Shell Shock
Shell shock is a disease caused by the trauma of battle. Its symptoms are, panic attacks and an inability to reason, sleep, talk or walk. By the end of World War 1, the British army reported dealing with 80 000 cases of shell shock, including that of famous war poet Siegfried Sassoon. In his poem, ‘Survivors’ he uses irony to describe not only the suffering of shell shock but also the lack of understanding about this disease. ‘No doubt they’ll soon get well; the shock and strain have caused their stammering, disconnected talk.’
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