Stockholm Syndrome is defined as a disease that occurs in many countries in individuals who are under pressure or who have been kidnapped. Stockholm Syndrome is an important issue that is often heard in daily life but not much is known about it. This point, which is called how a person can admire the person who victimized them, has actually become part of the individual's defense system psychologically.
Symptoms of Stockholm syndrome may vary according to the situations experienced by individuals. However, one of the intensely observed symptoms is that people adopt the thoughts of people who put themselves in a difficult situation and torment them more than their own ideas, and it is a constantly observed symptom that they adopt those thoughts as their own thoughts and are in defense. The treatment of Stockholm syndrome is a psychological condition that requires an extensive treatment process. It is of great importance to help people who have been victimized because of their emotional closeness to their abusers or because of the emotional closeness they have established with them.
What is Stockholm Syndrome?
Stockholm Syndrome can also be defined as individuals submitting to and defending situations that put them in a difficult situation, ignoring the causes of the circumstances that put them in a difficult situation, siding with the oppressor despite being victimized, and even having feelings for the oppressor. Stockholm syndrome was first described by psychiatrist Nils Bejerot and was named after an incident in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, in 1973. The incident took place between a bank robber and his hostage. The bank robber holds a woman hostage for 6 days. During this period, the hostage formed an emotional bond with the criminal who took her hostage. This is why Stockholm syndrome is explained as the hostages understanding their captors' emotions as if they were their own, and then trying to help the criminals and eventually forming a bond. Stockholm syndrome is precisely the term used to describe the psychological state in which a hostage can be observed to develop emotional sympathy and empathy after spending time with their captors. According to Stockholm Syndrome, victimized individuals may care about the point of view of individuals who create intense stress for them through threats, violence and suppression of their freedom. In this way, they think that they are no longer in a "victim" position from their own point of view. The process they are going through suddenly turns into a legitimate and righteous process, and the person who ignored them turns into a differently understood person or even a savior.
What are the Symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome?
The most frequently observed symptom of Stockholm syndrome is the feeling of gratitude to the person doing the favor even when the victim sees a small favor. Oppressed people blame themselves for the situation they are in.
The symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome can be listed as follows;
- Intense feeling of gratitude even for a small favor
- Refusal to accept violence and threats of violence
- Rationalization
- Thinking that they have the competence to prevent abuse
- Tendency to blame oneself for the abuse
- Efforts to please the abuser to avoid being affected by violent behavior
- Evaluating the world through the eyes of the exploiter, ignoring your own stance
- Positioning the abuser as a good person or seeing them as a victim
- Feeling a sense of gratitude to the abuser for not killing him/her
How is Stockholm Syndrome Addiction Treated?
Treatment for Stockholm syndrome is a broad treatment process. It is extremely important to help the victimized people as they come to understand the feelings of their abusers and then try to help them and eventually identify with them.
The first step in the treatment process will be to try to alleviate the traces of trauma. This is why cognitive behavioral therapy and counseling or psychological support for PTSD can be used, as well as treatment methods that aim to resolve problems such as anxiety and depression.
Long-term psychotherapy treatment can contribute to the recovery of individuals.
In this treatment process, psychologists and psychotherapists inform people throughout the treatment process by explaining what is happening, why it is happening and what stages the process consists of.
In this way, people develop healthy coping mechanisms and learn tools to respond.