Stockholm syndrome shouldn't be a psychological diagnosis. Rather, it's a technique to understand the emotional response that some people have towards a kidnapper or perpetrator. It happens to some abuse and hostage victims after they have positive feelings toward an abuser or kidnapper.
Sometimes people who find themselves being held captive or are being mistreated could have feelings of sympathy or other positive feelings toward the captor. This appears to occur over days, weeks, months or years of captivity and shut contact with the captor.
A bond can develop between the victim and the kidnapper. This can result in friendly treatment and fewer harm from the perpetrator as they may form a positive bond with their victims.
Someone with Stockholm syndrome might need confusing feelings in regards to the abuser, including:
- Love
- sympathy
- empathy
- Desire to guard her
Stockholm syndrome may also cause the hostage to harbor negative feelings toward the police or anyone attempting a rescue.
Why is it called Stockholm Syndrome?
People have probably known about this syndrome for a very long time, but it surely was first named in 1973 by Nils Bejerot, a criminologist in Stockholm, Sweden. He used the term to clarify the unexpected response that hostages during a bank robbery showed to their captors.
Despite being held against their will in a life-threatening situation, these individuals developed good relationships with their captors. They even helped them pay for his or her lawyers after they were caught.
Is Stockholm Syndrome the identical as trauma bonding?
Although trauma bonding and Stockholm syndrome are closely related, they will not be necessarily the identical thing. Like Stockholm Syndrome, trauma Attachment occurs when an individual begins to empathize with their abuser. Many people distinguish the 2 based on the reciprocity of every response. Trauma bonding is often a one-sided response – the perpetrator doesn't reciprocate empathy – whereas in Stockholm syndrome, empathy is felt more mutually. However, some people prefer the term “trauma bonding” to “Stockholm syndrome” because they see it as less stigmatized.
Although Stockholm syndrome shouldn't be a proper diagnosis, individuals with the syndrome appear to share some common symptoms. These include:
- Affection or attachment to the perpetrator
- Try to assist the perpetrator
- Distrust or anger towards those that are attempting to get them out of the situation
- Rationalize abuse
- Perceiving basic dignity as kindness
- Feeling of powerlessness
After leaving one abusive relationship or kept in captivity, they may have many other symptoms, including:
- refusal
- Social withdrawal
- Chronic feeling of tension
- Feelings of emptiness
- depression
- Fear
- Learned helplessness
- Excessive dependence
- Loss of interest in activities
- Embarrassment about their feelings towards an abuser
- confusion
- Fault
- Difficulty trusting others
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- nightmares
- insomnia
- Flashbacks
- Shockingly easy
Not all individuals who find themselves in such a situation suffer from Stockholm syndrome. It's not entirely clear why some people react this fashion, but it surely's regarded as a survival mechanism. An individual might form these bonds to address an extreme and terrible situation.
Some key aspects appear to extend the likelihood of Stockholm syndrome. These include:
- Being in an emotionally charged situation for an prolonged time frame
- Staying in a shared room with the hostage taker in poor conditions (e.g. not enough food or staying in a physically uncomfortable room)
- When hostages depend on a hostage taker to satisfy their basic needs
- If threats to life will not be carried out (e.g. mock executions)
- If hostages weren't dehumanized
An individual may be abused and seriously threatened by a kidnapper or perpetrator, but they may also depend on them to survive. If the perpetrator is kind in any way, he might hold on to it with a view to survive. You might feel sorry for them for this kindness.
It is difficult to glance through the historical record and “diagnose” Stockholm Syndrome to a different person’s particular situation. However, there are some high-profile cases which can be generally considered examples. These include the next:
-
In 1933, Mary McElroy, the 25-year-old daughter of Kansas City politician Henry McElroy, was kidnapped and held at gunpoint by 4 inexperienced criminals. During her 34 hours of captivity, McElroy eventually befriended the lads. The feeling was apparently mutual, as the abductors released her and paid for the ride home after receiving a $30,000 ransom. Three of the lads were later caught and one – Walter McGee – was sentenced to death. This was later modified to a life sentence after McElroy protested the sentence.
