A Day In History

A Brief Demonizing History Of Shell Shocked Soldiers (2022x2)

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Shell shock can take many forms but is a reaction to the helplessness felt by those in a war zone and can manifest in many different ways, including panic, violence, anger or an inability to perform basic tasks like sleeping, walking or talking. Now classed as a type of PTSD, the term has been retired in medical circles; but it is still understood to be specific to those who have been involved in active warfare and combat. Like many mental health disorders, humans have a poor history with how we’ve treated those with shell shock. The term first arose during World War 1 when it was published in an article written by Psychologist Charles Myers for the British Medical Journal ‘The Lancet’, after seeing the effects of combat in the soldiers at his war hospital post.