Anxiety when viewing intense TV/Movies

I find that I, too, have a low tolerance for inhumane acts in movies. It's not the movie violence. Ya know, the CIA guy kills 125 other guys, in all kinds of impossible ways. It's the lousy things we humans do to one another.
 

For me, I guess it is the type of violence. I don't watch as many movies on the television anymore because it belongs to somebody else
and we don't enjoy the same type viewing. I read lots of books, now days mostly from Amazon's Kindle Collection. I no longer can read
books in small print and I have real many books the library has found me, but reading is a chllenge now days, not only in the reading
but in finding something you want to dive into. It is also hard for me to hold a book . If I was buying a paperback or a hard back for my
personal reading pleasure, the first thing I do is to break the spine. I recal back years ago when the movie, Green Beret came out. I had chills up my spine watchint that show when people were stepping on pointed sticks. Even today, thinking about it, I squeench my toes and my back prickles. I read mostly Westerns now. That type violence doesn't bother me.
 
I haven't noticed any increase in my anxiety over time. I've pretty much always gotten it watching scary or intense movies. I don't watch horror or thriller movies for the most part.

I can clearly remember watching Fantasia in a theater with my mother when I was rather young and hiding behind the seats in front of us when the devil came onto the screen. It scared the heck out of me.
 

I'm pretty sure the first extremely graphic deaths by gunshot were in the 1967 movie "Bonnie & Clyde" with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. I remember when I saw the end, I knew I had never seen anything like it before.

The "John Wick" series of movies, starring Keanu Reeves is the most violent I have ever seen. There is literally a death per minute, or so it seemed.
 
Yes, that's why I don't watch movies with violence, abuse, horror, etc. I've never liked those kinds of movies or shows though. Why would I want to fill my brain with that when it's happening for real outside our doors. No thanks!
 
I can't watch anything graphically gory or sadistic.

I can't watch anything where animals are hurt or tortured.

Now if the good guys want to shoot 125 bad guys and they just fall down and die like when Marshall Dillon killed folks, that's OK.
How weird is that?
 
asp3 said:
I haven't noticed any increase in my anxiety over time. I've pretty much always gotten it watching scary or intense movies. I don't watch horror or thriller movies for the most part.

I can clearly remember watching Fantasia in a theater with my mother when I was rather young and hiding behind the seats in front of us when the devil came onto the screen. It scared the heck out of me.
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I think Fantasia was the first movie I ever saw. Was that the one with Mickey mouse and all the brooms dancing around, and the dancing hippos?

My parents took me and my sister to see it at a drive-in. I was just a little kid.
 
My husband and I are complete opposites when it comes to sensitivity. He says a movie isn’t good unless someone is killed in the first 5 minutes. He likes excessively violent movies where I can’t stand them. It goes right through me. To watch scenes where people or animals are tortured I find very disturbing.

What I really dislike is watching a movie I like only to discover that it has commercials telling of the horrific living conditions some animals are going through but we could help if we just donate X amount of money. 😖

I’d rather switch channels and watch something else. I’d gladly give up tv but my husband watches it. A lot. I guess I could do something else in another room.

I’m going to try it. Lately I’m seeing too much sadness and despair. It’s depressing.
 
MarciKS said:
not me. if they freak me out too much they go in the trash. one book i had read from a different author, i kept having to put down cuz it was so scary. lol!
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Me too. Then I have nightmares and stuff. No way. I can’t for the life of me understand people who LOVE horror films. These days they are so real to life. It’s spooky. Who thinks this stuff up? 🥺
 
I have to look away or leave the room if their is violence in a film. Even if a film alludes to some horror, be it sexual, physical or emotional I'm off. Just too sensitive for a lot of programmes/films on the T.V nowadays. I think it's interesting when they state before a programme/film 'some viewers may find scenes that are distressing' (or something similar). If others do not find it distressing what does it say about them (not judging - they may simply have a stronger constitution for what I am sensitive to), or are we becoming a bit more desensitised because of the violence etc that we are exposed to? :unsure:
 
My dad used to bury himself underground mining coal. Nothing seemed to bother him. When I'd get upset over some scary scene in a movie, he'd say. What's the matter with you? Don't forget, it's just people pretending they're doing that. :rolleyes:
 
Before I watch a show on tv I try to read the intro. to it first and if it's certain topics I avoid watching it. Yes, I do get intense anxiety watching certain types of shows, so I changed up and now watch the stuff I can better tolerate.
 
