals around the globe. The impacts are amazingly adverse. In the novel, “The Wars,” by Timothy Findley, Soldiers must shoulder compelling weight on the warzone. Such weight is both family and the country weight. Many individuals look at soldiers for hop and therefore, adding load to them. Those that cannot rationally beat these difficulties may create Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Tragically, some resort to suicide to get away from their insecurities. Troops, notwithstanding, are not by any means the only ones influenced by wars; relatives likewise encounter mental hardships when their friends and family are sent to war. Timothy Findley
The First World War has left soldiers suffering even after the war. Many had suffered from not only physical, but mental disorders as well. As a result of this, soldiers have been dehumanised by society.
Technology has been growing throughout the years, always changing and evolving in all new ways. It has become almost a second nature to us by now, to use technology on anything and everything. We use technology for the smallest things, such as looking up the recipe for your next meal, or the name of an actor, or just to check up on a friend. It seems to be that the more technology develops, the more addicted and the more dependent we become. If one were to analyze and really think about how many times we use technology a day, we will start to realize how much it has consumed us. Just think about how many times a day you see someone on their phone, or on a computer. You will start to realize how addicted we are. It’s so common for us to use and see people use technology, that we take it for granted and never think twice about it. However, is becoming this dependent on technology a bad thing? I feel as though we depend a lot on technology
PTSD was such a horrible sickness because it embedded traumatic events in a soldiers mind. So later on this memory impeded a soldier enjoyment of life. Certain smell, sights and taste a soldier experienced triggered their memory making them recall those horrifying moments when their friend was brutally slaughtered. When these memories occurred soldiers would lose themselves. They would would break down and question themselves, ‘What could I have done to save him? Why did he die and not me? The guilt was so great that for many that they simply killed themselves. However, this was only one of the horrible effects of PTSD. Another