Ptsd In The Book Night

After the very traumatic events that the Holocaust survivors experienced, many started to feel guilty because they survived and so many millions died. This long-lasting feeling of guilt is called Holocaust Syndrome. Holocaust Syndrome is also very similar to PTSD with its effects on the person. Holocaust Syndrome, better known as survivor’s guilt, is a common, long-lasting psychological illness that comes after experiencing a traumatic event. Holocaust Syndrome is caused by one experiencing a very traumatic event, usually involving death. The book Night from Ellie Wiesel describes the many traumatic events that he witnessed during his time in German concentration camps. One of the traumatic events that Elie Wiesel went through was the Nazi death marches, “He lowered his pants and

Here Wiesel describes one of the numerous deaths he witnessed during the 12-mile death march to another concentration camp. He watched his friend fall behind in the march and be trampled to death. Another common traumatic event that many Holocaust survivors went through was the cattle cars that they were transported in, “We remained lying on the floor for days and nights, one on top of the other, never uttering a word. We were nothing but frozen bodies. Our eyes closed, we merely waited for the next stop, to unload our dead” (Wiesel 100). Jews were forced into cattle cars, 80+ in each car, and the cars were way too small to fit everyone. They traveled for 10 days in the roofless cars, through the snow, slowly the Jews inside started to freeze to death while the others were tasked to throw the dead off the train. Ellie Wiesel was also troubled with losing his dad during his time in the concentration camp, “The officer came closer and shouted at him to be silent. But my father did not hear. He continued to call me. The officer wielded his club and dealt him a violent blow to the head” (Wiesel