shell-shocked
Dazed from combat
Shell-shocked originally described soldiers suffering psychological trauma from combat—the term emerged from World War I, when artillery bombardment left men dazed, trembling, and mentally shattered.
The condition is now called PTSD.
In casual use, shell-shocked means stunned or overwhelmed by a difficult experience: She looked shell-shocked after the interview.
Chronic reaction to horrific events
- flashbacksInvoluntary vivid memory episodes
- nightmaresTerrifying sleep experiences
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
- dissociationMental separation from surroundings
emotional numbness · intrusive thoughts · panic attacks · startle response · triggers · anxiety · depression · survivor's guilt
Shocked into mental fog
- dumbfoundedRendered speechless by surprise
- stupefiedOverwhelmed into mental blankness
- bewilderedThoroughly puzzled and confused
- disorientedLacking sense of direction
speechless · thunderstruck · shaken · reeling · floored · staggered · rattled · jarred
Elongated ground excavations
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
- bombardmentSustained projectile assault
- barrageSustained, overwhelming attack
- battlefieldCombat engagement area
frontline · no-man's-land · explosions · mortar · foxhole · bunker · infantry · grenades
Curative mental treatment
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- healingRestoration of health
- support groupsGatherings for shared struggles
veteran services · reintegration · coping · resilience · treatment · medication · psychiatric care · adjustment
PTSD
Chronic reaction to horrific events
- flashbacksInvoluntary vivid memory episodes
- nightmaresTerrifying sleep experiences
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
dissociation · emotional numbness · intrusive thoughts · panic attacks · startle response · triggers · anxiety · depression · survivor's guilt · avoidance
dazed
Shocked into mental fog
- dumbfoundedRendered speechless by surprise
- stupefiedOverwhelmed into mental blankness
- bewilderedThoroughly puzzled and confused
disoriented · speechless · thunderstruck · shaken · reeling · floored · staggered · rattled · jarred · jolted
trenches
Elongated ground excavations
- artilleryLarge-caliber battlefield weapons
- bombardmentSustained projectile assault
- barrageSustained, overwhelming attack
battlefield · frontline · no-man's-land · explosions · mortar · foxhole · bunker · infantry · grenades · warfare
therapy
Curative mental treatment
- counselingProfessional guidance for problems
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- healingRestoration of health
support groups · veteran services · reintegration · coping · resilience · treatment · medication · psychiatric care · adjustment · stabilization
- astonishmentamazement, awe, wonder, wonderstruck, awestruck
- shock reactionsgasp, wide eyes, jaw drop, shocked face, open mouth
- dazed statesdazed, stunned, foggy, groggy, confused
- stillnessstillness, motionless, motionlessness, immobility, unmoving
shell-shockedcomposed
Calm and self-possessed
clearheaded · collected · unruffled · unfazed · unshaken
shell-shockedcarefree
Free from anxiety
lighthearted · unburdened · unconcerned · happy-go-lucky · untroubled