Anxious Because of Horror Movies?

[JooneBug37]

A month ago, I (a 14 year old) saw probably the most vile, disgusting movie ever made. I’m not going to say what the movie is because I don’t want anyone else to watch it. Many ADULTS apparently couldn’t sit through the movie, and yet I, a 14 year old, watched it. I haven’t watched all of it, just enough to know I’ll never watch it again.
Anyway, after watching it and being disgusted, I kind of forgot about it. Until about a day ago, when I remembered it again.
After that, I went into anxiety mode. I was anxious for the rest of the day, I felt very gloomy, I lost my appetite, I felt tired (could this be part of the reason why I feel anxious?) but I couldn’t fall asleep, etc.
I felt like I was feeling way too anxious over just a movie. Could there be another reason I was this anxious?
Part of th reason I felt anxious about the movie seemed to be because I enjoyed some parts of the movie. My paraphilia(s) made me enjoy some aspects of the movies. Does anyone have experience with paraphilias here?
I feel like I’m sensing a pattern here. I get anxious over something. I eventually forget about it. About a month later, I get anxious over something else. Them I forget about it, etc.
Does anyone here have any advice on how to deap with any of this? Almost anything would be helpful :)

[MyNameIsTerry]

You will probably find more people than you would realise feel like this at times. Not just graphic movies but about the news or horrific historical events such as the Holocaust, human experimentation, etc.

Sometimes something gets right under your skin and it affects you. Don't visitors to places like Auschwitz report being so deeply affected by what they saw? Not being affected would make less sense.

It will pass. Sometimes you are triggered into remembering something and you experience the same feelings or to a lesser extent. How many people say watching something was upsetting enough to mean they won't watch it again?

I've had times where I was eating something and was put off and for a long time I would associate that with the food so wouldn't eat it again for a long time. That was long before my anxiety.

I think you have to be careful reading too much into this stuff because you don't realise how common it is in the general population. It doesn't have to be about mental health although it can make it a more difficult situation for various reasons.

I didn't know you were 14. I've responded on a few of your threads about intrusive thoughts and given the emotive themes you've struggled with I think it's very important you have a professional guiding you through all this.

Did you watch it as a test of your feelings about your worries? Or maybe to attempt to validate your perceptions of paraphilias?

I know some about paraphilias, and I know we've discussed this before on another thread, but this is complicated stuff and it concerns me that you may attempt to label yourself incorrectly. That's not to say you shouldn't be talk on here, just that having someone trained to steer you is very important. I've seen other young people attempt to falsely label themselves with paraphilias in their OCD and it was just another way to try to label themselves into what they feared.

This film will be nagging you at the moment. Steering your mind towards other things will help loosen it's effects. So get out for a walk, cut down time sat thinking about this, engage in something you enjoy or even something mundane that draws your mind away from your thoughts.

[ankietyjoe]

This is the reason I don't watch horror movies, I've never liked them. I don't understand people that do enjoy them.

Modern horror films have absolutely refined the art of a) being way too gory/horrific and b) just plain terrifying.

The best thing to do is try your best not to think about it too much and let the effects of it pass. And of course....don't watch them again.

[JooneBug37]

You will probably find more people than you would realise feel like this at times. Not just graphic movies but about the news or horrific historical events such as the Holocaust, human experimentation, etc.

Sometimes something gets right under your skin and it affects you. Don't visitors to places like Auschwitz report being so deeply affected by what they saw? Not being affected would make less sense.

It will pass. Sometimes you are triggered into remembering something and you experience the same feelings or to a lesser extent. How many people say watching something was upsetting enough to mean they won't watch it again?

I've had times where I was eating something and was put off and for a long time I would associate that with the food so wouldn't eat it again for a long time. That was long before my anxiety.

I think you have to be careful reading too much into this stuff because you don't realise how common it is in the general population. It doesn't have to be about mental health although it can make it a more difficult situation for various reasons.

I didn't know you were 14. I've responded on a few of your threads about intrusive thoughts and given the emotive themes you've struggled with I think it's very important you have a professional guiding you through all this.

Did you watch it as a test of your feelings about your worries? Or maybe to attempt to validate your perceptions of paraphilias?

