During war time nostalgia was considered a serious, sometimes fatal, medical condition that included symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, and heart palpitations, and was often treated by returning the soldier home.

While today nostalgia is seen as a benign longing for the past, in the 17th to 19th centuries, it was viewed as a mental illness, particularly among soldiers, and was a precursor to later understandings of conditions like PTSD. 

The longing for home and the past served as a psychological coping mechanism for soldiers facing trauma and separation from loved ones. 

Historical Understanding and Treatment

• A Deadly “Disease”: Originally, nostalgia was described as a physical or mental ailment, with severe cases leading to death. During the American Civil War, over 70 Union soldiers died from nostalgia, and thousands more were diagnosed with the condition. 
• Symptoms: Soldiers experiencing nostalgia would exhibit symptoms such as anxiety, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and heart palpitations. 
• Treatment: The most effective remedy for nostalgia was to send the soldier home, as the condition was believed to be caused by an obsession with home and the longing for the past. 
• Connection to Trauma: Modern understanding recognizes nostalgia as a psychological response to trauma. The term was used for symptoms now associated with combat fatigue or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Nostalgia as a Coping Mechanism 

• Emotional Connection: Nostalgia provides a way for soldiers to maintain a connection to loved ones and a familiar past, offering comfort during the stressful and dangerous reality of war.
• Motivation for Survival: For many, the desire to return home to their families became a powerful motivation for survival.
• Reassurance and Relief: Reminiscing about the past can provide momentary relief from the boredom and impersonal routines of military life and offer emotional reassurance.