PTSD in the Trenches?

Based on the information in the handout, it seems very possible that trench warfare during the Great War caused PTSD in the soldiers. One of the causes of PTSD is feeling like you are in danger. Obviously, soldiers were in great danger, as they were fighting a war where their lives were constantly at risk. But why would trench warfare in particular be such a potent catalyst for PTSD? Trench warfare was not just a single battle, a moment of extreme trauma. That trauma was spread out across their entire time in the trenches. Not only were the soldiers constantly cramped, sick, and exhausted, this had become the reality of their everyday lives. As a soldier, you were also exposed to the fighting around you. The enemy was always there, and you would be there to witness companions being killed, even though you wouldn't have to face it as often as in a traditional battlefield. Another sign of a risk for PTSD is if someone feels unable to help themselves or loved ones. Soldiers had no hope of escaping their surroundings because the draft had trapped them into the suffocating trenches, and it was not their choice to stay or leave. No matter what they did, however well they fought, it was ultimately up to their superiors when the war would end or when they would have to jump over their barrier in an traumatized act that practically equated to suicide. The constant threat on your life - and when your life was not immediately threatened, the claustrophobic, squalid living conditions coupled with the fear of losing your life - is more than enough to result in long-lasting consequences.