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Ptsd In All Quiet On The Western Front

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The Echoes of a Traumatic Event So many people are affected by PTSD and don’t realize it. I went through a traumatic event where I was burnt by the ashes of fireworks and am now deathly afraid of them. I did not fight through the war or gotten kidnapped, but everyone can be affected by an event and have an equal chance of getting this disorder. PTSD has many unpleasant side effects, but most of the side effects can be treated with different steps. In the book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, Paul and his comrades experienced events that could leave them with this life changing disorder. PTSD is a very emotionally disturbing disorder that can affect any body and their family. PTSD ( post traumatic stress disorder) …show more content…

In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul and his comrades experience many traumatic events like death, pain, and combat that could very well leave them with PTSD. At the very beginning, Paul already has to watch his close friend Kemmerich pass away without being able to help. This would leave anyone scared and with serious anxiety to ever be put in a situation where they can’t assist in anything (Remarque 23). The readers then see PTSD take place in the story again when Paul says, “An explosion sounds somewhere. We wince, our eyes become tense, our hands are ready to vault over the side of the lorry into the ditch by the road.” Their reactions of wincing and becoming tense even though they know it’s distant shows great side effects of the disorder. Then in chapter ten, Albert has his leg amputated and Paul states, “They have taken him and amputated his leg. The whole leg has been taken off from the thigh. Now he will hardly speak anymore. Once he says he will shoot himself the first time he can get a hold of his revolver.” (Remarque 213). Albert is going through one of the side effects of PTSD, which is depression, from the traumatic event that has just taken place and doesn’t want to have to live life with this experience. After seeing many explosions and his friends die, Paul states “the war has ruined everything for us” (Remarque 81). They will never be able to live a normal life without feeling on edge or threatened by everyday things from

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