As it has had a place in every war since, PTSD must have had a place in trench warfare in WWI. In war, this disorder is bound to occur, for battle promote the kind of reactions that create PTSD. Symptoms include "flashbacks" or a reliving of the traumatic event; soldiers re-experience the terror of war on a daily basis. Alertness, numbing, and paranoia are almost encouraged; in war, a soldier must be on his or her guard, and emotionally detached from the enemy who is to be killed. These things are true of almost any war. Specifically in WWI, I would guess that the trauma of war was ten-fold what it is now. Not to say that war is any less terrible now than it was then, but for that time, trench warfare was a completely new and horrifying experience. Never before had killing one's enemy been done in so efficient and mercenary a manner. Machine guns killed in instants. Without a mask, soldiers were defensless against chlorine gas. In these new innovations there could have been trauma in both the dealing and recieving of death. According to the PTSD packet, this disorder is caused by a traumatic event in which the person felt threatened physically or emotionally through another, was injured, or felt helpless. All of these things were likely daily events in WWI, making PTSD very relevant to the Great War.
Monday, February 8, 2010
There's No Going Back
As it has had a place in every war since, PTSD must have had a place in trench warfare in WWI. In war, this disorder is bound to occur, for battle promote the kind of reactions that create PTSD. Symptoms include "flashbacks" or a reliving of the traumatic event; soldiers re-experience the terror of war on a daily basis. Alertness, numbing, and paranoia are almost encouraged; in war, a soldier must be on his or her guard, and emotionally detached from the enemy who is to be killed. These things are true of almost any war. Specifically in WWI, I would guess that the trauma of war was ten-fold what it is now. Not to say that war is any less terrible now than it was then, but for that time, trench warfare was a completely new and horrifying experience. Never before had killing one's enemy been done in so efficient and mercenary a manner. Machine guns killed in instants. Without a mask, soldiers were defensless against chlorine gas. In these new innovations there could have been trauma in both the dealing and recieving of death. According to the PTSD packet, this disorder is caused by a traumatic event in which the person felt threatened physically or emotionally through another, was injured, or felt helpless. All of these things were likely daily events in WWI, making PTSD very relevant to the Great War.
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Your point about symptoms of PTSD being encouraged during the war is good. Without paranoia and disattachment from the enemy armies would never be effective. The soldiers in the trenches needed to on their toes as all times and ready to fight and kill without mercy. They needed to be able to watch their comrades die right next to them and continue fighting or else they would have died as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rina. Your point about how easily men were killed en masse is especially true. You have to wonder though; were the men who were shooting the gas canisters more or less likely to get PTSD? How about the bombers of today? DO you have to actually see the horrors to get PTSD, or does simply knowing that people are dying and you can't do anything about it / it is your fault enough to ruin you?
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