English Civil Wars Veteran describing Trauma

[Leman]

Don't really know how you change or improve what seems like normal to most people in the UK (including me when I lived there). Now I have lived outside the UK for the longest time ever in my life I'm beginning to understand why many Europeans see it as a peculiar place. Not sure how you give 65million people that opportunity.

[mmcv]

Don't really know how you change or improve what seems like normal to most people in the UK (including me when I lived there). Now I have lived outside the UK for the longest time ever in my life I'm beginning to understand why many Europeans see it as a peculiar place. Not sure how you give 65million people that opportunity.

I'd say there's a generational thing to it. Each successive generation becoming more open to these things than the previous, accelerated somewhat by an increased globalised society through internet connectivity and online interaction in the modern era. Younger generations tend to be more progressive than older ones. Naturally as the younger generations become older they tend to become more conservative themselves, but because they're starting from a point of further progression will rarely be as conservative as their parents.

Forty years ago gay men were actively targeted by the police in my region (likely one of the least progressive in the UK if not much of Europe) and faced constant threat of arrest, harassment and violence. Now they can get married and live a perfectly normal life and certainly among younger generations most wouldn't even bat an eyelid at someone being gay. I can easily see the shifting attitude from my grandparents, my parents, my own and younger generations. That happened in half a human lifespan. Yes there's still plenty of unpleasant or closed minded people about, but as a society we've accepted and normalised something that was considered criminal not that long ago.

I think we're seeing something similar with mental health. There's been increasing focus on it across the board, media campaigns, raised awareness from everywhere, even more so as the concerns about the mental health impact from the pandemic and lockdowns become apparent. Yes there will be those reluctant to accept change and hang onto old stereotypes, but younger people are generally more open to change and internalise and normalise it so when they become older and more conservative it's a new normal base from which the next generation can progress from.

And once the genie is out of the bottle, it's harder to put back in. It would take a fairly radical shift to "regress" this we now take or are beginning to take for granted. That's not too say all "progressive" ideas are good and all "conservative" ideas are bad, not at all, more that there's a natural balance that grows from the interplay of the two that helps strengthen a society with new norms.

[Maenoferren]

That is quite profound.

[paulr]

Parliamentarian Major George Wither.

He served in the Bishops War in 1639 as a cavalry Captain. When the Civil War began he raised his own cavalry troop, but it wasn't long before his house was plundered and he was captured by Royalists.

Later in the war he served at Gloucester in 1643 and Naseby in 1645.

Post war, he was an avid political and religious pamphleteer, but was often in trouble because of it. With the Restoration, he was imprisoned for three years and died in 1667.

Thanks Srpz2116

An interesting and thoughtful discussion, thanks Gents

[DecemDave]

Great find which has obviously triggered some thoughts of the reality behind our little armies. 
Just to add my tuppence worth since I have seen accidents and resulting dead bodies and not been permanently damaged, part of the trauma must come from having known, liked or loved the victim. A particular problem in civil wars since your friends, neighbours or even family members could be on the opposite side.

[steve_holmes_11]

It's a fascinating discussion, and a tribute to this particular forum and its contributors that such depth can be explored.

I've little to add to the fine contributions above.
I'll just note that the Israelis were (about a decade ago) considered world leaders in PTSD diagnosis and its treatment.
This was likely inevitable; a nation with a lot of smarter than the average people, and one that's permanently under arms.

Those who are really interested can find academic papers through their favourite search engine.

[FierceKitty]

So you think you know from trauma? Your uncle Mordecai, now, he was up and ready to go for them again twenty minutes after they took his arm off, without anaesthesia already. But young men today, do they listen to their mothers, who know best? Oy vay....