I know some about paraphilias, and I know we've discussed this before on another thread, but this is complicated stuff and it concerns me that you may attempt to label yourself incorrectly. That's not to say you shouldn't be talk on here, just that having someone trained to steer you is very important. I've seen other young people attempt to falsely label themselves with paraphilias in their OCD and it was just another way to try to label themselves into what they feared.

This film will be nagging you at the moment. Steering your mind towards other things will help loosen it's effects. So get out for a walk, cut down time sat thinking about this, engage in something you enjoy or even something mundane that draws your mind away from your thoughts.

It’s going to be hard finding someone who’s an expert on paraphilias.

Today I had another thought that concerns me. I had a thought of harming someone the same way the killer did in the horror film, and now I’m analyzing the thought to find out if it’s an intrusive thought, a thought I had because I “love” violence, or a thought that was part of my “sexual sadism” (I’m still not sure I have it, I might need to find a professional). Gah! This is driving me crazy! But talking about it and writing it down is making me feel significantly better.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's more psychologists for that I expect. But you could try a therapist who is experienced in OCD for intrusive thoughts which are mainly about sex, abuse, violence, etc.

Intrusive thoughts can easily latch onto things like this in the same way any subconscious thought can since much the same is happening to create them. The mind is blurting out garbage all the time but you start to notice it and worry why you are thinking horrible thoughts or just random stuff. Anxiety heightens your awareness of them and reducing anxiety will do the opposite.

Label it as an intrusive thought and accept it. Accept it's ok to have thoughts and they don't have to mean anything. But move on from there and try to stop yourself obsessing over the why's because there are rarely answers with these thoughts other than the processes the mind has to generate them. Accept it's ok to have doubts & worries. Reduce your negative reactions to them which only tell your subconscious they are important when really they are not.

[JooneBug37]

It's more psychologists for that I expect. But you could try a therapist who is experienced in OCD for intrusive thoughts which are mainly about sex, abuse, violence, etc.

Intrusive thoughts can easily latch onto things like this in the same way any subconscious thought can since much the same is happening to create them. The mind is blurting out garbage all the time but you start to notice it and worry why you are thinking horrible thoughts or just random stuff. Anxiety heightens your awareness of them and reducing anxiety will do the opposite.

Label it as an intrusive thought and accept it. Accept it's ok to have thoughts and they don't have to mean anything. But move on from there and try to stop yourself obsessing over the why's because there are rarely answers with these thoughts other than the processes the mind has to generate them. Accept it's ok to have doubts & worries. Reduce your negative reactions to them which only tell your subconscious they are important when really they are not.

But how do I know if it's an intrusive thought, desire or paraphilia? OCD can be very convincing, and sometimes I genuinely think my intrusive thought is a desire or a paraphilia.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, OCD can be very convincing. Many on here would agree with you as it's very sneaky in changing how it attacks you to try to convince you that you are something you fear. You resolve one thought and it attacks from another angle.

Does the thought just pop into your head? As it out of nowhere? Does it scare you? do you find it repulsive or morally wrong? Do you consciously think that you do not want it or the thought itself? These are all clues to an intrusive thought. Triggers can often be subtle and non scary subconscious thoughts (Mind Pops e.g. smell something and feel hungry for a certain food) work in a similar manner.

Intrusive thoughts can be difficult sometimes because we don't always get the expected response. Sometimes the body/mind are just too tired and we don't react the same as we haven't the energy. This can be where someone with OCD starts to worry they are "becoming" what they fear as they expect their OCD to be formulaic in nature.

[venusbluejeans]

probably the most vile, disgusting movie ever made.

The Human Caterpillar then....

[MyNameIsTerry]

The Human Caterpillar then....

I've not see the first or third but have the second. Sick is the only word for it. More bodies to the second one.

In the third it's a prison governor & doctor who decide to do it to the inmates, hundreds of them. Well, if you complain the food is shit...:D

Given the OP has raised a thread about cannibalistic intrusive thoughts, the infamous Cannibal Holocaust sprang to mind. But there are plenty of truly depraved horror nasty's out there much worse than that which was really more controversial because of the real animal abuse and later crime.