“Today’s definition of PTSD is more inclusive than ever” (Blakemore) however it has not always been this way. Most have heard of the term post-traumatic stress disorder. However, it was known as coward’s disease or shellshock after the effects of World War I and World War II. To get the diagnosis society had to face predetermined gender roles and stereotypes. Women were seen as weak and were often told they were overreacting and men were broken for facing these issues and were told to man up and just be brave. Even treatments showed how society’s Gender expectations affect day-to-day life. Men were disciplined and women were told to rest. delayed diagnosis of PTSD rooted in sexism. World War 2 illuminated the gender expectations of society …show more content…
Years before World War I or II women reported symptoms of what we now know as PTSD and were brushed off as hysteric based on gender. People viewed women as weak and aligned their issues with feminine weakness (McDonald). When World War I arose, it challenged a common predisposition that psychological health was determined by character, masculinity, and moral strength (Blakemore). Men were expected to be manly, brave, heroes, and protective. So when they started having issues that weren’t physical injuries, but psychological wounds people were concerned and thought the men were becoming weak like women and they tried to discipline them out of PTSD. Women were brushed off and told they were weak. When World War I came around and men started to experience the same symptoms doctors started to recognize that it was a serious issue and not just female weakness. They finally had a diagnosis for soldiers, “Post-Vietnam syndrome.” Vietnam veterans had been returning home for years, and many were riddled with emotional numbness, flashbacks, and rage. Many experienced delayed symptoms, due to suppression of their issues. Many veterans also had trouble accessing treatment. Even