Do You Feel Drawn to Disaster / Fantasy Movies?

[hodge]

This is something I've noticed in myself for awhile now, and wondered if anyone else feels drawn to disaster and fantasy movies. It came up in therapy today and my psych said it made sense that I was drawn to these kinds of movies, because in viewing them I'm working on my stuff - but at a remove. I can't, for example, watch a lot of crime shows because they're too true to everyday life and triggering for me. But I sometimes like to watch certain kinds of disaster/monster movies (but not slasher/horror ones!!), and I love The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films, because they're not so ordinary. Yet, in such movies, I get to see characters dealing with out-of-the-ordinary challenges, and usually the plot resolves positively. Anyone else?

[Jim]

Evie most definitely. However. Suppose I should let her answer for herself ! ;-)

Jim.

[Marlene]

Hodge,

I'm adding books to mine (because I read a lot more than I watch movies). Same genre, though. I was just having a discussion about this with an fellow employee yesterday. He said that he reads the newspaper and that's it. I said if I'm going to spend my time reading, I want something that will give me a total escape from reality.

Books or movies, I think it's the same reasons-an escape from reality and a morality play. No matter what happens in these stories, the good guys will get through it and the bad guys will receive their punishment. That doesn't always happen in real life no matter how much we wish it would.

Lisa

[veiled]

I am not drawn to any type of movie. I like fantasy. But there is no such thing as a story, show, or movie without conflict of some sort. Otherwise it would not be a story. So I cannot say I am attracted to one over another because of some conflict as they all have them.

[goingonhope]

I feel as if I have to answer 'it depends', because I could answer both yes or no and all depending......

It has been nearly a yr. since I've felt almost compulsively drawn to disaster movie. But, my ideas of disaster is broad. Then, I was drawn to all the psychological thrillers, domestic violence drama's, catastrophes, svu & criminal intent shows, movies with the theme of betrayal............everything dark pretty much. My only requirement was that it was real, based on reality, possible and believable. Yes, then drawn to anything and everything depicting a disaster or a disastrous life/lifestyle. And, the requirement was that these movies all had either perpetrators and victims, and/or victims of natural disasters.

It was like, it gave me something/someone (actor/actress on tv) & (victim) to relate to and not feel so alone in the world. It hurt to know, identify, understand to well and got me feeling some emotion. Emotion can be a nice treat when sick'n'tired of emotional numbness. There was only so much joy of living, cheeriness and lightness I could handle then before I'd need a fix of disaster, and for me, just to reinforce pers. beliefs about people and this world.

And, I could answer No, because truly in the last near yr. I've viewed just over a dozen shows or movies and that's it. And, a funny thing, the movies are all movies I've once dreaded viewing, ie. comedies, light inspirational drama's, movies about miracles, ect. ect.

But, I did answer it depends, bc I do think that if I got seriously ill again with my PTSD and feeling despairing, or very angry with the world, or hopelessly numb and trapped, I'd be compulsively back in front of those same dark/disaster movies.

[batgirl]

I voted yes. Not much else to say right now as I'm not well but I might comment more later.

[nobody]

I like romance movies... I guess I'm a little feminine. :P

[Awakening]

I voted no. Infact, I avoid them. I'm more a comedy, romantic movie goer. Occasionally a drama depending on content. Always the happy ending! I feel ripped off at open-ended endings or bad ones.
Fantasy I really don't get, but I'm curious as to why people like them.
I think I must be the only person in the western world who hasn't read a Harry Potter book or the lord of the rings. Am I missing out? ;-)

[cactus_jack]

I kinda find them interesting. I get a kick out of pointing out the mistakes they make.

[reallydown]

I voted for "Depends"...most of the time I avoid movies that deal with war, for example...but sometiems they look like good movies so I have to talk myslef out of it...

[nor]

I voted yes.

I saw The Brave One yesterday, and felt great satisfaction when Jodie Foster starting killing all of those who traumatized her. I think I was putting myself in her place. I must be starting the angry phase.

I do like fast paced movies (like Die Hard), but I also like the idealistic romance movies as well. I like to dream.

nor

[kers]

I get very stressed out by movies with loud sounds, anger, violence, etc. So adventure and disaster movies are out for me. It's just too much.

