Essay Example on PTSD is just an umbrella used to term most outcomes of traumatizing experiences

Why is he smiling His teeth almost look sharp Debates by critics in forums such as reddit have been raised that the man is simply smiling at the camera and that it is no effect of his psychological state While this argument cannot be proven due to lack of presence in the scene of first hand resources can it not be said that he is indeed smiling out of shell shock Another critic suggested the idea that he might ve been morphine induced since soldiers would carry around morphine in case they sustained war injuries or were in pain I unintentionally came across this image a few months ago and now I've gotten the chance to look into it According to the source reddit the man a soldier in World War I at the Battle of Courcelette is a victim of shell shock Shell shock originally termed Battle Fatigue is a psychological disturbance caused by prolonged exposure to active warfare especially being under bombardment It is a reaction to the trauma of battle It has been described as a reaction that produced a feeling of helplessness appearing variously as panic or flight an inability to reason walk sleep or talk The circumstances of the First World War pushed hundreds of thousands of men beyond the limits of human endurance 

It's not the same as PTSD PTSD can happen as a result of events that cause shell shock but the best I 've heard it described was that it s an acute stress reaction not unlike when you have a near miss while driving and sort of involuntarily laugh afterward Not that the two are comparable but shell shock seems to be a very intensified version of the hysteria following near-misses Perhaps this argument can be solved by the first-hand experience of both PTSD and shell shock When asked what the difference was between both conditions a young veteran from the Iraq war replied I experienced an abrupt highly jarring event during my first tour of combat in Iraq that caused me thereafter for a couple of years to react bracingly to the sound of low flying aircraft This reaction to me was shell shock During the second tour I have exposed to prolonged combat a constant sense of hopelessness and an environment characterized by above-average friendly casualties 

Although I failed to admit to its occurrence initially my reaction upon return from this tour was and perhaps continues to be something I consider more akin to post traumatic stress For a few years for example I dove fairly heavily into alcohol consumption Methods less detrimental to my health such as writing and reading have replaced alcohol presently However the cause for all of these activities is the same a desire for mental escape which I relate to a prolonged state of reaction to my probable post traumatic stress My belief in this scenario is that PTSD is just an umbrella used to term most outcomes of traumatizing experiences When I learned of the reasoning for this mans abnormal behavior I felt terrible I have never been one for war In fact I hate it I m aware it s unavoidable but it s disappointing to know of the vile nature of the human that leads to war and trauma Lives are lost and those who make it through the war have to live with a most miserable memory which can sometimes affect their lives outside of war