Are the Stories from the Holocaust Survivors with PTSD Reliable as Historical Sources?

This investigation will answer the question To what extent are the stories from the Holocaust survivors with PTSD reliable as historical sources?

This question is important because there are still holocaust survivors alive today, and their stories are arguably the ones that teach us he most about the Holocaust, since they are primary sources of the event. The survivors dealt with a lot of physical and emotional trauma while in the camps, so it would be easy for them to procure PTSD. The mental illness PTSD can make it harder for the survivors to talk about certain events, because it could increase the symptoms of the illness. With this research investigation, it is possible to analyze whether the stories from the Holocaust survivors are holding back any truth that may have happened during the Holocaust that was too painful for them to talk about.

This investigation will compare the accounts of Holocaust survivors written after they were released from the camps, mostly in 1945, to accounts written many years after the events they experienced. This investigation will include finding primary sources from survivors and analyzing the stories they have recounted, and with some articles from psychologists who have heard stories from survivors with PTSD. Any discrepancies will be analyzed with consideration of the historical records taken.

IA Section B

To what extent are the stories from the Holocaust survivors with PTSD reliable as historical sources?

Effects of PTSD

Survivors of the Holocaust are very often diagnosed with PTSD, so it is important to know what it is. PTSD can be caused by death/serious illness of a loved one, war/combat, violent crimes and many other things. You do not have to be physically injured to get PTSD. (N...

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...hat extent are the stories from the Holocaust survivors with PTSD reliable as historical sources?

In conclusion, the sources in this investigation show to a great extent that the stories from the Holocaust survivors with PTSD are reliable. Evidence gathered shows that certain stories have not been shared by the survivors, and therefore historians may never know exactly what occurred during the Holocaust, but they show enough reliability to add to the record. It is clear that while it might be helpful to know what is hard for survivors to talk about, historians are pleased with the amount of stories we have gotten because of their stories. While all the information might not be present, and that affects what we know about the Holocaust, it should not disturb the historical record, and therefore makes any and all stories from survivors suffering from PTSD reliable.