shell-shock
Wartime mental wound
Shell-shock is psychological trauma caused by combat, especially the prolonged bombardment experienced in World War I trench warfare.
The term is now largely replaced by "post-traumatic stress disorder" in clinical contexts, but remains vivid for describing someone stunned or disoriented by overwhelming events: He walked out of the meeting looking shell-shocked.
Involuntary vivid memory episodes
- nightmaresTerrifying sleep experiences
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
intrusive thoughts · avoidance · emotional numbness · panic attacks · survivor's guilt · triggers · startle response · irritability
Slight shaking movements
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- mutismAbsence of speech
- stammeringInvoluntary speech repetition
- nightmaresTerrifying sleep experiences
thousand-yard stare · jumpiness · insomnia · amnesia · confusion · fatigue · exhaustion · nervous breakdown
Psychological trauma from warfare
- combat stressWarfare-induced psychological trauma
- neurastheniaWeakness from depleted nerves
- WWIFirst global conflict
- trenchesElongated ground excavations
Siegfried Sassoon · Wilfred Owen · war trauma · malingering · invalided · convalescence · asylum · breakdown
Shocked into speechlessness
- dazedShocked into mental fog
- overwhelmedDefeated by sheer volume
- reelingUnsteady from shock
- shakenDisturbed or agitated
rattled · traumatized · bewildered · disoriented · numb · paralyzed · stupefied · thunderstruck
flashbacks
Involuntary vivid memory episodes
- nightmaresTerrifying sleep experiences
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
dissociation · intrusive thoughts · avoidance · emotional numbness · panic attacks · survivor's guilt · triggers · startle response · irritability · depression
tremors
Slight shaking movements
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
- mutismAbsence of speech
- stammeringInvoluntary speech repetition
nightmares · thousand-yard stare · jumpiness · insomnia · amnesia · confusion · fatigue · exhaustion · nervous breakdown · hysteria
battle fatigue
Psychological trauma from warfare
- combat stressWarfare-induced psychological trauma
- neurastheniaWeakness from depleted nerves
- WWIFirst global conflict
trenches · Siegfried Sassoon · Wilfred Owen · war trauma · malingering · invalided · convalescence · asylum · breakdown
stunned
Shocked into speechlessness
- dazedShocked into mental fog
- overwhelmedDefeated by sheer volume
- reelingUnsteady from shock
shaken · rattled · traumatized · bewildered · disoriented · numb · paralyzed · stupefied · thunderstruck · blindsided
shell-shockpeace of mind
State without anxiety
tranquility · serenity · equanimity · inner peace · mental health
shell-shockresilience
Capacity to recover quickly
mental toughness · fortitude · unflappability · battle-hardened · stress resistance
shell-shockresilience
Capacity to recover quickly
post-traumatic growth · hardiness · mental toughness · psychological resilience · invulnerability
shell, shock, shield, shelter, shocking, eggshell, shellfish, seashell, shelled