Stockholm Syndrome: When the victim deifies its perpetrator

Summary

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological condition where hostages develop positive feelings towards their captors, often manifesting in loyalty and sympathy despite the traumatic situation.

Abstract

Stockholm Syndrome, named after a 1973 bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, is characterized by victims forming an emotional attachment to their captors, which can include feelings of sympathy, love, or loyalty. This complex condition is considered a survival strategy and defense mechanism for victims under extreme stress, leading them to adopt the perspectives and emotions of their captors. Symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome are akin to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as nightmares, difficulty concentrating, and flashbacks. The syndrome is not limited to hostage situations but can also occur in abusive relationships, where victims may exhibit negative feelings towards friends or authorities and support or assist their abusers. The development of Stockholm Syndrome involves a process where victims disconnect from their reality, agree with their captor's views, and may even share personal information to establish a bond and ensure favorable treatment. After the traumatic event, victims struggle to reconcile their positive feelings for their captors with their need to recover emotionally.

Opinions

The author suggests that Stockholm Syndrome can manifest in various types of relationships beyond the typical hostage scenario, including abusive partnerships and exploitative situations.
The article implies that victims with Stockholm Syndrome may resist help from others, perceiving it as a threat to their bond with their captors.
It is conveyed that victims may experience conflicting emotions, such as anger and pity, towards their captors, and may prioritize the captor's needs over their own.
The author emphasizes the importance of patience and maintaining communication when helping someone with Stockholm Syndrome, avoiding drastic changes and providing support without judgment.
The article posits that recovery from Stockholm Syndrome is a gradual process that requires the victim to consciously accept changes in their life to prevent relapse into harmful relationships.

What is Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm Syndrome is a complex psychological condition in which a hostage begins to harbor feelings of sympathy and/or love for his captors. The syndrome was named after a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden 1973. It is an example of a defense mechanism in which the victim develops an emotional attachment to the nearest powerful adult while choosing to remain loyal to his perpetrator.

People with Stockholm Syndrome have symptoms similar to people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as nightmares, difficulty concentrating, confusion, increased distrust, loneliness, and unpleasant flashbacks.

References to Stockholm Syndrome have now been extended, beyond the known cases of abduction or hostage-taking. Thus, we see characteristics of this Syndrome even in cases of a sick relationship between spouses, “unexplained” relationships that are created with common blackmailers, with drug dealers, or even in cases with protagonists prostitutes and their promoters.

Stages in the development of Stockholm Syndrome

Victims get disconnected, due to the enormous personal survival anxiety they are experiencing. More precisely, they begin to agree with their perpetrator’s views and positions, while adopting certain aspects of his personality. In this way, the victim begins to learn how to calm down and thank the perpetrator, to ensure favorable treatment.

After a while, victims begin to realize that their perpetrators have the same human characteristics, like every other “weak” person”. At this point, they begin to see the perpetrator as an insignificant threat. Some victims may even share personal information, in an attempt to establish a bond with the perpetrator and provoke his pity. This established bond, in turn, causes conflicting emotions (e.g., anger and pity), as well as unreasonable concern for the perpetrator. The victim may even ignore their own needs.

Once the traumatic event is over, however, the victim finds it difficult to restore his emotional world and isolate/reject the positive emotions that have already been created for the perpetrator.

How to help: What to do and what not to do

Although each case is different, there are general guidelines on how to deal with someone who is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome:

Victims have been given a “choice”: either a sick relationship with their perpetrators or a balanced inner world.

They believe that those who wish to help them, are trying to destroy the wonderful relationship they have with their perpetrators. Remember: the more the victim is under psychological pressure, the more he will react against you.

Never forget that your goal is to keep in touch with the victim, and not to change his life drastically, from one day to another. This fact needs time. Keep in touch with the “traditional” style, such as references to holidays, birthdays, and other everyday things.

The moment the victim will ask you for advice about his “relationship” with the perpetrator, is very important. You need to listen carefully, without panic and anxiety, and reassure him that you will stand by, whatever happens.

Changes in our lives take time to be accepted, to be made consciously, so that they become an experience, with eliminated risk of relapse into dark paths.

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