As early as 440 B.C., the first case of chronic mental symptoms caused by sudden fright in the battlefield is reported. Found in the account of the Battle of Marathon by Herodotus, it involves a brave man suddenly stricken blind after witnessing the death of the man at his side. [1] In modern warfare, the mental toll of the aftermath of war has had many labels, ranging from World War I (“shell shock”); World War II and Korea (“combat fatigue” or “war neurosis”); to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan [(post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)].
