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Shell shock is an epidemic that affects men during wartime and the treatment of shell shock victims varies widely; ranging from the use of disciplinary approach or practices up to the use of technological advancements such as the electro-shock treatment.
Shell Shock refers to the psychological trauma caused by war to men. This started during the First World War due to the intense battles during wartime that caused neurotic disorders in mentally stable soldiers and officials. There are various symptoms for shell shock and this includes panic attacks, physical, and mental paralysis.
It was believed at first that shell shock is caused by the shell blasts or from a chemical poisoning, but it was not the case.
Shellshock started as an epidemic that affects soldiers and officers during the First World War and leads to a high level of mental breakdown. There are various symptoms of being shellshock ranging from mutism, contracture of limbs, and paralysis for soldiers up to insomnia, nightmares and depression for high ranking officers.
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In 1916, over 40% of the war personnel were shellshock victims and 80,000 cases of shellshock patients had been recorded in the medical facilities of the British Army at the end of war.
In the novel Regeneration, the idea of being shell-shocked was first mentioned in the scene where Dr. Rivers, an army psychiatrist, is mentioned. In that scene, he is reading Sassoon’s view about war that eventually leads to his labeling as shell-shocked. Being against in the declaration of war, Sassoon’s credibility was weakened by this shell-shocked labeling.
From this scenario, we can see that during wartime, it is considered that the idea about the discontinuation of war is considered madness, and this madness is highly associated with being shell-shocked. We can say that is highly dictated by the society that in wartimes, no one is allowed to have a second thought about following orders, else the concept of madness will be given and this will be attributed to being shell-shocked.
There are various treatments available for the cure of shell shock and among them; disciplinary treatment is the most common. In this type of treatment, the main escape from being shell-shocked is to keep the victims on fighting. This method reflects the harsh moral views of the doctors that are associated in this treatment.
This type of treatment of shell-shocked victims is clearly seen from Regeneration. From the novel, most of the characters are trying to treat their symptoms of being shell-shocked by going back to war, but instead, this only worsens their condition. This way of treatment is also questioned by Rivers, whether sending back of the soldiers back to war is the right way to treat the madness brought about by being shell-shocked. In the first place, he also question whether the backing down of soldiers during wartime is really madness as compared to blindly following orders.
From the given scenario, we can say that the treatment to being shell-shocked through going back to war is ineffective. For this case, treatment through “immunity”, which is getting used to a particular event, will not work. This can be attributed not only to the mental and physical damage caused to a person, but also due to the emotional damage that being shell-shocked can bring.
In general, treatment for shell shock can be classified either into the disciplinary or analytical orientation. Disciplinary treatment can lead to the therapy being a battle for the patient itself as this can also cause conflict between one’s duty and private intentions. For this approach, the methods used were those that will affect the behavior of the patient such as the use of isolation, restricted diet, and electric shocks. Using these methods, the psychological explanations for symptoms are not considered by the therapists that are conducting the treatment and the deciding factor is the faith in the doctors of the patient, that the approach that they are using is effective in the treatment of shell shock. (Howorth, 2000)
Specifically, the treatment of shell shock includes the infliction of pain, in particular is the electric shock treatment. In this method, an electric current is being passed to different parts of the body in order to relieve the patient with the symptoms of shellshock. Example of this includes electric treatment of the pharynx for the symptom of mutism and application of electric current to the spinal cord in the case of paralysis. (www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk., 2007)
This electric shock treatment of shell shock is clearly seen from Regeneration. From the Novel, the use of electro-shock therapy was shown by the treatment of Dr. Yealland in order to allow the fast recovery of patients that are suffering from shell-shocked. Even though he is using this method, it was stated that some of the patients do not actually like to be cured.
From that scene in the novel, we can say that the treatment of shell shock varies greatly in terms of the “ethics” involved in it. The use of electric current for the treatment of patients is of moral controversy and yet it is still being practiced today in hope of the relief of shell-shocked patients. This tells us that the medical aspect of treatment during wartime is a primary concern for the military, even though human life and ethics are of concern.
In conclusion, this paper has presented the issue of shell shock that is experienced by men during wartime as depicted in the novel Regeneration. It also tackles some of the major treatments that are being practiced in the relief of the patients that are suffering from shell shock.
The Treatment of Shell Shock Victims. (2017, Mar 29). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-treatment-of-shell-shock-victims-essay
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