-
Patricia Hearst, a 19-year-old newspaper heiress, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1974. The guerrilla organization relied on Hearst's status to attract attention to its cause – and it did. To the surprise of many, the young woman eventually joined the cause, despite being tied up and threatened with death by outstanding SLA members for a lot of weeks. The following 12 months she even took part in several armed robberies. Eventually, the FBI arrested Hearst and various other SLA members after an enormous raid. Hearst later used Stockholm syndrome as a part of her defense at trial.
Stockholm syndrome in relationships
Although the term “Stockholm Syndrome” was originally coined to explain the emotional state of hostages, it is usually often applied to more intimate, on a regular basis matters Relationships. These include parental bonds, romantic partnerships, and even friendships. Like its original context, Stockholm syndrome often reflects an imbalance of power in relationships – in addition to some kind of abuse of that power. Stockholm syndrome can develop in lots of situations, including:
Child abuse. Abuse may be very confusing for youngsters. Abusers often threaten and physically harm their victims, but they may show kindness, which may be interpreted as love or affection. An emotional bond can develop between the kid and the perpetrator, which regularly protects the perpetrator for a very long time. TThe children of abusive parents or guardians may imagine that they “deserve” the punishment meted out by their guardians.
Sports. Children or teenagers who're abused by sports coaches could develop Stockholm syndrome. If they start to rationalize the coach's behavior, they might defend him or sympathize with him. This could lead on to Stockholm syndrome.
Abuse. Sexual, physical, or emotional domestic abuse can create confusing emotional bonds between victim and abuser. DDomestic abuse survivors may proceed to feel deep love and affection for his or her partners despite being exposed to violence.
Sex trafficking. People who're victims of human trafficking and compelled into sex trafficking depend on kidnappers to satisfy their basic needs. They might form an emotional bond to survive.
If you or someone you recognize is in an abusive relationship, you possibly can contact organizations just like the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 for help.
Stockholm syndrome shouldn't be recognized or listed as a proper syndrome by the American Psychological Association Mental health Diagnosis within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. While therapists cannot treat Stockholm syndrome directly, they'll treat related conditions, including acute stress disorder and PTSD.
Returning to on a regular basis life and adjusting after trauma may be difficult. It may be very difficult for victims to discuss their experiences as it could retraumatize them.
If you are feeling like you will have Stockholm syndrome or know someone who might, it's best to speak to a therapist. Therapy can aid you with recovery, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. This treatment may include cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and/or medication.
A therapist may also aid you learn coping mechanisms and process your feelings. They can aid you remap attitudes and emotions to know Stockholm syndrome as a survival mechanism for getting through a difficult experience.
Stockholm syndrome shouldn't be an officially recognized diagnosis in most clinical circles. But it is often related to PTSD, anxiety, etc depression, all of which may be treated with conventional means. If you or someone you recognize has experienced Stockholm syndrome—whether in a traumatic hostage situation or in a relationship—it's best to seek help from a therapist.
What are the signs of Stockholm syndrome?
People with Stockholm syndrome may begin to sympathize with their abusers and even feel that they're in the fitting. They may begin to internalize and rationalize physical and emotional abuse, believing that they “deserve” it. It is vital to notice that such reactions will not be unusual in highly explosive situations, though they could seem counterintuitive.
Why do people get Stockholm syndrome?
There are various theories as to why people develop Stockholm syndrome. On the one hand, it's a survival response – this can also be generally known as “appeasement”. The idea is that in a situation where one individual has more power than one other and is liable to react violently, the less powerful individual might reduce his or her risk of being hurt by attempting to keep the opposite joyful .
Another idea is that the disorder arises as an offshoot of the “in-group/out-group” mentality. In this case, the kidnapper and his hostage form the in-group, while the authorities and the hostage's family form the out-group. Some imagine that the heightened emotions of such situations play a task in forming this mentality.
Is Stockholm Syndrome love?
Stockholm Syndrome shouldn't be about love, although it could coexist with a deep emotional connection and each can feel similar. For example, in the event you are in an abusive relationship, it could be extremely difficult to separate this survival mechanism from real love. However, unlike healthy relationships, Stockholm Syndrome-style bonds are isolating and rooted in an enormous power imbalance.