Shell shock

Shell shock
The World War I name for what is known today as post-traumatic stress, this is a psychological disorder that develops in some individuals who have had major traumatic experiences (and, for example, have been in a serious accident or through a war). The person is typically numb at first but later has symptoms including depression, excessive irritability, guilt (for having survived while others died), recurrent nightmares, flashbacks to the traumatic scene, and overreactions to sudden noises. Post-traumatic stress became known as such in the 70s due to the adjustment problems of some Vietnam veterans.

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shell shock n combat fatigue

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former term for combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder; now used colloquially.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • shell shock — shell′ shock n. psi mil battle fatigue • Etymology: 1915–20 shell′ shocked , adj …   From formal English to slang

  • shell shock — n. former term for COMBAT FATIGUE shellshocked [shel′shäkt΄] adj. * * * …   Universalium

  • shell shock — n [U] old fashioned a type of mental illness caused by the terrible experiences of fighting in a war or battle …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shell shock — shell ,shock noun uncount a mental illness that affects soldiers who have fought in a war and makes them extremely nervous or confused …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • shell shock — ► NOUN ▪ psychological disturbance caused by prolonged exposure to active warfare …   English terms dictionary

  • shell shock — n. former term for COMBAT FATIGUE shellshocked [shel′shäkt΄] adj …   English World dictionary

  • shell shock — noun a mental disorder caused by stress of active warfare • Syn: ↑battle fatigue, ↑combat fatigue, ↑combat neurosis • Hypernyms: ↑posttraumatic stress disorder, ↑PTSD * * * noun : any of numerous psychoneurot …   Useful english dictionary

  • Shell Shock — Infobox Film name = Shell Shock image size = caption = director = John Hayes producer = writer = narrator = starring = music = cinematography = editing = distributor = released = 1964 runtime = 84 min. country = U.S.A. language = English budget …   Wikipedia

  • shell shock — also shell shock N UNCOUNT Shell shock is the confused or nervous mental condition of people who have been under fire in a war. The men were suffering from shell shock …   English dictionary

  • shell shock — /ˈʃɛl ʃɒk/ (say shel shok) noun a range of nervous or mental disorders, characterised by a loss of self command, or of memory, speech, sight, etc., brought on by the cumulative strain of war and associated primarily with World War I. {initially… …  

  • shell-shock — ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ transitive verb Etymology: shell shock : to affect with shell shock were gassed and wounded and shell shocked …   Useful english dictionary

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