Stalking

by hafkinmarc2013

The topic of being stalked is both provocative and anxiety producing for those who have been in this type of situation. There are two main types of Crisis that individuals may expereince: The first would be considered a Developmental type of crisis which refers to a situation where an individual may have difficulty with coping or may feel overwhelmed in a manner that inhibits functional adaptability. The second type of Crisis would be considered a Situational Crisis, where there is a clear external trigger which causes the crisis i.e. a car accident or traumatic medical issue. For both the Developmental and Situational crisis situations, one of the core factors is emotional and psychological flexibility.

In a stalking situation there is generally a gradual awareness that one is being stalked, data regarding the person maybe accumulated, patterns of behavior maybe observed, feelings of uncomfortableness may seep into one’s awareness. As the crisis develops, the victim may begin to feel a sense of being threatened and the anxiety level increases to the point of either going for help or trying to disappear. To flee or stay depends on the person’s general state of emotional development, their support system, and the resources available i.e. police, friends, family and financial base.  The types of responses would also depend on whether the individual had a “normal” reaction to the abnormal situation, they could block out the situation from their consciousness or not be able to have the coping ability to respond to the crisis.

In the case of trying to disappear, a person may feel a sense of alienation from the world and go to the emotional place where everyone is a potential threat and isolation becomes a factor to consider when treating this type of person. The response of fleeing or disappearing is often the case when the individual perceives, that there is a clear case of danger to life. The fleeing person may have activated their unresolved conflicts of attachment and the crisis triggers a situation where a person feels like they have overtaxed their capacity to cope. The process of disappearing taxes a person’s flexibility when attempting to create a new life. Building a new life brings up who can be trusted? Will there be a job? Where can I work? And most importantly how is it possible to create a new sense of safety and security.

By Dr. Marc Hafkin

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