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| Post-traumatic stress 'evident in 1300BC' | Post-traumatic stress 'evident in 1300BC' |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder can be traced back to 1300BC - much earlier than previously thought - say researchers. | Evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder can be traced back to 1300BC - much earlier than previously thought - say researchers. |
| The team at Anglia Ruskin University analysed translations from ancient Iraq or Mesopotamia. | The team at Anglia Ruskin University analysed translations from ancient Iraq or Mesopotamia. |
| Accounts of soldiers being visited by "ghosts they faced in battle" fitted with a modern diagnosis of PTSD. | Accounts of soldiers being visited by "ghosts they faced in battle" fitted with a modern diagnosis of PTSD. |
| The condition was likely to be as old as human civilisation, the researchers concluded. | The condition was likely to be as old as human civilisation, the researchers concluded. |
| Prof Jamie Hacker Hughes, a former consultant clinical psychologist for the Ministry of Defence, said the first description of PTSD was often accredited to the Greek historian Herodotus. | Prof Jamie Hacker Hughes, a former consultant clinical psychologist for the Ministry of Defence, said the first description of PTSD was often accredited to the Greek historian Herodotus. |
| Referring to the warrior Epizelus during the battle of Marathon in 490BC he wrote: "He suddenly lost sight of both eyes, though nothing had touched him." | Referring to the warrior Epizelus during the battle of Marathon in 490BC he wrote: "He suddenly lost sight of both eyes, though nothing had touched him." |
| But Prof Hughes' report - titled Nothing New Under the Sun - argues there are references in the Assyrian Dynasty in Mesopotamia between 1300BC and 609BC. | But Prof Hughes' report - titled Nothing New Under the Sun - argues there are references in the Assyrian Dynasty in Mesopotamia between 1300BC and 609BC. |
| Ghosts | Ghosts |
| In that era men spent a year being toughened up by building roads, bridges and other projects, before spending a year at war and then returning to their families for a year before starting the cycle again. | In that era men spent a year being toughened up by building roads, bridges and other projects, before spending a year at war and then returning to their families for a year before starting the cycle again. |
| Potential triggers for post-traumatic stress disorder | |
| How is PTSD diagnosed? | |
| Prof Hughes told the BBC News website: "The sorts of symptoms after battle were very clearly what we would call now post-traumatic stress symptoms. | Prof Hughes told the BBC News website: "The sorts of symptoms after battle were very clearly what we would call now post-traumatic stress symptoms. |
| "They described hearing and seeing ghosts talking to them, who would be the ghosts of people they'd killed in battle - and that's exactly the experience of modern-day soldiers who've been involved in close hand-to-hand combat." | "They described hearing and seeing ghosts talking to them, who would be the ghosts of people they'd killed in battle - and that's exactly the experience of modern-day soldiers who've been involved in close hand-to-hand combat." |
| A diagnosis and understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder emerged after the Vietnam War. It was dismissed as shell shock in World War One. | A diagnosis and understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder emerged after the Vietnam War. It was dismissed as shell shock in World War One. |
| Prof Hughes said: "As long as there has been civilisation and as long as there has been warfare, there has been post-traumatic symptoms. It's not a 21st Century thing." | Prof Hughes said: "As long as there has been civilisation and as long as there has been warfare, there has been post-traumatic symptoms. It's not a 21st Century thing." |