I do enjoy fantasy movies on occassion (like Harry Potter), but only if they aren't very violent. Lord of the Rings was too much for me!

[Lisa]

Oooff, no... i stay well away from anything that has something in it that I could identify with. Unless I am for some reason deliberately punishing myself.

THough I like Harry Potter, Im not really into fantasy either... they freak me out somehow too.

[mightsurvive]

I just adore fantasy movies like Lord of the rings, Pan's Labyrinth, The Labyrynth and anything to do with faires, elves, wizards, magic etc. I think it might be becasue they are not reality and i wish that i didnt live in this reality. Maybe also because i wish that parts of my life could be magicked away. hmmm thats not dealing with stuff though is it and i know thats what i have to do. I also like vampire movies (again probably because its not reality) and movies where people get their revenge (think you can work this one out for yourselves lol).

[morgan]

I like fantasy and animation anything that isn't reality as others have said. Used to like horror til one of my recent traumas turned out to be totally violent. Can't do violence anymore. Disaster movies... not so much.

[cherryblossom]

I was badly triggered at the cinema recently, watching Sweeny Todd. I was so stupid when I agreed to go to see it. It really didn't occur to me that I would get triggered. I'm normally pretty ok with all sorts of films. But this totally got to me. I made a complete idiot of myself in front of a friend who didn't know I had PTSD, and now I'm scared to return to the movies, in case I get triggered again. (Also the friend is no longer my friend - he stopped talking to me when I explained why I was acting "wierd" at the cinema.)

[upstream]

When I look at my list of favorite movies, I can't help but notice that they are all about dysfunctional families or abusive parents.

A love song for bobby long
The Royal Tenenbaums
Goodwill Hunting
Swimming Upstream
Waitress
Tucker
In Pursuit of Happiness
Batman Begins
Crash
etc etc

Not much for disaster or fantasy, though I do enjoy Science Fiction and Romantic Comedies..

[Claire]

Absolutely not. I cant watch anything even slightly scary without it reappearing in my dreams. If its rated more than a 12 then I usually dont bother. I am getting better though. I watched a 15 the other evening!

[chrissym]

personally, i can't watch anything sad or depressing. i pretty much only watch cop/action movies...i think for me i need movies/shows that go go go.
if i have to think, well thats not usually a good thing for me./chrissy

[linasmom]

I'm a film nut and really love watching depressing/disaster movies. I never get triggered, they become an escape for me, they are almost comforting -

Magnolia
Requiem for a Dream
Dancer in the Dark
eh, I'll stop here I could go on and on and on and on....

[Cecilia]

I have a very difficult time watching movies. I can't stay focused. Thirty minute sit-coms are ok, but I don't really watch much.

I can read a book for hours, but day dream or sleep through movies.

[meggymish]

I voted yes, but in contras to reallydown, I'm very drawn to realistic war movies, especially ones that show the effects of combat on the soldiers. I think this is because some of my own trauma involved things that usually only soldiers in combat have happen to them. I like fantasy for the escapism, too.

[nightowl52]

No. Ican't sit & watch news & violence

[indigo~in~0z]

depends...

detest fantasy, but am prone to high drama /emotional stuff... usually only of the true kind tho....

ie: good example when i became vegan, obsessed with knowing all the atrocities of animal cruelty/abuse.. not sure if that counts or just makes me obsessive and weird...

[jailed]

Not drawn to movies, watch them but when I want or not, but I am a news junkie. There was a time I could not watch enough news, channel switching to see everything, sometimes up to 12 hours a day. With medication and help from my family I have slowly withdrawn from this and can now get by with only 4 to 5 hrs a day of news. any lessand I get a creepy feeling that there is danger coming for me and I can't see what it is. Strange that I know it is a symptom of my PTSD but it still eats at me until I have to watch

[bustedflat]

I obsessed about 2 forms of media; info on up to the minute as possible surveillance and communications technology - I surfed the www 2 hours/day looking up anything to do with that; I was a techno sales rep for 15 yrs... and at home,
war movies turned up loud with the surround sound on. I stopped doing both after about the first 6 mos. Right now watching Beverly Hillbillies.