Psychological Methods of the Treatment of Combat Stress Based on Modern Armed Struggles

Abstract

The influence of war on men has been already noticed in ancient times. Ancient sources describe some aspects of war which the key of victory can be.  One of them emphasizes that knowing the human aspect of war, including the emotional reactions on combat like fear, makes the outcome of war more predictable. Although the phenomenon of fear associated with armed struggles can be encountered at all era, defining the concept of combat stress, stress responses, and research into treatment have been awaited until the 20th century. In the following, some main historical examples will be reviewed that have played a key role in the development of combat stress research since the second half of the 19th century. Through the examples, changes in the assessment and treatment of combat stress are also presented. The effects of this phenomenon are reviewed, suggesting a separation between ASR, ASD and PTSD. Connecting to the three mentioned group of combat stress reactions, the main differences in the treatment are also introduced.