The outbreak of World War I brought advanced weaponry into the fray as powerful countries jostled to outdo each other and stake a claim to being the greatest country of the 20th century. At the end of it all, many were left with no homes and most countries agreed that the war did more harm than good. One of the after-effects of this war was a strange condition no one had ever seen before – shell-shock.
Shell-shock, now commonly known as PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, was the reaction of some WWI soldiers to the trauma of battle. These soldiers appeared helpless in the face of constant battle and bombardment, often displayed as panic and inability to reason, sleep, walk, or even talk.
While there are treatments to handle and manage shell-shock in the 21st century, 1918 didn’t have effective, or even safe, treatment, as this phenomenon was strange, poorly-defined, and virtually unknown. As such, treatments were often harsh and ineffective.
These harsh and ineffective treatments came to an end when United Kingdom’s Dr. Arthur Hurst developed an alternative treatment involving a combination of hypnosis, persuasion, massage therapy, and dietary changes. Instead of punishing those suffering from shell-shock, Dr. Hurst’s treatments were administered and the results were astounding, as shown in the video below.
The works of Dr. Arthur Hurst has also paved the way for more improvements in the treatment and management of shell-shock victims.
Most importantly, these veterans can rest assured knowing that they won’t be subjected to inhuman practices by medical doctors that once kept them from finding needed relief.
Featured image screengrab via YouTube
