Fighting has, and will always be, a traumatic event. Watching or experiencing pain can cause a great deal of emotional shock, especially in a species (such as humans) that feel so much empathy for others. The terrors seen in World War One were possibly the most horrible and traumatic the world had seen at the time. Men were stationed among rats and dead bodies in little dirt holes, and if they were lucky enough to avoid running over the trench to their certain demise, they had to face guns, bombs, and the possiblity of drowning in poison gas. After seeing so much pain and death, there is no way a person could go back to their normal life uneffected.
Millions of people were undoubtedly affected by PTSD directly following world war one. And because people didn't yet have a name or treatment for the illness, these people may have even been shunned or scorned for something that was totally out of their control. This might have caused a decrase in morale among war veterans and their families, which in turn could have hurt the many already-weakened countries. However, this mass effect of traumatic war probably caused more people to investigate it, which led to why we know so much more about PTSD now.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yes, and this attitude of purposeful ignorance towards the human psyche leaves us with remaining cases of serious PTSD-related domestic violence. This leaves us with people who are ashamed of themselves and their "weakness." PTSD isn't something to be ashamed of just as people shouldn't try and hide that they have a terminal illness or an injury from battle. Should someone have either of the latter things, they would try and seek medical help, but in the case of PTSD years of scorn have reinforced the idea that one must hide one's illness to keep a job or maintain social status.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that it's the shock from the constant reaction of empathy that causes so many cases of PTSD. Just as bad is the fear, the anticipation of the moment when you will be the next one to die. Even more so than today, after World War I PTSD was not recognized as a disease, only contributing to the difficulties post-war difficulties created by PTSD.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph is especially true. during WWI, bravery and virility were probably even more strongly valued than they are today, so many men would be ashamed at reacting so strongly to warfare. Propaganda, I'm sure, also did not help PTSD victims, as the general public is given a view of warfare that would cause them to expect their soldiers to be strong and victorious, rather than on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Outside pressure would cause men to turn inwards, and friends and family would be hurt by the loss of many more soldiers even if they did "survive" the war.
ReplyDelete