Smoke Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 I'd like to know if there's a term for this specific situation. I'd google it, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so it makes sense. A person has been isolated from emotional and/or physical interaction with other people, for a long period of time. And then another random person arrives and interacts with them, and just based on that this is the first person to be a part of their life, they become infatuated - believe they've fallen in love with this person. Is this just a variation of Stockholm Syndrome? Or does it have its own name?
Appolinaria Posted October 10, 2011 Posted October 10, 2011 (edited) maybe try googling attachment disorders? This is the best I could find =/ http://en.wikipedia..../Obsessive_love "The initial phase of ORP is characterized by an instantaneous and overwhelming attraction to another person. It is at this point the relationally dependent person becomes dependant on a romantic interest, usually resulting from the slightest bit of attention from the person they are attracted to." Edited October 10, 2011 by Appolinaria
PhDwannabe Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 This is not anything anywhere near attachment disorders, and the post immediately above takes information from a scientifically unsound self-help book that won't really get us anywhere. Neither is it really a syndrome, of sorts (in that it's not really some kind of cluster of symptoms that hang together in the absence of some clear pathophysiological process). It's just a phenomenon--something that happens. It's kind of mundane enough that it doesn't really have some sort of widely used clinical description or term. A wider variety of food tastes good when you're hungry; it just is what it is. There's plenty of behavioral terminology we could employ to describe contingencies that might alter the reinforcement value of a reinforcer, but it's not the descriptor you're looking for.
matty Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) Appolinaria's right, you'll find it under the subheading of attachment disorders in Post Traumatic Stress literature. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_post-traumatic_stress_disorder Edited October 11, 2011 by matty
Appolinaria Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) This is not anything anywhere near attachment disorders, and the post immediately above takes information from a scientifically unsound self-help book that won't really get us anywhere. Neither is it really a syndrome, of sorts (in that it's not really some kind of cluster of symptoms that hang together in the absence of some clear pathophysiological process). It's just a phenomenon--something that happens. It's kind of mundane enough that it doesn't really have some sort of widely used clinical description or term. A wider variety of food tastes good when you're hungry; it just is what it is. There's plenty of behavioral terminology we could employ to describe contingencies that might alter the reinforcement value of a reinforcer, but it's not the descriptor you're looking for. It's not saying obsessive love is a syndrome. Yes, it's an idea from a book by some dude. The person who posted this question was looking for a term for a situation, not a diagnosis. & I don't think there's anything normal about becoming infatuated & in love with a random person who you've had little interaction with.... which is why I suggested looking up attachment disorders. The person who posted this may not be listing all of the symptoms, so at least I was giving them a step in the right direction, especially when they're having difficulty coming up with phrasing... that's why I said "maybe try googling" to see if that's what they were looking for. I also don't see anything wrong with wikipedia when it lists sources. I was trying to be a catalyst towards more information, not trying to diagnose the situation. Just trying to help. Edited October 11, 2011 by Appolinaria
matty Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Yeah, I wouldn't advise rooting a dissertation in it but Wikipedia's fairly reliable on generalities, otherwise I'd look to more highly regarded sources; common medical journals, the AMA...
Smoke Posted October 11, 2011 Author Posted October 11, 2011 Nothing too complex. But say you have a prisoner who's been alone for a year, and then suddenly another captive is put in with them. Even if they don't know the other person very well, they might become swiftly emotionally attached - to the point where they feel that they love the new person.
Appolinaria Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 I'd like to know if there's a term for this specific situation. I'd google it, but I'm not sure how to phrase it so it makes sense. A person has been isolated from emotional and/or physical interaction with other people, for a long period of time. And then another random person arrives and interacts with them, and just based on that this is the first person to be a part of their life, they become infatuated - believe they've fallen in love with this person. Is this just a variation of Stockholm Syndrome? Or does it have its own name? This isn't a personal dilemma, is it? It's a trap! Lol.
PhDwannabe Posted October 11, 2011 Posted October 11, 2011 Appolinaria's right, you'll find it under the subheading of attachment disorders in Post Traumatic Stress literature. http://en.m.wikipedi...stress_disorder I'm a grad-level PTSD researcher. As described, this is not anywhere close to PTSD.
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