Shell Shock Quotes

“In World War One, they called it shell shock. Second time around, they called it battle fatigue. After 'Nam, it was post-traumatic stress disorder.”
― Jan Karon, Home to Holly Springs

“It was difficult to find information because Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was called shell shock during W.W.II, and when Vietnam Vets were found to suffer from the same symptoms after exposure to traumatic war scenes, a study was embarked upon that ended with the new, more appropriate name in 1980. Thomas was diagnosed with P.T.S.D. shortly afterwards, before the term P.T.S.D. was common.”
― Sara Niles

“And I knew then that there would be no telling me what he saw. I understand somehow that certain images, certain sounds, could not be shared and could not be lost.”
― Kate Morton, The House at Riverton

“Now and again there occur alterations of the 'emotional' and the 'apparently normal' personalities, the return of the former often heralded by severe headache, dizziness or by a hysterical convulsion. On its return, the 'apparently normal' personality may recall, as in a dream, the distressing experiences revived during the temporary intrusion of the 'emotional' personality.”
― Charles S. Myers, Shell Shock in France, 1914-1918: Based on a War Diary

“Don't you just love the army? They take a fellow who's been turned into a catatonic mute by being shelled from here to Christmas and say he's not yet been properly diagnosed but he seems a bit nervous.”
― Ben Elton, The First Casualty

“But he was mesmerised by the necessity of completing his task. The mizzen stay parted under his axe; he saw another rope draw up taut, and cut that as well — the pattern of the seams of the deck planking at that point caught his notice — felt another severed and flick past him, and then knew that the Lydia was free from the wreckage. Almost at his feet lay young Clay, sprawled upon the deck, but Clay had no head. He noted that as an interesting phenomenon, like the pattern of the deck seams.”
― C.S. Forester, Beat to Quarters

“The troops were cracking because they could not absorb what was happening to them, because they knew themselves to be utterly powerless (bravery had little survival value when one was on the receiving end of a bombardment), and because they had no confidence that the generals who had put them in danger knew what they were doing. Men whose courage was beyond challenge could and did break down if subjected to enough strain of this kind.”
― G.J. Meyer, A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 to 1918

“The military needs an ample supply of gullible people.”
― Steven Magee

“The brains of war veterans often have weird damage that the brains of healthy people do not.”
― Steven Magee

“I will never understand war veterans, as they love putting up flags to honor the government that damaged their long-term health!”
― Steven Magee

“Given the police follows military standards of conduct, it is reasonable to think their long-term health issues will be similar to war veterans.”
― Steven Magee