It can affect people of any age, culture or gender.

 

It is well-documented and observed, in other expressions, within the most famous literary accounts known to man, with classics such as Homer (The Iliad), William Shakespeare (Henry IV), and Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities) all offering some facet or aspect of the condition. 

 

Although we have started to hear a lot more about it in recent years, the condition has been known to exist at least since the times of ancient Greece and has been called by many different names. In the American Civil War, it was referred to as "soldier's heart;" in the First World War, it was called "shell shock" and in the Second World War, it was known as "war neurosis." Many soldiers were labeled as having "combat fatigue" when experiencing symptoms associated with PTSD during combat. In the Vietnam War, this became known as a "combat stress reaction."

 

Some of these people continued on to develop what became academically known, in 1980, as post-traumatic stress disorder. Traumatic stress can be seen as part of a normal human response to intense experiences. In the majority of people, the symptoms reduce or disappear over the first few months, particularly with the help of caring family members and friends. In a significant minority, however, the symptoms do not seem to resolve quickly and, in some cases, may continue to cause problems for the rest of the person's life. It is also common for symptoms to vary in intensity over time. Some people go for long periods without any significant problems, only to relapse when they have to deal with other major life stress. In rare cases, the symptoms may not appear for months, or even years, after the trauma.  

 

Exposure to military combat is in essence, life-threatening and traumatizing beyond comprehension. This campaign is dedicated to raising awareness toward the men and women across trenches, battlements, and breaches, who may or may not have returned from the field of battle as an echo of who they once were before.

 

In the words of Shakespeare, "He is come to open. The purple testament of bleeding war."