Occupational Stockholm Syndrome: Definition, Symptoms and Treatment

It is said that a person suffers from stockholm syndrome when he has unconsciously identified with his own aggressor, at the level of putting himself in his place, understanding and justifying the reasons that led him to subdue him and commit his abduction. However, this type of situation not only usually occurs with victims of kidnappings, but also with victims of physical and / or psychological violence in any area such as, for example, at work.

Although it may seem strange to some people, the workplace stockholm syndrome exists and occurs in many more cases than we can ever imagine. The person ends up identifying with the negative situations they experience in the company until they even stop noticing them and downplay them. Interesting, right? If you would like to know more about this syndrome,Stockholm labor syndrome: definition, symptoms and treatment , we are going to explain in detail what this condition consists of and what is the appropriate treatment to overcome it.

Occupational stockholm syndrome: definition

The labor stockholm syndrome refers to the identification that an employee of a company has with their work despite being poorly valued , being in an extremely stressful environment, where they do not have a good relationship with their boss and / or employees. colleagues, as well as where he is not being respected and paid as he deserves.

The employee comes to justify and consent more and more to the mistreatment he receives from his superiors and even, sometimes, also from his colleagues. This is explained because the person submitted to it from the beginning and as time went by, he became so used to the abuse that he stopped seeing it as something negative. It also happens that as he has received so much psychological abuse where they can constantly repeat things such as: “you are not good for this”, “you are very slow”, etc., the person's self-esteem has deteriorated over time to the level of getting used to this kind of mistreatment.

Symptoms of occupational stockholm syndrome

Among the main symptoms or characteristics that people with workplace stockholm syndrome present in the company, are the following:

The relationship you have with the boss is based on fear and not on respect.
Living with the boss and even, on some occasions, with colleagues, is bad and there is a generally tense atmosphere.
They prefer to stay in the company despite the mistreatment received, not being paid fairly, not feeling comfortable at work, among other negative situations.
The bad behavior of the boss with him or the employees is justified.
This syndrome can be present at all ages and educational levels.
A submissive posture is constantly maintained.
You have the feeling of not being able to leave the company.
Stop seeing all or part of the negative that the company has and focus only on the positive despite having a very bad time.

Consequences of labor stockholm syndrome

The labor stockholm syndrome brings with it a series of consequences if it is not treated and eliminated in time. Over time, the person will lose confidence and self-confidence. She will feel more and more limited and with fewer capacities than she really possesses, so that she will not be able to defend herself, much less will she dare to change jobs, which will have great consequences for her emotional, physical, and economic well-being. etc.

A person who does not feel comfortable in their work will feel extremely frustrated not only being in it, but also in other areas of their life, which will not allow them to feel full and fulfilled. After a while, the person may begin to suffer from one or more psychological disorders, the most common being depression and anxiety . It is also very common for the person to have some type of physical illness, such as illnesses related to the stress they suffer.

Another important aspect to take into account is that the person suffering from the labor stockholm syndrome develops over time a syndrome of learned helplessness , in which the person becomes so used to being manipulated and mistreated that he really believes that he has no other way out, that he can't do anything to defend himself and somehow adjusts to continue living like this.

Occupational stockholm syndrome: treatment

In order for a person to recover from the labor stockholm syndrome and the different situations of abuse to which they are exposed in the company, it is necessary that they take into account the following tips that will help them to achieve it and overcome workplace mobbing:

Become aware that you are being abused. You need to identify and acknowledge that you are being abused in the company where you work. The abuse can range from insults, shouting, constant teasing, contempt, not receiving the corresponding salary, not having all the benefits established by law and working many more hours than agreed, physical abuse, among others. You have to identify the situations you are going through, be objective and aware of the rights you have as a worker and, above all, as a person.
Recognize the consequences caused by suffering from this syndrome. Learn to identify each of the psychological and / or physical consequences that we have been continuously receiving mistreatment in the company. To find them, we can more easily base ourselves on the previous section and recognize if any of this is happening in ourselves.
Alleviate the consequences produced by labor abuse. Once the consequences that the mistreatment has brought with it in the company have been identified, it is necessary to start working to eliminate them and recover from them. For example, if one of the consequences is that the affected person suffers from insomnia constantly and / or has stomach problems produced by the stress to which they are exposed, it is advisable to go to the doctor and the psychologist, who will give the appropriate treatment according to their individual case to recover
Set limits or change jobs. It is extremely necessary that the person who is being abused begins to establish personal limits. To do this, first you have to identify what rights we all have just because we are people, after that, you have to recognize your own limits and from there begin to enforce and respect them. In the event that they decide to continue in the company, the person has to begin to impose themselves on those who are mistreating them, since it is a way of making themselves respected and gradually stopping the abuse. However, the situation may not always change and if that happens, it is necessary to start looking for another job where the person receives the respect and validation they deserve.
Consult with other professionals. Whenever there are doubts or seeking to find specific solutions to the problem, a specialist can be consulted who can advise the person according to their case. Some professionals who can fulfill this role are, for example, human resources specialists, psychologists, union representatives and even lawyers.