How to identify Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm Syndrome is a coping defense mechanism for the victims’ sympathy and compassion for an abuser. Over time, a hostage or abuser feels positive in an abusive situation. The term Stockholm Syndrome was first coined in 1943 by Nils Bejerot, a criminologist in Stockholm (the capital and largest city of Sweden) who used the word to define how certain hostages or victims developed a reaction to their captors. People with Stockholm Syndrome tend to sympathize and evolve an emotional connection with the hostages. Individuals with Stockholm Syndrome tend to express positive feelings with irrational empathy. Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological reaction to being held hostage or linked to high-profile kidnappings and hostage situations.

This psychological change occurs when hostages or abuse victims bond with their captors or abusers. This bond develops within a few days, weeks, months, or years of confinement or abuse. In Stockholm Syndrome, the victims live in enforced dependence and interpret rare or small acts of kindness amid horrible conditions as good treatment, and they emotionally get attached to the person who is an oppressor or bully. A study conducted in 2007 by Nathalie de Fabrique, professor in the Criminal Justice department at Nova Southeastern University, concluded that Stockholm Syndrome is a condition characterized by a psychological reaction of a hostage or a person with the power to endanger the victim’s life.

Building an emotional connection with the abuser is a survival effort for victims. Surviving this way keeps a ray of hope that it can improve the situation. When the abuser shows kindness to the victim, the victim interprets it as a positive trait of the controller. In such a scenario, the victim thinks irrationally could be a traumatic response. The victim must try to understand their thought pattern and try to restructure the same. Netflix’s popular Movie ‘Darlings and the Spanish series Money Heist’ have highlighted a mental health-related condition named Stockholm Syndrome and showed how victims develop sympathy for the abuser as a coping mechanism. It usually occurs when the victim feels the captor has a kind side and develops compassion for the abuser over time. The same concept has shown in the movie ‘Highway’ of the victim falling in love with the kidnapper.

Stockholm Syndrome can identify through its symptoms. The victim tends to praise or support the hostage who is torturing. The victim becomes so supportive of the abuser that they tend to express dislike if someone tries to portray the captor in a bad light. The victim not only praises the abuser but also begins to defend the captor when required. Victim begins to doubt themselves and try to cover up the fault of an abuser by projecting the deficiency in themselves. The victims are repeatedly safeguarded and assume that they deserve what is happening to them and that there is some deficiency in them only. They often try to justify the actions of an abuser.

When held hostage by many individuals pleasing an abuser is the only way to survival. In many instances, the harasser or abuser humiliates and beats the victim. As they tend to scum to the situation, the victim sees the way of survival as keeping the harasser happy and agreeing to the demands. It is more of survival skills and an effort to please an abuser. The victim becomes attached to the harasser and likes to stay with the abuser in every situation.

Several famous kidnappings have resulted in high-profile episodes of Stockholm Syndrome by Mary McElroy (1933) and Patty Hearst (1974). Research has shown that when sexual, physical and emotional abuse or incest lasts for years than over this time, abused individuals may develop emotional attachments like positive feelings or sympathy for their abuser. Abusers often terrorize victims with fear, harm and disdain. Victims avoid upsetting abusers by being compliant and perceiving kindness as genuine. Victims of the sex trade mostly rely on their abusers for basic needs like food, water, shelter and clothing. Hence, they have abrupt compassion toward their abuser. They also resist cooperating with police for fear of retaliation to protect their abusers. Harsh coaching techniques can become abusive; the athlete may tell that the coach’s behaviour is for their excellent development as an athlete can ultimately become a form of Stockholm Syndrome (2018, Charles)

Effects of Stockholm Syndrome like Activities of daily living (ADL) get affected. It lowers self-esteem and self-confidence with guilt and shame. So, increased risk of becoming future abused as self-esteem gets reduced. The feeling of Helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness a person feels. Altering between rational and irrational thinking with mood instability and avoidance is also noticed. A person may get fearful in decision-making about plans and goals. Health problems arise like malnutrition, anaemia due to loss of appetite, fatigue and sleep disturbance. All we need to learn is how to handle the person found with Stockholm Syndrome

The first step to help the victim of Stockholm Syndrome would be to initiate open and honest disclosure with loved ones, where the victim is provided with a supportive environment to express thoughts and feelings. Once the victim articulates the emotions, the focus should be to reframe the abuser’s belief and try to highlight distortions. The victim should be encouraged to speak about feelings and seek help in reshaping the event ideas. Avoiding advice and being non-judgmental is the most salient need in handling such an oppressed person.

Self-healing can be possible in various ways like relaxation through breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, music therapy, dance therapy, play therapy, and art therapy to create positive emotions that impact endorphins called ‘happy hormones. Being patient and focusing on healing is very important in self-healing with Mindfulness and body awareness. Regular journaling practice also helps with the long-term effects of the Syndrome. Seeking guidance and support from experts in mental health professions like Psychologists and psychotherapists will help the victim to understand the Syndrome and accept the reality of the hostage situation. The focus is to unlearn the old irrational thinking pattern about the abuser and relearn the rational thinking patterns that help to reshape the overall view of the event. Psychoeducation will empower the client as an individual.

As we hear saying, Prevention is better than cure. Conducting awareness programs among children, youngsters and adults on Stockholm syndrome will help them understand the science of behaviour and types of personalities, which can create insight among people and how to handle if someone tries to oppress them. Call to book an Appointment at +91-9818211474