Watching Movies...Anxiety symptoms

[Meewah]

Hi All

I am recovering well or so I thought. I took my kids to see Iron man at the movies and I found it really hard to watch. I found myself with aching arms and a strange burning sensation on the back of my hands and forearms. It is really hard to describe, but I feel very really tense and burning as if I have a chemical on the back of my hands. I felt really tense afterwards.

Does anyone else feel like this in high adrenalin Movies. I used to love Movies but now I feel very uncomfortable.

any comments

mee.

[redballoons]

hi
When I see a film that has any kind of "bad" thing happen i get a feeling like "what if that happened to me!?" but instead of just forgetting about it then i obssess over it and think of waaayy too many scenarios where it might happen or what it would be like - it goes on and on. of course then i work myself up into a state and fin that i am getting loads of symptoms of anxiety or having proper panic attacks. I cant watch any fims especially with stabbing in since i have this thing about being stabbed (you can laugh if you want)

sophie

[Marginalia]

I feel like that all the time!

My friends tease me because I have a huge long list of types of films I avoid. I know I can't watch any horror films (even though I am not superstitious and don't believe in ghosts, vampires etc.) - they just work far too well on me. I can't watch thrillers either. In fact, I have learned that generally anything higher than a 12 certificate is usually too violent for me!

I read a book by Elaine Aron called The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Survive and Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. Although I didn't agree with absolutely everything in the book, it really struck a chord with me, and I do really think I am more sensitive to adrenaline than the average person. Hence things like fairground rides, bungee jumping and so on, that people do for thrill-seeking, would just be far too over the top for me. And things which other people find boring or average, are really exciting to me.

However the effects can be moderated by one's own thinking processes. For you it sounds like you're not nearly as 'bad' as I am, at least most of the time. Even I have noticed that when I am in a more robust mood psychologically, especially if I am with a bunch of people I feel safe with, I can take a lot more than if I am feeling fragile, jumpy and alone. It sounds like in your case you were expecting to be totally back to your normal self and it was discovering that you are still vulnerable which shocked you. I believe it just takes some time for your nervous system to readjust so I'd say just take it slowly and work out what your limits are (and they'll probably grow as your confidence grows).

I am very proud that I watched Pulp Fiction, for example. But it took some psyching myself up, and it's not something I'd normally do.

I just decided to stop trying to be 'normal', and to look after myself. If I really want to go to something with friends, I can if necessary 'distance' myself by laughing at everything, or telling myself 'they're only actors' and looking around the cinema at the other people there in the real world. Also, it helps if I've read the book of the film first, or read a synopsis of the plot, so I know what to expect.

Thanks for the warning - people have been recommending Iron Man but if it's a high-adrenaline film I'll definitely give it a miss. Sometimes I just have to stick to early Harry Potter

[Tom_M]

I don't watch movies, the play with my emotions and get me all worked up.

Tom

[never2late]

I read a book by Elaine Aron called The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Survive and Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. Although I didn't agree with absolutely everything in the book, it really struck a chord with me, and I do really think I am more sensitive to adrenaline than the average person. Hence things like fairground rides, bungee jumping and so on, that people do for thrill-seeking, would just be far too over the top for me. And things which other people find boring or average, are really exciting to me.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I cannot tell you how much this post has meant to me. I have just ordered a copy of the book and, after reading your description, along with those at the bookstore web site, I am just blown away by simularities to what goes on with me.

I swear I feel as if I have finally struck gold.

[samtheman]

Only movies I watch now are comedies. Watched "You me and dupree" last night, haven't laughed so much in ages. And you know the great thing about comedies? You feel great after watching them

[Marginalia]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I cannot tell you how much this post has meant to me. I have just ordered a copy of the book and, after reading your description, along with those at the bookstore web site, I am just blown away by simularities to what goes on with me.

I swear I feel as if I have finally struck gold.

I felt that way too. I have tears in my eyes reading your post. Send me a PM when you've read it, if you still feel the same way.

[07sundays]

I thought I was the only one with this problem! I used to love movies, and my number one genre? Horror! I loved it.Especially the "Saw's". I used to love freaky my friends out telling them the storylines etc
Now all I can watch is comedies- but not comedies with anything to do with supernatural/ death ect. Its so lame, I used to love movies and used to do a special FX nakeup course that invloved making people look injured/ dead ect and now i cant beleive I ever did that. I;ve totally changed and I want to be fearless again and ENJOY feeling scared

[Meewah]

Thanx

I am not alone. I was watching a programme on the floods of last year, tonight, on bbc1 and same feelings tightness in the chest, Palps, tingling hands. It seems that what my mind wants to watch my body doesn't!

Iron Man is a 12a and I watched it with my 7 year old son. With my wisdom and life experience it concerned me what anxieties it was feeding.

Why has my whole persona changed?

Thanks for the replies. I can only hope your symptoms can go soon. May be we should start a commune and live together in the country together only exposing ourselves to helpful media. LOL.

Mee

[kaz79]

I went to see Cloverfield and there was a lot of hype saying it made people get motion sickness so I was crapping myself thinking I would have to run out of the cinema but it turned out I was fine