What is Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm syndrome is defined as a condition in which a hostage or victim develops sympathy or emotional attachment to the person who harmed or held them captive over time.
The term was coined after a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden in 1973.
Four bank employees were taken hostage by the robbers and held hostage for six days before finally being rescued by the police.
However, instead of having a negative attitude towards the robbers, the hostages developed an emotional bond with them and started to defend them.
After this incident, psychologists named this situation “Stockholm syndrome”.
Stockholm syndrome is not limited to hostage situations; it can also occur in coercive, abusive or oppressive relationships.
For example, in situations of domestic violence, trafficking and cult-like situations, victims may develop emotional attachment to their abusers.
This syndrome is also explained as a psychological response in which the victim develops empathy and sympathy towards the aggressor as a survival strategy.

What are the Symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm syndrome has several symptoms and is characterized by victims developing inconsistent emotional and psychological reactions.

1. Sympathy for the aggressor: Victims may develop deep sympathy for the person who harmed them.
   Rather than blaming the aggressor, they may show empathy towards them and even justify their actions.
2. Emotional attachment to the aggressor: The hostage or victim may develop a strong emotional bond with the attacker.
   This bond may arise because they feel that the attacker protects them or shows understanding.
3. Negative reaction to external help and rescue efforts: Victims may have a negative attitude towards external offers of help to rescue them.
   They may not want to be rescued by the police, family members or friends.
4. Feeling of isolation: The victim may feel understood only by the aggressor and may believe that they are isolated and disconnected from the outside world.
5. Coping with fear and insecurity: Victims may develop a fear of the outside world while feeling safe around the aggressor.

These symptoms show how victims psychologically try to cope with the aggressor and activate survival mechanisms.

What Causes Stockholm Syndrome?

The causes of Stockholm syndrome are closely related to the victim’s prolonged presence in a coercive environment.
Psychologically, victims may develop various coping strategies to survive.
Among these strategies, developing empathy towards the aggressor can help the victim feel safer.

1. Survival instinct: The victim develops empathy and sympathy towards the aggressor in order to protect themselves from him/her.
   Being close to the aggressor can increase the victim’s chances of survival.
2. Power imbalance: The large power differential between the victim and the aggressor can cause the victim to become dependent on the aggressor.
   This dependency can manifest as submission to the aggressor’s decisions and emotional reactions.
3. Isolation: When the victim cannot communicate with anyone other than the aggressor, his/her ties with the outside world weaken.
   He or she can develop a reality associated only with the aggressor and identify more with him or her.
4. Uncertain perception of time under stress: Victims who are exposed to stress over a long period of time may lose their sense of time and find it difficult to make connections between events.
   This can lead to greater empathy towards the aggressor.

These reasons are a reflection of the victim’s desire to protect herself and adapt to a difficult situation.

How is Stockholm Syndrome Treated?

Treatment of Stockholm syndrome involves addressing the psychological effects of the traumatic experiences the victim has gone through.
It can often be treated through therapy and psychological counseling.
The following steps are important in the treatment process:

1. Psychotherapy Approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma-focused therapy can help the victim understand and cope with their traumatic experiences.
   These types of therapy allow the victim to question their false beliefs and emotional attachments.
2. Support groups: Support groups of people with similar experiences can help the victim realize that they are not alone and can accelerate the emotional healing process.
3. Psychiatrist intervention: People with severe anxiety, depression or symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also require medication.
4. Family and friend support: The supportive and understanding attitude of the people around the victim plays a critical role in the healing process.

Who Has Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm syndrome can occur in people who have experienced particularly challenging, dangerous or traumatic situations.
Groups prone to this syndrome include hostage situations, victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence and cult members.
People who have been controlled by an authority figure for a long period of time may also suffer from this condition.

How Does Stockholm Syndrome Occur?

The occurrence of Stockholm syndrome is usually associated with the following conditions:

1. A coercive situation: This syndrome can develop when the victim is physically or psychologically threatened.
2. Prolonged contact: Prolonged contact with the aggressor may cause the victim to recognize the human side of the aggressor and develop a bond with him/her.
3. Attitudes of the aggressor: When the aggressor occasionally shows good behavior towards the victim, the victim may focus on this good behavior and begin to think that the aggressor is not malicious.

What is the Difference Between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Stockholm Syndrome?

The differences between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Stockholm syndrome are mainly related to the way the victim reacts to the trauma:

• PTSD is a disorder that occurs after a traumatic event and manifests itself with symptoms such as reliving the event over and over again, developing avoidance behaviors and hyperarousal.
  In this disorder, the person avoids situations that remind them of the traumatic event and is constantly on guard.
• Stockholm syndrome is characterized by the victim developing sympathy and attachment to the aggressor during the traumatic event.
  As in PTSD, there is no constant fear and avoidance behavior related to the event; on the contrary, the victim forms an emotional bond with the aggressor.

These two conditions represent different aspects of the victim’s psychological response to trauma, but both may require long-term therapy and support.