May 4 Shell Shock

Today they call it PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) however the condition was called "shell shock" when it was first recognized in 1917.  British military doctors were puzzled when some of the soldiers returning from the trenches were blind, deaf, mute or paralyzed, and they didn't exhibit any physical damage.  At first shell shock was the result of soldiers being exposed to exploding shells. That heavy bombardments caused physical injury to the nerves.  Victims were unable to eat or sleep, while other suffered physical or mental symptoms.  Eighty percent of soldiers that suffered from shell shock couldn't return to active duty.  After the war many soldiers re-lived their combat experiences. That officers repressed their emotions to set an example for their men, therefore they were four times more likely to suffer worst symptoms.  Today PTSD is better understood and soldiers suffering from it are treated with compassion. However, in World War One victims received little sympathy. It was viewed as a sign of emotional weakness or cowardice. Many sufferers were subjected to a mock trial, charged with desertion, cowardice, or insubordination. Some of those convicted were executed, while others were sent home to live in shame.