Drawn towards law/crime tv shows…?

[LucyLou]

Hi! So i had my first session back and it was OK. She has said that i should be curious about why it is I can read/watch all the horrible things around true crime/drawn to law and order SVU but can't talk about my trauma. I don't know, I guess I've never really thought about it I this a trauma related thing?

 

[arfie]

in my strictly personal case, i believe it is a form of "normalizing" when i get lost in crime shows and made for tv dramas. a way to assure myself that i am not alone in my suffering. i gain similar effects from peer support exchanges with the super bennie of keeping it personal and real.

 

[Lost in the Woods]

Interesting, I can’t watch stuff like that without grasping the seat cushion, any violence at all. Even hearing about violence makes me cringe. On the other hand I am getting better at talking about what I remember but so much is blacked out, in one case, a whole year.

 

[anthony]

I thinks its something along the lines of trying to desensitize yourself to events surrounding your trauma. I don't really like true crime, law and order type shows, but I watch military movies and action shows (even though most are far from accurate of the human body or abilities), as a way to try and keep myself desensitized to things surrounding my own trauma history. I was never that way inclined prior to exiting the Army... but am now after the fact with combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian trauma exposure. Not addicted to them, but I do periodically watch those type of shows intentionally, just to gauge my reaction. Some impact, most do not.

 

[whiteraven]

For me, I think it's a couple of things. These shows are typically orderly--by the end of the show the crime has been solved, and in many cases, the victim finds justice. I tend to watch shows where I know the characters well, and they feel familiar and safe. But also, my dad raised me on horror from a very young age, so it might just be what I'm used to.

 

[Lost in the Woods]

You are right. Unlike life, they all have “closure” in 30 minutes.

 

[Starfish]

in my strictly personal case, i believe it is a form of "normalizing" when i get lost in crime shows and made for tv dramas. a way to assure myself that i am not alone in my suffering. i gain similar effects from peer support exchanges with the super bennie of keeping it personal and real.

I notice that I am drawn to crime solving shows that keep me guessing but fast forward or shut my eyes when the violence occurs and I tend to pick these types of movies and often consider romantic movies stupid and I fast forward when a long kiss or bedroom scene comes up. I've chocked it up (without too much analysis) to my ptsd. As a child and then into adulthood always trying to figure out ways to get attention and be loved by my parents....my mind never stopping..........and still continues.
If the movie gives me a break from my self-depreciating thoughts then I will keep watching and quit judging why I am drawn to these types of entertainment.

 

[Sues]

I am able to deal with a lot of horrific stuff whether it's watching a show or in real life. I work in the medical field and I can jump into the trauma and emergency situations and keep a cool head. And with all of the horrible stuff I survived, watching shows like that is more normal than not. It feels like my brain processes emergency and horrible stuff differently than others. I also am drawn to the horrific stuff. It's like I when you can't look away from something no matter how bad it is because you just have to see what it is and what happens. I always figured I was strange and built different. Now I accredit it to the trauma I suffered.

 

[Friday]

Does part of your trauma history actually INCLUDE those agencies, or is it simply a puzzle around familiar things / engaging characters & character arcs?

- I happen to ADORE detective/whodunnit/sherlock-shit. It’s interesting, engaging, curious, challenging, familiar, head tilt… or not, and I flick past without a second thought… but with engaging writing/acting/plots?!? OMFG. Loooooove. Fun. Familiar. Delightful. Sometimes difficult but only as a sharp edge on the “how correct” something may or may not be. Dismiss if stupid. Delve into even deeper if true.
- I DGAF about true crime. It’s boring as f*ck. Stuff & Nonsense… by EEDJITS. Hard pass.
- I HATE/REVILE/REFUSE anything/everything NCIS. But? I’ve actually DEALT WITH the NCIS/it’s part of my trauma history. And can f*ck right off. Full stop.

 

[Sues]

Does part of your trauma history actually INCLUDE those agencies, or is it simply a puzzle around familiar things / engaging characters & character arcs?

Yes to both. My abuser was LAPD and every time I had to deal with police of any city (there were several involved over the years), they supported my abuser, including refusing to enforce the restraining orders which included the DA's office with several incidents.

I've also had trauma from being pulled over by sheriffs due to my license plates being suppressed through the Safe at Home program. I still have trouble driving in certain areas because of it. I now have my DMV records open because all the police depts around here run all the plates as they are driving down the street on a regular basis. I've been pulled over several times because my plates come back as not registered. This feels very unsafe and scary to me, so it's not worth it to have my plates locked up.

I also enjoy the hunting of monsters while watching these shows.