Traumatic bonding
 Traumatic bonding(abuse, manipulation)   | |
|---|---|
| paradox depency on abusive caretakers |
Traumatic bonding may be defined as Stockholm syndrome (dependency on destructive others or ideologies, i.e. cults) caused by a malignant caretaking figure, either primary (mother), secondary (father), or any substitutes thereof, including cult leaders, medical professionals (organizations and institutions may substitute for primary family) in conditions of extreme stress.
Traumatic bonding may cause splitting, a psychological defense (sometimes later in life used for offensive purposes, Kernberg) characterized by black and white thinking or polarizing beliefs, objects and circumstances into unconciliatory all-good and all-bad images, which may contribute to dissociative symptoms (split consciousness, trance, hypnosis, heightened suggestibility).
It is typical of severe personality disorders, including psychopaths or reaction to being subjected their manipulations (i.e "team splitting"). Traumatic bonding is fostered by isolation from healthy resources, such as friends, peers and uncertainty, i.e. unpredictable attacks, threats, imminent disasters or inconsistent reward and punishment for similar behavior (see learned helplessness).
