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( Shell shock)
Combat stress reaction, in the past commonly known as shell shock or battle fatigue, is a military term used to categorize a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's surroundings, and inability to prioritize. Combat stress reaction is generally short-term and should not be confused with acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other long-term disorders attributable to combat stress although any of these may commence as a combat stress reaction. The ratio of stress casualties to battle casualties varies with the intensity of the fighting, but with intense fighting it can be as high as 11. In low-level conflicts it can drop to 110 (or less). In World War I, shell shock was considered a psychiatric illness resulting from injury to the nerves during combat. The horrors of WWI trench warfare meant that about 10% of the fighting soldiers were killed (compared to 4.5% during World War II) and the total proportion of troops who became casualties (killed or wounded) was 56%. Whether a shell-shock sufferer was considered "wounded" or "sick" depended on the circumstances. The large proportion of WWI veterans in the European population meant that the symptoms were common to the culture, although it may not have become popularly known in the US. Many generals considered those who suffered shell shock to be cowards, and a large number were executed. They were not executed for having shell-shock, they were executed for specific military wartime offenses, such as desertion under fire. The British Army apparently executed a significant number soldiers for such offenses. The history of Combat Stress Reactions (CSRs) has shown a remarkable variation and subvariation in the interest and knowledge of those whose tasks it has been to deal with them. Kardiner and Spiegel writing in 1947 stated
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