Why we stay: trauma bonding.
Wow, what a great post. I think that this is the hardest part for people who have not lived in abuse. Â They don’t understand. Â Trauma bonding. Stockholm Syndrome.
the psychological tendency of a hostage to bond with, identify with, or sympathize with his or her captor
Call it what you want, but it is not love. It was survival. No wonder we have such a hard time understanding what love is, and what love isn’t.
Related articles
- Stockholm Syndrome. Do you suffer from this? (endofabuse.wordpress.com)
- Stockholm Syndrome (chatteringsofarestlessmind.wordpress.com)
- Trauma Bonding-When it isn’t Love (ladywithatruck.com)
- http://dianarasmussen.com/2013/11/05/3-ways-to-stop-worshipping-the-abuser/
- http://dianarasmussen.com/2013/09/08/why-doesnt-she-just-leave/
- STOCKHOLM SYNDROM – and its psychological parallels to Black American Women (neecysnest.wordpress.com)
- London ‘slave’ women: how ‘invisible handcuffs’ work (theweek.co.uk)
dianarasmussen
Diana Rasmussen is a Faith Builder, Worship Leader, Veteran’s wife, and a Certified Peer Specialist. At her blog Prayers and Promises she shares from her heart on how to find hope in this crazy world!
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Hi Diana – thanks for re-blogging, and I’m glad you found the post useful. I hope others do too. One of the hardest things about leaving an abusive relationship is this strong tie that pulls us back to our abuser. We call it ‘love’, but as you added – it’s mostly about survival. Trauma bonding lets us better understand our complex feelings and for friends and family to understand what we are going through, too. It’s also why leaving is an ongoing process!
Thank you, your post brings up so many good points. Blessings to you, Diana