History Main / NotUsedToFreedom

!! Examples:

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* ''LightNovel/VioletEvergarden'': the titular Violet was a former WildChild turned ChildSoldier. Her first priority when she is able to write is to ask for her commander for orders. The first attempt to rehabilitate her fails due to her rejecting her foster family and desperate pleading for any orders from her beloved Major Gilbert that she is given a job to help her cope.

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* In Kurt Vonnegut's ''Literature/BreakfastOfChampions'', [[CloudCuckoolander Kilgore Trout]], knowing he will be away from his apartment for a while, grants his pet canary "three wishes". First, he opens its cage. Then, he opens his apartment window. The canary steps out, and then immediately darts back in. Kilgore calls this "the best use of three wishes I've ever seen".

* ''ComicBook/NoMansLand'': in the early months of the anarchic post-Cataclysm Gotham City, Batman frees a group of civilians from Scarface, only to find that the people need leadership and protection to survive, and don't much care who it comes from. He is forced to become a "warlord" in his own right, even recruiting Scarface's lieutenants to act for him instead;

The OldSoldier and TheOldConvict can suffer from it, as can a SlaveRace, a ServantRace, or a CultDefector.

Related to FreedomFromChoice, HappinessInSlavery, HopeIsScary, {{Manchild}}, QuicksandBox, TheresNoPlaceLikeHome, JustGotOutOfJail. Can be a consequence of StockholmSyndrome. May be a factor in a soldier going FromCamouflageToCriminal, if they turn to crime because they couldn't adjust to civilian life.

->''"Believe what you want. These walls are funny. First, you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them."''

* ''FanFic/TraitorsFace'': After spending her entire childhood in a small cage, [[spoiler:Katara]] often feels unsafe in new surroundings after being freed. [[spoiler:Bloodbending helps her to get over this fear, though.]]

* Jayne Cobb is on the verge of it in the ''{{Franchise/Firefly}}'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/96304 Salvage Mission]]'' when Mal buys his freedom after he was tortured by thr Alliance and then sold as a slave. He’s way too docile compared to his usual self. He follows Mal’s prompts to come with him and board the shuttle, but has to be told to sit down. He thinks he’s Mal’s slave since Mal bought him and Mal has to remind him that he doesn’t go for that. Jayne is scared the crew sees him as a sellout despite Mal feeling indebted because Jayne’s actions kept everyone else from being captured. He’s also struggling with the lingering torture effects and the fact that he was used as a BreedingSlave for a while. He fears the crew will hate him if they know everything, despite Mal assuring him that they have missed him and want him back. He begs Mal to shoot him, thinking he can’t live in normal society again, but Mal won’t give up on him so easily.

* Jayne Cobb is on the verge of it in the ''{{Franchise/Firefly}}'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/96304 Salvage Mission]]'' when Mal buys his freedom after he was tortured by thr Alliance and then sold as a slave He’s way too docile compared to his usual self and follow’s Mal’s prompts to come with him and board the shuttle, but has to be told to sit down. He thinks he’s Mal’s slave since Mal bought him and Mal has to remind him that he doesn’t go for that. Jayne is scared the crew sees him as a sellout despite Mal feeling indebted because Jayne’s actions kept everyone else from being captured and struggling with the lingering torture effects and the fact that he was used as a BreedingSlave for a while. He begs Mal to shoot him, thinking he can’t live in normal society again, but Mal won’t give up on him so easily.

* Jayne Cobb is on the verge of it in the ''{{Franchise/Firefly}}'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/96304 Salvage Mission]]'' when Mal buys his freedom after he was tortured by thr Alliance and then sold as a slave He’s way too docile compared to his usual self and follow’s Mal’s prompts to come with him and board the shuttle, but has to be told to sit down. He thinks he’s Mal’s slave since Mal bought him and Mal has to remind him that he doesn’t go for that. Jayne is scared the crew sees him as a sellout despite Mal feeling indebted because Jayne’s actions kept everyone else from being captured and struggling with the lingering torture effects and the face he was used as a BreedingSlave. He begs Mal to shoot him, thinking he can’t live in normal society again, but Mal won’t give up on him so easily.

* Jayne Cobb is on the verge of it in the ''{{Franchise/Firefly}}'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/96304 Salvage Mission]]'' when Mal buys his freedom from slavery. He’s way too docile compared to his usual self and follow’s Mal’s prompts to come with him and board the shuttle, but has to be told to sit down. He asks Mal what work he wants done, fully expecting Mal to continue using him as a slave, despite knowing that’s not who Mal is. He tries to get Mal to just shoot him, believing that he’s beyond being able to live with the crew again. He also thinks the crew thinks he sold them out. Being tortured physically and mentally and made a BreedingSlave has contributed greatly to his condition.

** This is a major theme in the ''Fanfic/{{Eleutherophobia}}'' series, whose title means "the fear of freedom". In ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'', Tom takes a while to get used to the fact that there's no longer [[PuppeteerParasite another presence in his mind]] and he can move on his own now.

* ''Fanfic/MaybeSproutWings'': After being rescued from slavery by Castiel, Dean is confused and terrified when Castiel treats him as a houseguest and equal. Castiel has been warned about this, but he still has a hard time giving Dean the structure he was trained to need as a slave.

* Jayne Cobb is on the verge of it in the ''{{Franchise/Firefly}}'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/96304 Salvage Mission]]'' when Mal buys his freedom from slavery. He’s way too docile compared to his usual self and follow’s Mal’s prompts to come with him and board the shuttle, but has to be told to sit down. He asks Mal what work he wants done, fully expecting Mal to continue using him as a slave, despite knowing that’s not who Mal is. He tries to get Mal to just shoot him, believing that he’s beyond being able to live with the crew again.

* This is a major theme in the ''Fanfic/{{Eleutherophobia}}'' series, whose title means "the fear of freedom". In ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'', Tom takes a while to get used to the fact that there's no longer [[PuppeteerParasite another presence in his mind]] and he can move on his own now.

* In ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'', [[spoiler:[[OldConvict Brooks]] hangs himself because he can no longer cope with freedom after 50 years in prison. Red also has a hard time adjusting to the society, but thankfully, Andy's there for him.]]

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* ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar'': Whenever Marlene, who was born in captivity, steps one foot outside the zoo walls she becomes a feral, mindless snarling beast that's incapable of reason.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'', Blu the parrot is let out of his cage. He greatly misses the cage and doesn't know how to stay safe.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'', Rango the lizard lives in a box but then is forced to live in the desert. He has trouble both fitting in and even staying alive.

* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', Kanao was sold as a slave from a very young age, which turned her into an EmotionlessGirl who will not do anything unless told to. Even after she was freed and became a hunter, if she receives no orders, she initially relies on a coin toss to decide her actions. It takes [[AllLovingHero Tanjirou's]] intervention for her heart to start opening up again and learn to make her own decisions.