Does a person know if they have Stockholm syndrome or not?
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Does a person know if they have Stockholm syndrome or not?
Of course they are aware. Many abused people are usually aware of their situation, and they acknowledge that their feeling of not being able to leave isn’t an accurate assessment of the situation, but the feeling, and the emotional fear within them can still prevent them from taking action. People can freeze up, or let their fears take over, and even if it is irrational they can still fall victim to it. Many people with anxiety have a similar problem, where they know entirely that their thoughts or fears are irrational, sometimes even impossible, but the emotional side of it can still prevent them from calming down, or just thinking it away.
Stockholm syndrome is a description of a behavior where a captive person begins acting like their captor. It is more of phenomenon than the disease. People normally experience it in an extreme situation, like being literally held against their will, in a completely controlled environment. But, that is not to say that it is the only way. When we fall under someone’s influence, do we recognize that we are? In most cases, no. Friends or people close to us often can point it out, but as you might have experienced it takes a lot more than just pointing it out for someone to see it and begin to break free. We can eventually do that ourselves but what made us fall under the influence is a strong appeal to our survival instincts and that usually take a lot of time to get over. While a person may come to empathize with the plight of their captor Stockholm syndrome is extraordinary.