Malingering Soldiers?

When the World War I broke out in 1914, the psychological effects of war were still deeply misunderstood.

Soldiers who suffered from trauma were often wrongly dismissed as malingerers (see definition and hear pronunciation below) who lacked courage and patriotism.

However, some conditions that affected soldiers were starting to be recognized and treated. One was known as “shell shock,” a type of mental injury then believed to result from repeated exposure to explosives on the battlefield.

Gradually, the idea of combat fatigue and stress became more widely acknowledged.

Today, soldiers who experience lasting psychological scars are said to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that is officially recognized and treated.

Cool word vocabulary question of the day: We’ve come a long way since the days when soldiers with trauma were thought to be malingering. But do you think there are still improvements that can be made in the way that veterans are treated?

Malinger: To exaggerate or feign illness in order to avoid duty or work.

Click to hear the pronunciation of malinger:

https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/malinger.mp3