Adult sons and daughters of mothers with narcissistic personality disorders may develop Stockholm syndrome as a survival technique against abuse. Symptoms can last into adulthood. Therefore, as recovering adults seeking recovery, it is helpful to understand the causes and symptoms of this phenomenon.

What is Stockholm syndrome?

On August 23, 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson broke into Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg in central Stockholm and robbed the bank. Police arrived quickly, but not before Olsson hit a police office and took four hostages. For the next six days, the hostages were held at gunpoint in the bank vault.

During the course of the ordeal, one of the hostages turned on the police and set out to capture her. The shocking behavior did not stop when the hostages regained their freedom.

Olsson threatened, abused and caused the captives to fear for their lives, but they took him for him. A hostage became romantically involved with the thief. Another established a legal defense fund to help him with legal expenses.

The term Stockholm syndrome has since been used to describe this phenomenon, but psychology recognized the trauma link many years before the Stockholm bank robbery. Stockholm syndrome has been found in studies of prisoners, hostages, and abusive relationships, such as:

• Child abuse
• Incest survivors
• Battered Women
• Cult members
• Prisoners of war
• Concentration camp survivors
• Intimidating and controlling relationships

Elements that cause Stockholm syndrome

Not all people in these situations develop Stockholm syndrome, but when it does develop, there are four elements involved:

1. A creditable threat to psychological or physical survival, in the belief that it will be carried out;
2. Small benefits that the abuser shows the victim;
3. Isolation from anyone other than the perspective of the abuser; Y
4. A perceived inability to escape.

Symptoms of Stockholm syndrome

• The hostage has positive feelings towards capture.
• The hostage supports the reasons and behaviors of the capture.
• The hostage has negative feelings towards friends, family and authorities who try to help or rescue them.
• The capture has positive feelings towards the hostage.
• The hostage shows an inability to engage in behaviors that lead to his escape.

Adult sons and daughters of mothers with narcissistic personality disorders

Children of mothers with narcissistic personality disorders often grow up under the constant threat of all kinds of abuse. Then there are the little goodies scattered among your memories, creating a necessary element for the development of Stockholm Syndrome.

Children are completely dependent on their parents. So psychologically, growing up in a war zone of abuse, the child is largely a captive. Survival is often a realistic concern.

As a result, the adult son or daughter may still feel that they have no control over their lives. As adults, it may take a focused effort to break the psychological control instilled by the narcissistic mother when the child was truly captive.