News Can Watching Violent/scary Movies Cause Ptsd?

[Hashi]

The movies and TV shows don't even have to be scary to cause the PTSD.

H89, I don't think anyone's doubting your diagnosis of PTSD and nor am I. With regard to the cause, are you saying that post-traumatic stress disorder can come from something which isn't traumatic? Or that for some reason, what's non-traumatic to other people was perceived by you as traumatic?

You don't seem to be saying what the actual trauma was to cause PTSD, either real trauma or perceived as real and therefore with the same effect. To say it was caused by TV shows or actors isn't sufficient - it would be like saying PTSD was due to being in a room, or due to a woman. "Being in a room" or "a woman" isn't a cause of PTSD. The fear arising from what that woman specifically did in that room, or what the sufferer thought might happen, could be a cause. What was the fear? What was traumatic? If you said that maybe we could understand better where you're coming from.

 

[The Hermit King]

Maybe on some shrooms or LSD? I don't know. I love horror movies, books and video games. Who knows man I get into that stuff too and maybe it could mess with your brain. I am not saying yes or no. I am merely making a useless contribution to this thread and I should probably just shut up and go back into hermit mode where I belong.

 

[Abstract]

I "see" (inside my head) the scenes play out in perfect detail When I flashback to my greatgrandmother(as I mentioned in previous posts) it's just her face I see. I'm terrified of the PEOPLE not necessarily the genre of the television shows and movies.

I too am not doubting your ptsd and think most of the posts on this thread aren't either. There are few things that I think may be interfering with you being heard on here.

The one is listing or discussing your phobia symptoms. Phobias are very different to PTSD. You have been diagnosed with both but for this discussion it would aid you to leave out the phobia stuff. Phobias are often started off by something deeply upsetting in childhood but other times something separate that is upsetting gets attached to the object of the phobia. Phobias can be about anything at all and don't have to be about something that is deeply terrifying, horrifying or violating. Phobias usually cause panic attacks, fear, avoidance ANS reactions. But phobias wouldn't have flashbacks as a symptom and they are totally different to trauma or PTSD.

The other thing I think that is impeding you being heard is that you haven't actually said what you felt when you watched what you flashback to and why you found it upsetting or what the general content of it is/was. I understand that could be upsetting for you to discuss. I understand you are saying you don't flashback to abuse scenes. I hate to say this as it is suggestive but I would also wonder why you see your grandmothers face. I know you see it as secondary to the film but I do wonder. We don't always remember everything.

Lastly I do think it is possible that your mind has somehow got its wires crossed and that your flashbacks are about your abuse. You say it doesn't upset you to discuss your abuse but I have been there in the past and refused to accept that things had affected me and no matter how much therapists insisted.

You say your mother had the attitude that if you are afraid that you face what makes you afraid and do not run away. I wonder if in your childs mind you could have linked that need and those thoughts to other parts of your life and your feelings and that that could have deeply affected you and the films became the link or the dumping ground for all the rest. Sometimes judgements like this (your mothers) make trauma worse in my opinion.

So my advice would be to stop discussing anything related to your phobias if you continue your discussion here and explain what it was that was traumatic in the true sense as PTSD is about horror, terror, being personally invaded and extreme helplessness.

Regardless I wish you healing and strongly recommend you discuss the abuse with a trauma therapist if you are not doing so already. Denial is bizarrely powerful and deviously clever thing.

 

[InHell11]

An interesting post from you.

Yes, we all are actor playing our own role on this big stage earth. Accurate, there is big history that how hearing, watching or visualizing story can affect on one's mind.

I agree hearing, watching and visualizing a story can affect ones mind, I just don't think it can cause PTSD in most circumstances. I mean there is a very real difference at least to me between watching a violent movie and actually being in a dangerous situation. But of course what one sees, hears and watches affects their mind but that effect is not always PTSD.

 

[InHell11]

Maybe on some shrooms or LSD? I don't know. I love horror movies, books and video games. Who knows man I get into that stuff too and maybe it could mess with your brain.

I could see that potentially, I watched Pink Floyd's movie The Wall on shrooms a couple years ago and it was pretty horrible. Can't say whether it was traumatic enough to cause PTSD since I already had it at the time, I don't think it helped though. I think it would have to seem like reality though...I mean I didn't really totally freak out till a rather convincing hallucination but I am sure the watching of The Wall triggered it.

I kind of figured it was not the best idea since that movie is pretty deep and rather disturbing if you really pay attention to it, especically considering the effects of psychedelics.

