Triggering movies and books

[GrowingTree]

For me, Kung Fu Panda 2 was a small trigger. Because of Po's adoption, and my own. I've always felt like I didn't quite belong. And though it isn't a movie, the ABC Family show, Switched at Birth, caused a hard trigger for me. I was unable to watch the show for a few weeks.

Cyberbully was a hard trigger, as I was always bullied heavily throughout age 5 up to my teen years. When I became suicidal, I had no friends or family there for me. They all chose to ignore me. Most of my friends left me because of how my status was effecting theirs. Watching this movie the third time was when it triggered. I curled up into a ball and was unable to move or stop crying for a while.

Freedom Writers, though one of my favourite movies, was also a trigger. The hatred they dealt with for their skin colour, is so similar to what i've delt with for being Jewish.

A lot of my favourite bands, such as Linkin Park, are occasionally triggers. But they more help me deal with things.

Sometimes, it's just watching commercials about abuse or racism or bullying. Those are all triggers for me. The worst is when I see videos or shows or commercials for the kids in poverty homes that are abused, because I didn't grow up in a poverty-neighborhood or around an extreme amount of crime, but I dealt with racism, abuse, and bullying, and never had anybody there.

 

[Abrasky]

For me any horror movie is a trigger and Lord of the Rings. That creature in Lord of the Rings is a trigger. Horror movies just capture that same feeling I felt like living with my family on a daily basis.

Lord of the flies is another one.

 

[Kimpersonal]

Mommy Dearest. Carrie. Sybil.

Anything with occult/religious/satanic connotations.

Even recalling some scenes will still cause me mega-anxiety/despair.

I have a really prolonged/bizarre journey with the book and movie of Sybil ... very difficult to explain the entire dynamics/chronology of my introduction to her story ... and culminating so many, many years later when my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder. Odd indeed!

I know for a fact that for my Mother, the movie which triggered her the worst was the Exorcist. Just give that some thought ... ugh.

I think I'm going to be sick again very soon. Here we go ... self-induced exposure. Why did I do this? Why do I torment myself like this?

 

[freakofnurture]

I get very irritated by 'happy' movies like Romantic Comedies, I can't watch them. Everything inside me screams "That's a lie, it's all a lie and bullshit and you are all idiots!" and then I beg my husband to change the channel.

Anyways, I wish in a dark corner of my heart, I could have been like that stupid animated leopard and just said "whatever, person who raised me. I'm taking what's mine and leaving. to hell with you and your well being."

Hah, seriously though, that corner isn't dark, it's sane, just and concerned with self-preservation.

 

[Chincho]

Law & Order SVU generally triggers me, especially if the victim is a child. I still love the show though.
Some CSI episodes are triggering.
I even got triggered by a House episode last night!
I don't watch many movies, I can't concentrate that long.

 

[Hashi]

A Clockwork Orange - vile, vile movie.

The Joker in the Batman film The Dark Knight.

The last scene about Margot's best friend (the photographer) in Tell No One - that was hideous for me, and I was angry because it wasn't even a good film and I wished I hadn't bothered to watch it.

Just hearing about any book by Brett Easton Ellis but especially Less Than Zero, which I mistakenly read about 10 years ago and am still haunted by.

I recently watched an old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film, thought it would be fun and take my mind off things, and was really triggered by a scene where she's (comically) drugged. Ugh, can't I safely watch anything???

Thank you for this thread, it's strangely cathartic.

 

[712xx]

Alice in Wonderland (movie and book) ... I had a few 'uncles' that resembled that caterpillar, and other things, but mostly the surreal environment.

The Cat and the Devil by James Joyce

anything by or resembles Johann Faust or Aleister Crowley

Most cult-y and religious things in general (including holiday specials and books)

And like FoN said, I don't like romantic type scenes in anything either.

 

[freakofnurture]

The Joker in the Batman film The Dark Knight.

It's really strange how some things are experienced as triggers by some, while others experience them as relaxing.

Although, I surely wouldn't have such fangirly feelings for the DK Joker, had I ever gotten on the wrong side of someone like him in real life. As it is, I find a lot of myself in the Joker and I feel very much alive while watching him anarchise through Gotham.

I really wonder if there's a significant correlation between type of trauma and reaction to genres of/archetypes in entertainment media.

 

[Kimpersonal]

Dear 712xx,

I think you and I need to have a chat. We may be able to give one another some unique support ??? From so many of your posts I detect the underlying basis of our complex trauma is strangely similar. I have some things I would love to ask you ... but afraid to cross the line in the forum. Make sense?

 

[712xx]

Dear Kimpersonal,

I sent you a message. Don't worry, no concrete or fishes were in it. Only a donkey, a coward, and a run away -- doesn't have a punch line though. I prefer grape over punch anyway.

And to add to the topic -- I'm not too fond of James Bond films. I've never seen them, but the ads and posters and things -- they just creep me out.

 

[jibber]

I saw Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the theatre when it came out. I'd somehow managed to not hear anything about the book or movie so I had no idea there was a rape scene involved until one of my friends started talking about how nervous she was to watch it (I chuckled a bit in my head, thinking YOU'RE nervous?). During the actual scenes I was basically in the fetal position in the chair with my face down not watching. Add that one to the list....

 

[712xx]

:(jibber, me too. Thankfully, I rented it from Amazon, so I was at home (I don't go to movie theaters anymore). I had to mute and turn away during the violent scenes. I did end up watching all 3 movies (subtitled). And that last one where he buried her alive, I thought maybe I was having a heart attack or stroke of my own, like a mini panic attack, watching that. I was proud of myself for sticking with it and watching all 3. I think my curiosity and fascination with Noomi Rapace kept me watching more than anything. :inlove: