What was shell shock exactly?

What did it mean to be shell-shocked

mentally confused, upset

: mentally confused, upset, or exhausted as a result of a highly stressful or disturbing and often unexpected event or experience. She was shell-shocked, reeling from her loss in Iowa and polls that showed her cratering in New Hampshire.

What are the symptoms of shellshock

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), shell shock caused soldiers to have tremors, sensation deficits, headaches, confusion, nightmares, stammer, and extreme fatigue that together were symptomatic of 'repressed trauma' rather than any physical issue.

What did shell shock do to the brain

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.

Why did soldiers get shell shock

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.

How long can shell shock last

Evolution away from shell-shock

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.

Can shell shock go away

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.

How did soldiers treat shell shock

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.

Did anyone recover from shell shock

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.

What was shell shock called in Vietnam War

Shell shock gave way to battle fatigue, which gave way to Post Vietnam Syndrome, which was finally overtaken by PTSD.

Do soldiers still suffer from shell shock

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.

What was PTSD called in Vietnam

Early on, public health care referred to PTSD by many different names such as “shell shock,” “combat fatigue,” and “war neurosis.” PTSD was even commonly called “Vietnam Stress,” and “Vietnam Syndrome.” PTSD first became a recognized disorder in 1980, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

What caused PTSD in the Vietnam War

Those who served in the Vietnam war still frequently struggle with PTSD. PTSD can occur in Veterans who witnessed a traumatic events in service, such as a natural disaster, death, combat exposure, or sexual assault.

What was PTSD called for Vietnam soldiers

Early on, public health care referred to PTSD by many different names such as “shell shock,” “combat fatigue,” and “war neurosis.” PTSD was even commonly called “Vietnam Stress,” and “Vietnam Syndrome.” PTSD first became a recognized disorder in 1980, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Is shellshock still a thing

Cases of "shell shock" could be interpreted as either a physical or psychological injury. Although the United States' Department of Veterans Affairs still uses the term shell shock to describe certain aspects of PTSD, it is mostly a historical term, and is often considered to be the signature injury of the war.

What did shell shock do to soldiers

The term 'shell-shock', which is now often perceived as synonymous with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), incorporated diverse symptoms. These included headaches, nightmares, hallucinations, and distressing and intrusive memories – all symptoms we associate with war trauma today.

Is shell shock worse than PTSD

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.

Why was PTSD so bad in Vietnam

Many mental health professionals in Psychiatry attribute the high incidence of PTSD in Vietnam-era veterans to a lack of “decompression” time.

Why was Vietnam so traumatic

Unlike veterans who fought in previous conflicts, the Vietnam veterans were never welcomed home, so many of them suffered from significant social isolation. Jim's PTSD was a result of his military experience in conflict and social isolation which created a vicious circle.

Why were soldiers hated in Vietnam

Many Vietnam veterans claim that most people treated them with indifference and seemed uncomfortable listening to their stories from battle. Some people, however, saw returning soldiers as dangerous, violent symbols of an increasingly futile and terrible war—much like the individual Wowwk encountered.

What war gave soldiers the most PTSD

U.S. Veterans of Different Service Eras

Service Era PTSD in the Past Year PTSD at Some Point in Life
Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm) 14 out of 100 (14%) 21 out of 100 (21%)
Vietnam War 5 out of 100 (5%) 10 out of 100 (10%)
World War II (WWII) and Korean War 2 out of 100 (2%) 3 out of 100 (3%)

How poorly were Vietnam veterans treated

Those who supported the war resented the veterans for losing the war, which left Vietnam veterans feeling like outsiders to veterans of other wars. The Vietnam War divided American society. Those who served were often treated as traitors instead of heroes, and found it difficult to adjust to life back home.

Why was Vietnam a dirty war

Answer and Explanation: The Vietnam War was called a dirty war for several reasons, most notably the brutality of the tactics used by the French and American militaries in the hopes of putting down the communist rebellion.

Who is Vietnam’s closest ally

Vietnam has forged comprehensive strategic partnerships — the highest diplomatic designation — with China, India, Russia, and, most recently, South Korea. Many of Vietnam's strategic partners are U.S. allies, such as Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Why was Vietnam such a bad war

Political and military leaders misunderstood the enemy's motives; they misread conditions on the ground; they tried to beat unconventional fighters with conventional tactics; they massacred civilians.

Why weren t Vietnam vets welcomed

Many Vietnam veterans claim that most people treated them with indifference and seemed uncomfortable listening to their stories from battle. Some people, however, saw returning soldiers as dangerous, violent symbols of an increasingly futile and terrible war—much like the individual Wowwk encountered.