Psychological Impact of Kidnapping – American Psychological Association (APA)
Adjusting to life after being held hostage or kidnapped.
Hostage and kidnap survivors can experience stress reactions including denial, impaired memory, shock, numbness, anxiety, guilt, depression, anger, and a sense of helplessness.
reedom almost always brings a sense of elation and relief. However, adjusting back to the real world after being held hostage can be just as difficult as abruptly leaving it. Upon release, many hostage survivors are faced with transitioning from conditions of isolation and helplessness to sensory overload and freedom. This transition often results in significant adjustment difficulties.
Hostage and kidnap survivors can experience stress reactions. Typical reactions occur in:
- Thinking: Intrusive thoughts, denial, impaired memory, decreased concentration, being overcautious and aware, confusion, or fear of the event happening again
- Emotions: Shock, numbness, anxiety, guilt, depression, anger, and a sense of helplessness
- Interactions: Withdrawal and avoidance of family, friends, activities, and being on edge
Such reactions to an extremely stressful event are understandable and normal. These are typical responses and generally decrease after a period of time. It is common for people’s reactions to vary from one individual to another.
According to research, hostage survivors often develop an unconscious bond to their captors and experience grief if their captors are harmed. They may also feel guilty for developing a bond. This is typically referred to as the Stockholm syndrome.
Hostage survivors may also have feelings of guilt for surviving while others did not. It is important for survivors to recognize that these are usual human reactions to being held captive...