Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

WW1 Shellshock


birchp

Recommended Posts

I have a fair amount of firsthand experience with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In WWI, "shell shock" was so called because medicine at the time thought that it was caused by the shock to the body from the blast and overpressure of artillery shells. This was discounted later and shell shock was renamed "combat fatigue" by WWII. By the end of WWI, armies had highly developed SOP's for dealing with or preventing psychological casualties.

Our experiences in Iraq have taught us a new term, TBI, brain damage caused by blast and overpressure from IED's (mostly 152mm or 155mm artillery shells). I have a theory that the old docs in the Great War had it partially right, and that shell shock was often TBI and not PTSD. TBI can be devastating, and I think that in combination with PTSD it could be completely overwhelming.

WW1 Shellshock

God forbid - those poor boys

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=497...h&plindex=0

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

This video is very disturbing. Thanks to another member of the board I also have some more rare footage (mostly of British soldiers) suffering from shellshock. Very difficult to watch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...