The Stockholm Syndrome describes feelings of trust and empathy that can develop with one’s captors or abusers.
Although it sounds crazy (who would actually have empathy for their own kidnapper or abuser?), this is an unconscious strategy that a person uses to survive. They figure, if I join with my kidnapper (or abuser) then the tension and overwhelm of the threat gets minimized. This syndrome occurs in all kinds of abuse cases - from kidnapping to domestic violence and beyond. This perpetuates the abuse and keeps people locked in the invisible cage of abuse.
If you’ve ever been abus
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