Shell Shock

Shell Shock in WWI

By: Alec Winsor

               Shell shock was a reaction to the stress of war that affected some soldiers. It especially was common with soldiers that faced a certain event, such as, stabbing someone in the stomach or the face, being bombarded by artillery, or just witnessing killing in general. Some men that bayonetted  Common symptoms include fatigue, tremors, confusion, nightmares, and impaired sight and hearing. Different doctors had different theories as to what causes shell shock, including hidden damage to the brain, and poisoning from the carbon monoxide from explosions. It was later concluded that it was from emotional damage, versus physical. After World War I, the term shell shock was replaced with combat stress reaction, which was used through World War II and present day.

               During earlier stages of the war, shell shock victims were immedietly removed from the front lines mainly from fear of their unpredictable nature. But as the war went on, and the number of men able to fight decreased, the question of what to do with shell shocked soldiers became a bigger issue to authorities. Officials became more concerned with this situation and had a hard time returning these men to battle. If a man was uninjured physically, it was easier to redeploy him. Because of this, they had to devote more time and effort to understanding and attempting to treat shell shocked victims.

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_shock

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/shellshock_01.shtml