You know that's Stockholm syndrome? What's effect on health?

You know that's Stockholm syndrome? What is its effect on health?

How do you differentiate between winter depression and real depression?

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological response in which a hostage, kidnapper, or victim begins to sympathize with their captors, as well as with their agenda and demands.

Where did the name Stockholm Syndrome come from?

The name of this syndrome comes from a botched robbery of Sveriges Kreditbank in Stockholm, Sweden in August 1973, in which 4 employees were held hostage in the bank's vault for 6 days.

During this period, a seemingly contradictory association developed between the kidnappers and the hostages, and one of the hostages stated - during a phone call with Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme - that she fully trusted her kidnappers, but was afraid of dying in the police assault on the building, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The name was coined by Stockholm-based criminologist Nils Bigerow, who used the term to explain the hostages' unexpected reaction.

Stockholm Syndrome in Psychology

Psychologists who have studied the syndrome believe that the bond first arises when the kidnapper threatens the life of the hostage and then chooses not to kill her.

The bank robbery also demonstrated that it only takes a few days for this relationship to solidify, proving that the victim's desire to survive early outweighs the desire to hate the person who created the situation.

The person may be severely abused and threatened by the kidnapper or abuser, but he also depends on them to survive, so if the abuser is nice he may hold on to this as a means of survival.

There isn't a lot of research on Stockholm Syndrome, but it seems that hostages aren't the only ones who experience it. It can happen in other situations, such as:

1- Child abuse

Abuse can be very confusing for children. Abusers often threaten and physically harm their victims, but they may also show kindness that can be interpreted as love or affection. An emotional bond can grow between the child and the abuser, which often protects the child for a long time.

2- In sports

Children or young people who have abusive sports coaches may develop Stockholm syndrome. If they begin to justify the coach's behavior, they may defend or sympathize with it, and this may lead to Stockholm syndrome.

3- sex trafficking

People who are trafficked and forced into the sex trade become dependent on kidnappers to provide basic necessities, and may develop an emotional bond as a means of survival.

The effect of Stockholm Syndrome on health

Stockholm syndrome is not listed as an official mental health diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and people with this syndrome appear to have some other common symptoms, according to WebMed:

Embarrassment of their feelings towards the abuser-

*Guilt

*Difficulty trusting others

*Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

*Nightmares

*Insomnia

*Denial

*Social withdrawal

*Feeling of constant tension

*Feelings of emptiness

*Feelings of despair

*Melancholy

*Worry.

Loss of interest in activities

It can be difficult to return to daily life and adjust after a trauma, and it can be very difficult for victims to talk about their experience because it may lead to trauma again.

The most common cases of Stockholm Syndrome

Perhaps the most well-known case of Stockholm Syndrome is Patricia Hearst. In 1974, about 10 weeks after being held hostage by the Symbionese Liberation Army, Hearst helped her captors rob a California bank, alleging she was brainwashed and temporarily becoming an advocate for the ideology her kidnappers.

In many of the kidnappings, cases of sympathy for the kidnappers were recorded.

Is Stockholm Syndrome a psychiatric diagnosis?

Stockholm Syndrome is not a psychiatric diagnosis, but rather a way of understanding some people's emotional response to a kidnapper or abuser.

Sometimes people who are being held or otherwise mistreated may feel sympathy or other positive feelings for the kidnapper, and this appears to happen over the course of days, weeks, months, or years.

The bond between the victim and the kidnapper can grow, and this may result in better treatment and less harm from the abusers because it may also create a positive relationship with their victims.

A person with Stockholm syndrome may have ambiguous feelings about the abuser, including:

*love

*sympathy

Desire to protect

Stockholm Syndrome may also cause the hostage to have negative feelings towards the police or anyone who might attempt a rescue, and it is possible that people have suffered from this syndrome for a long time.

Why does a person develop Stockholm Syndrome?

Not all people who encounter certain situations suffer from Stockholm syndrome, and it is not entirely clear why some people react in this way, but it is believed to be a means of survival, and anyone can create these connections as a way of dealing with an extreme and terrifying situation.

There are things that seem to increase the risk of developing Stockholm syndrome, including:

That the hostage stays with the kidnapper in a common space with poor conditions

When a hostage is dependent on the kidnapper for basic needs, When threats to life, such as mock executions, are not carried out

Films about Stockholm Syndrome

"King Kong" (2005)), V for Vendetta (2005), Stockholm.