 

[H89]

I am on my cell so I apologize in advance for any typos. First of all I would like to correct the latest poster who asked why I keep seeing my grandmothers face. It's not my grandmothers face I am scared of, it is my GREAT grandmothers. My great grandmother never abused me. Moving on, a few of you asked me to describe the traumatic event around my fear of the actors and my GREAT grandmother. There isn't one in the traditional sense. All I felt the first time(and still feel) I laid eyes on the people I react to was pure terror. I didn't think I was going to die, and in the case of the actors I knew I was watching a fictional show/movie. For me it is extreme fear with no other thoughts until I start flashing.
My heart races,my entire body sweats, I can not think clearly.

 

[Abstract]

In that case H89 it is a phobia. That is an exact description of a phobia.

If you did not originally (when you were first exposed to those programmes) feel overwhelming fear, terror, invasion or extreme helplessness then there is no link to PTSD in any possible way.

My heart races,my entire body sweats, I can not think clearly

This is a normal phobia reaction.

 

[safenow]

This is a normal phobia reaction.

I agree with abstract
safenow

 

[H89]

I don't like getting into the extent my condition has prevented me from leading a normal life. But I will go into a bit of detail, so you guys can better understand how this impacts me.

I can't be in a situation without having anxiety where I can't control what music is playing(triggers flashbacks if a song was played in a movie or show), what the TV is turned on to, what magazines are around, what people are talking about(entertainment wise) for fear of seeing or hearing something about a person I react to and that I will start having a flashback. Examples of places I can barely go into are: doctors offices, stores, and even gas stations.
I no longer eat at sit down restaurants(because I can't control what music is playing or what they are showing on the TV). I can not handle large crowds at all which makes my anxiety in public worse.

Becasue of the reasons I listed above, I've almost become housebound.

I can't watch any movies and TV shows those actors are or have been in, it's NOT just the one show or movie I first saw them in. Also I can't watch a show or movie if I know there is an actor that has worked with the person I react to(that causes me anxiety as well).

My flashbacks get worse around certain dates. I'm very happy Christmas is over because I loathe it due to a televison episode I saw. Another date for me is when a certain film was released. Yet another date is when a show went off the air. I'm a nervous wreck around award season( I live in the US so I'm talking about the golden globes, the oscars, the emmys, and the grammy awards.)

We had to obtain a DVR from our cable company because I can no longer watch any shows LIVE in case I'm triggered by something(music,etc) or someone. One of the actors I react to currently voices the ads for a petfood company so no commercial watching for me.

I can't go see a movie in the theatre unless I know what previews are going to be shown.

I have nightmares, I can't stand loud and/or sudden noises(I startle very easily), I have panic attacks on a daily basis, I have flashbacks on a daily basis. I have problems with my temper if I am having a bad day.

Things as simple as the clothing a person is wearing can remind me of a certain TV or movie scene(when I was 11 I freaked out over a pair of slippers my mother was wearing because they reminded me of a scene in a TV show). Things like that still trigger me. I haven't taken a bath(I take showers only) in six years because even sitting in a tub makes me flash back to a certain episode.

Three years ago I had to purchase(with the help of a family member) an entire new bedroom set because my old set was causing me anxiety and flashbacks. My old bedroom set came from my GREAT grandmother's guest room. Just knowing where the set came from was enough to cause me serious issues.

 

[Hashi]

a few of you asked me to describe the traumatic event around my fear of the actors and my GREAT grandmother. There isn't one in the traditional sense. .

H89,

Your PTSD has to have been caused by a traumatic event. I believe there was one, but this hasn't been identified in any sense. You're identifying a reaction - terror - not an event. You're identifying a situation - watching TV shows - not a trauma. At this point you don't know what caused the terror, so at this point you don't know what caused the PTSD.

I think the psychologist has done you a terrible disservice. Professionals can be mistaken and I'm afraid I think he was, to decide the TV shows and actors were the cause. I don't think he was mistaken in diagnosing PTSD. I'm sorry for how you're suffering and the effect on your life.

You seem completely unwilling to change your view on the cause of your PTSD or to consider other possibilities including associations, displacement and unrecovered memories. That's your right. I can only suggest that, given what you say, it doesn't seem to have helped you at all to treat the TV shows as the cause, in fact just the opposite.

I'll back out now and wish you all the best.

 

[Abstract]

I wasn't going to come back to this but am going to do one more. H89, I agree with Hashi entirely. I too think your psychologist has done you a very great disservice. From what you describe there is no way that these television programmes caused you trauma and therefore PTSD.

I have personally experienced how completely one can believe that something has not affected them. What this psychologist has done is give you a reason to intensify your denial and avoid dealing with what you need to deal with - your childhood abuse. It is not at all uncommon for trauma to be displaced and become attached to something unrelated that happened to be in the environment at the time. And for that to become a trigger.

In order to get better we have to directly face and deal with the trauma.

I wish you healing.

 

[Blondie362]

I have to be careful what I watch and read, anything films that contain extreme violence torture rape is a no go.. personally for me its a definitive trigger.