I get anxious when the plot drags and drags, but if I've invested an hour I stick it out.
PBS detective shows are draggy; they spend a lot of time in pubs, walking around
large estates musing.

(You want anxious, become a sports fan and live with the anxieties and depression your team causes.)
 
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My family does a weekly "movie night" at our Zoom sessions. We take turns recommending an online streaming movie that everybody is supposed to watch, then we discuss it the next week. It's lots of fun.

Well, last week, it was my granddaughter's turn, and she recommended Rogue One, which is a Star Wars prequel, about 4 years old. I usually hate that type of action movie, but I always watch our "assignment" just to be part of the discussion. Also, I liked the first Star Wars movie, way back when.

So I watched it yesterday. I hated it. It was constant shooting, crashing, and banging, with tons of special effects, of course. The special effects were the only part of the movie that I found even mildly interesting. It was "intense," I guess, but mostly just boring.

Would have been a great movie for a 10-year-old, I guess. And it was nice that it featured a "heroine" for once, rather than a hero. But otherwise...
 
Yeah, I find that's it's harder to watch human cruelty in TV programs . I don't think it's any scarier, but it's a reminder it's probably true.
Movies are aimed at a paying audience. And most of the movie goers are either early teen males ,or 20 something females. So that means "Fast & Furious", or "The Notebook".
 
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Time was when a person got shot they simply fell down and not even a hole in their shirts. Now we see blood splattered everywhere. I guess it's Hollywood's gift to viewers that don't know getting shot can be fatal. Vomiting seems to be everywhere in movies now. How wonderful.
 
When I retired from the state police, I had to take a physical and also have an exit interview with a psychiatrist. After we spoke for about 15 minutes, he told me that he was going to ask me 5 questions. He told me that no joking or funny answers would be accepted and may compromise the results, so put on your poker face and answer these 5 questions straight up and with no diversions.

The very last question was , "Does anything in this world scare or frighten you?" My answer was, "Yes, but only one thing." He ended the interview by thanking me for my time and said good-bye. I said to him, "Wait a minute. Don't you want to know what the one thing is?" His answer was simply, "No, not really, but thanks for your time today." And with that said, he left the room.
 
I cannot watch violence, and I limit my exposure to news.

I am still being affected by hormone treatment for prostrate cancer. It takes your T level down to zero and I have all of the symptoms of a woman in menopause. In addition to hot flashes, and afternoon fatigue, it has made me very sensitive to human suffering and violence. Violence against women, children, and animals is particularly upsetting.

I have about 10 more months of this, but trust me when I say that I am now completely sympathetic to what women experience during menopause. I was once dumb enough to thinks that women were BS'img about hot flashes or being a bit more moody than normal. What a wake up call.
 
I think it bothers me more now because it's much more graphic than it used to be. Remember shows like Dragnet? Someone would get shot, clutch his chest and fall down, That was the end of it. They didn't show wounds, blood, etc. Or when the men in the old westerns used to fight, they'd smash up the furniture in the saloon and then jump up and walk away. There were no close ups of vicious blows or shots of someone suffering in obvious pain.

I worked in the medical field for many years, so I've seen my share of "blood and guts" and it doesn't bother me. What bothers me in these shows and movies is the cruelty. They show graphic violence and the perpetrators seem to enjoy inflicting pain. And the violence seems so casual.

I watch the news, and these days that's enough violence for me.
 
Off topic, but similar
High-speed chases-and the collisions...today watch clip of another drunk driving wrong
way on -way-killed innocent motorist...
the protests activity jerks your nerves aound
 
I am currently watching a French TV series named "A French Village". It is about a small fictional French village during the German occupation. It is not overtly violent but I am getting a lot of anxiety watching it because it can get rather intense at times. Even though it is a fictional village it is based on a lot of factual events so knowing what will probably happen to many of the characters before they do adds to the tension and anxiety.
 

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