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PTSD In All Quiet On The Western Front

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PTSD is a condition that affects soldiers and others who experience traumatic events during their lives. In All Quiet On The Western Front many of the characters, including Paul, experience PTSD. All Quiet on The Western Front takes place during the events of World War One when PTSD was called shell shock. The condition was often dismissed as cowardice, and soldiers even after experiencing many traumatizing events, were forced to fight and go back to the front line. PTSD now and in World War One are the same condition, and were often caused by chaotic and modernized warfare. PTSD is still affecting soldiers today, but there is much higher awareness. Now, there are many treatments for PTSD due to better technologies and higher awareness. Shell …show more content…

World War One was the first war to use lots of technology in warfare. Since many of these technologies were new, they were often used in excess. Trenches could be shelled for many days, which caused trauma for many of those who fought in the war. This is mentioned in All Quiet On The Western Front. One of the best descriptions of this is when Paul is in the trenches which are under attack, “They say the bombardment extends undiminished as far as the artillery lines. It is a mystery where the enemy gets all of his shells. We wait and wait. By midday what I expected happens. One of the recruits has a fit. I have been watching him for a long time, grinding his teeth and opening and shutting his fists” (Remarque 109). The excess use of new technologies and prolonged shelling often caused soldiers to experience trauma and anxiety which both lead to PTSD. Soldiers also greatly feared these new technologies. When Paul is in the trenches under shell fire, he describes how the soldiers feel about the new war technologies, “Bombardment, barrage, curtain fire, mines, gas, tanks, machine guns, hand grenades, words, words, but they hold the horror of the world” (Remarque 132). Many of these new technologies were feared by the soldiers and made them more liable to PTSD due to the constant use of them and the amount of people who died as a result. Explosives and other newer technologies that make battlefields more chaotic are also a large contributor to PTSD now, “Terrorist strikes, urban warfare, numerous and more protracted combat operations and the pervasive hazard from roadside bombs are some of the distinctive characteristics of the OEF and OIF conflicts, which put particular stress on surviving military service members” (Kinney). Warfare now and in World War One are more chaotic and modernized which led to many people being affected with PTSD during World War One and the modern

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As a result of these horrors, those involved often were afflicted by “shell shock,” “battle fatigue,” or, as it is known today, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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For instance, war veterans sometimes cannot view fireworks as it induces fear in them due to the sound of the explosions seeming like gun shots. In Slaughterhouse-Five, author Kurt Vonnegut, a former soldier in World War II, explores the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder by identifying the underlying causes, highlighting the impacts and symptoms of PTSD, and evaluating coping mechanisms. During a time period where post-traumatic stress disorder was still incredibly controversial, Vonnegut utilized the character of Billy Pilgrim to identify the causes of PTSD. The mental disorder can have many causes as explained in the article “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” in which the National Institute of Mental Health states, “Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event.

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Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.

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Human suffering is a major topic in both “All Quiet on the Western Front” and in “Civilization and its Discontents”. Sigmund Freud discuses and presents his theory’s on how people and society work and think while Maria Remarque describes the Life of a German solider in World War One. Freud underlines the reasons why humans suffer and Remarque describes a story where these aspect of suffering are present. Suffering is part of everyone’s lives and is present in society for several of reasons. People, their own body’s and the world around them causes suffering.

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Those who had mental illnesses were placed in institutions that were essentially like jails, and those patients were mistreated heavily, confined in small spaces, and were receiving harsh methods of treatment. The first account of the term PTSD being used is in 1980; one hundred and fifteen years after the Civil War. The Civil War was essentially the reason that mental health- especially in soldiers coming home from war- was finally being researched. Until PTSD was given its name in 1980, it was called shell shock- referring to the reaction to the explosion of artillery shells-, war neuroses, combat stress reaction, and battle fatigue ("History of Mental Health"). Overall, mental health was not thoroughly researched until post Civil War when soldiers that came home showed -what will be known as PTSD-

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"Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and uniforms you could be my brother just like Kat and Albert (Remarque 223)". Comradeship among soldiers is a major theme throughout the novel, "All Quiet on the Western Front" because the soldiers knew each other before the war, protected each other during combat, and can relate to one another without having to literally speak. This story 's theme shows comradeship because Paul and the other soldiers were in class together before joining the war. In the beginning of the novel Paul introduces his friends he went to school with before going to war with. "

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The Effects of Shell Shock Soldiers who had bayoneted men in the face had developed twitches of their own face muscles. Stomach pains conquered men who stabbed their enemies in the abdomen. Snipers lost eye sight. Terrifying nightmares of being unable to take out bayonets from the enemies' bodies stayed with them long after the killing. Shell shock is a serious disorder and WW1 cases such as these caused a giant step into the study of psychology.

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It may come and go over the years too. The significant impact of PTSD on the lives of veterans afflicted gives doctors a greater understanding of this illness. With knowledge about PTSD, returning veterans can seek the early diagnosis and treatment they need, giving them a chance to recover. Many veterans have spoken and stressed that the PTSD will never go away, even with treatment, group therapy, counseling, or medication. Awareness and understanding can also help and support the families.

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