Under stress hostages tend to become hypervigilant and jumpy, but the need to remain calm is paramount. Small things become of vital importance - the availability of food and fresh water, and washing and toilet facilities. For many hostages, the lack of hygiene is one of the hardest things to bear, especially if the captivity is long. To be unable to go to the toilet in private, or to clean yourself, reverses some of the most basic habits we are taught as small children. As well as being physically repulsive, it can take a considerable psychological toll.
Fear is the ever-present emotion.
Building any kind of relationship with the hostage-takers can be improve the victims' chances of survival. When even a slight movement might invite a blow from an angry hijacker, the hostage's mind plans strategies, remembers loved ones, builds up hopes and tries to counter despair. Families Special challenges face families who are kidnapped together - like the German tourist Werner Gunter Kort, who was seized by the Abu Sayyaf group with his wife and son. It is easier to face the trials of captivity with your loved ones, but for parents there is always the fear that their children might become a target for violence. And for children, the psychological effects can be more acute if they see their parents suffer.