Recovery after kidnapping

Typical effects

Withdrawal is the consequence for many victims, who may also change eating and sexual habits and lose or put on weight. Physical problems such as headaches, dizziness, stomach trouble, rashes and other psychosomatic ailments may occur. A feeling of going crazy is common, and some victims turn to drugs or alcohol. Without adequate care and support, such problems may last.

What can a survivor do?

If you are offered professional help, please accept it. Debriefing is often the first assistance you may get. It may be provided by the police, the army or a humanitarian organisation, which may hire psychiatrists or psychologists with knowledge of trauma treatment, or by trained volunteers or staff. It is a chance to talk things through and may indicate possible trauma effects. Use these opportunities to find out whether you need therapy — therapy is more effective the earlier it is applied.

Some victims do not get much support. Depending on where they live and the resources available, they may not get a proper debriefing and are left to fend for themselves. Good therapists may be expensive, and in some countries well-trained therapists are rare.

There are self-help books on the market offering a range of tools against trauma effects. Unfortunately, they typically contain comprehensive discussions and numerous exercises that may be far too much for troubled victims to handle.