Stockholm Syndrome: When the victim deifies its perpetrator
We have all heard, from time to time, about the famous “Stockholm Syndrome” What exactly does this mean, when and how does it occur? Why does the victim get to the point of being interested, or even loving his perpetrator, when he should normally hate him?
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…
