Interview about released Marines
Jo Ellen was interviewed today on Radio City Liverpool in her capacity as a psychotherapist to discuss how the British marines might be reacting to their capture and release. Of course none of us can know truly what these young people have been through, but Jo Ellen commented that it may very well be that their military training prepared them for just such an eventuality, and of course they had already been operating under the stress of being on the front lines.
Jo Ellen pointed out that there is a psychological response to hostage situations called the Stockholm Syndrome where the captured begin to identify with their captors. Whether this happened with the marines, of course, we don't know. She was asked of their body language indicated whether their behaviour was a front, and again, Jo Ellen said no one could know, but first, it was clear that their relief was tangible an didn't appear to be a 'front' for the cameras. They were also dressed in suits and not in their military garb and therefore were being 'paraded' for the Iranian people and the world's press and seemed to be coping with the stress of being diplomats very well.
What happens once they are home where they will be treated as heroes is also an unknown. Being seen as a hero for being captured will probably bring its own stresses, and there is also the assumption that they will eventually return for their tours of duty.
If you would like to talk to us about our training, or any of the other professional personal development work we do, call us on
+44 (0)20 7226 1877
or e-mail us at
enquiries@impactfactory.com
