Do you have to monitor watching depressing movies?

@georgette12

I understand what you are saying. What we watch, read and hear can have a profound impact on us emotionally. Take care of yourself today.

Teresa

Hi there ....... Oh YES, YES, YES ..... I am just like you. I really have to either go to bed and read or watch something light. The other night I watched
"Deliverance" and I had nightmares all night. It was awful.
abby

Amberpep....glad you responded. My husband keeps suggesting these movies. We watch old Twilight Zone episodes from the 60s and some of them are really disturbing. Hugs.

Hi georgette ..... I never found the old Twilight Zone programs to be upsetting, but then that depends on the person. But some of the movies they are showing nowadays are downright nightmare-making. I often watch programs either on the Hallmark Channel, TCM (IF when I read what it's about, it's not creepy), and the Animal Planet.. Like you, I have to be careful what I watch and read ..... like they say .... "garbage in/garbage out" ..... or, stuck in my head!
Take care,
abby

Hi, @georgette12 - are you continuing to find you have to monitor what you watch on TV so you don't have bad dreams?

@lisalucier . Hi. Glad you brought this up again. I'm still having to monitor movies and TV . My husband and I have very different experiences. Mine is filled with traumatic loss, regarding children and other stuff. He has no such background. We do resort to Netflix recently. Speaking of Netflix, we found a series called Nurse Jackie which ran a few years ago. We binge watched 7 seasons! Strangely the subject matter did not bother me. It's a dark drama comedy, but I don't have an opioid problem so I found it fascinating .

@georgette12 - I don't have a lot of trauma in my background - more loss of a couple young adult cousins in car accidents, an aunt at 44 and grandparents. I think I'm just a sensitive soul or something, cause some R rated thriller movies, not to mention horror, just freak me out. My husband, who has a quite different personality than mine, does not internalize any of it, and the distinction between himself and fictional movie/TV show is clear. For me ... not so much. I experience much of it as if I were part of the story. I internalize much more and react.

@gingerw @johnhans @sandij @texasduchess also may have some thoughts on watching depressing or scary movies and their mental health - whether it affects them at all.

Do scary movies/TV shows also affect you, @georgette12?

@georgette12 @lisalucier I do monitor what I watch. Some TV shows and movies are too depressing for me to watch. Also I would never binge watch shows with violent content. For instance, I can watch a real criminal justice show, but I would not want to watch more than an hour of that. There was one show where people recounted their experiences of people who almost were killed. I could never watch more than the one hour show so when the next episode came on I switched channels.

@lisalucier I do monitor what I watch. I will do a comedy most times, but will not do many reality shows. I am intrigued by lawyer/medical shows for the details. I also will talk back to the TV if there are errors in technical production. No scary movies for me, no "action" type movies, they seem to be done for the shock value. Very few movies these days interest me.
Ginger

Since quitting Effexor (long-term use for hot flashes), I have some days when anxiety and akathisia break through–weekends are really tough since I don't have the distraction of work. I am mindful of what I watch (nothing frenetic, violent, or disturbing), read (cozy mysteries, or romances), or listen to (no atonal, or dissonant music)–some things are just too agitating. The whole point of disturbing, violent and generally, just horrifying movies and TV shows is to get a reaction and be upsetting. Just say no and turn it off.