Anxiety and Escapism: Why They Go Hand in Hand It is for this reason that many with anxiety turn to movies. This is especially true regarding films with a higher level of intensity, such as horror movies. Horror movies can be a form of escapism for those struggling with anxiety.
People with anxiety tend to struggle a lot with being present. Worrying about the future is so common and can be painful, so watching something intense like a scary movie can jolt us into the present moment and provide us with an escape from our anxious thoughts.
We are flooded with a sense of relief, which makes us feel good and safe once again. Some researchers theorize that individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may become conditioned by the analgesic effect of certain types of movies and seek out stressful films to release more endorphins.
Horror movies are meant to scare you. But for some people with anxiety, they may find horror movies comforting. According to Brownlowe, there's a good reason why. "The experience of your brain calming itself down after watching a scary movie is actually neuro-chemically very pleasurable," she says.
Frightening experiences trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which releases adrenaline and cortisol (a hormone that helps regulate metabolism). These chemicals can boost your mood, which reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. You already know the feeling if you've ever visited a haunted house.
Horror movies can be a form of escapism for those struggling with anxiety. Instead of facing their issues straight on, it may be easier to drown them in another person's narrative.
Horror movies are designed to throw us into fight or flight mode and elicit emotions like fear and stress. Sometimes it can last even after the movie ends. That can cause panic attacks and interfere with sleep, which amplifies anxiety symptoms.
What does psychology say about people who like horror?
Sensation-seeking: People who watch horror movies may want to stimulate sensory reactions. Studies indicate these viewers may be more aggressive than other people.
What is the psychology of people who enjoy horror?
People Who Seek Sensations
Numerous studies have demonstrated that those high in the trait of sensation seeking tend to enjoy horror. 5 Sensation seeking is the tendency to look for novel, risky, or intense experiences.
Watching horrific images can trigger unwanted thoughts and feelings and increased levels of anxiety or panic, and even increase our sensitivity to startle-eliciting stimuli, making those of us who are anxious more likely to respond negatively and misinterpret the sensations as real threats.
You might get some relief from feelings of anxiety and depression→ As described above, watching a horror movie will release adrenaline throughout your body. The adrenaline will help to stabilize your mood and decrease your anxiety and depression in the short term.
This also ties into the element of individual empathy, which is the capacity that one has to understand someone's emotions. Therefore, people who are less empathetic are more prone to liking horror films and people who are empathetic will not because they get attached and feel the emotions of the characters.
What loving horror movies says about your personality?
Sensation seeking individuals may enjoy scary movies because it will elevate the heart rate and make the body feel as though it needs to expend energy. Highly sensitive people can be easily overstimulated by their environment and also tend to be more empathetic.
It's also shown to reduce anxiety and make therapy more appealing. Film therapy was also shown to be particularly beneficial to certain groups of people. For example, research showed film therapy can help young autistic people identify their positive strengths and build resilience.
Among people with anxiety, it's a common phenomenon to continually watch the same TV shows, podcasts, and movies. Though this is a well-known part of having anxiety, many people don't know why it occurs. Someone with anxiety might describe it as comforting, familiar, or easy.
Scary elements in video games have even been leveraged specifically as learning tools for the treatment of anxiety symptoms (Schoneveld et al., 2016) and can be as effective as cognitive Page 3 PREPRINT 3 behavioral therapy in reducing anxiety symptoms (Schoneveld et al., 2018; 2020).
But, to answer professionally, no. There's no red flags when someone says they love horror movies. Horror movies are amazing and can have stunning effects and a great plot.
Many people believe that horror fans have low empathy. The claim that horror fans lack empathy is rooted in a flawed interpretation of a 2005 meta-analysis. Some morbidly curious people score high in empathy. Horror fans and morbidly curious people may be less coldhearted than the average person, research suggests.
Experiencing these fears in a controlled environment lets us have those feelings in a safe space where we know they can't really hurt us. A horror movie can also serve as a distraction if we're in a time of intense stress, and help us to regulate our nervous system as we use tools like deep breathing to calm down.
According to science findings, people may seek out horror movies for all sorts of reasons, such as triggering chemicals in their brains, to help them plan for worst case scenarios, or to practice coping strategies and control.
Horror fans can be classified along three dimensions: Adrenaline Junkies, White Knucklers, and Dark Copers. Dark copers are a newly-identified type of horror fans, who use horror to cope with problems like feelings of anxiety. Adrenaline junkies get a mood boost from the intense experiences of horror.
While there is no chapter and verse in Scripture saying horror movies are sinful for Christians to watch; it would be incredibly unwise and even dangerous for believers to partake in films that make light of the demonic and make it look entertaining.
While some people think of anxiety as an uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomach or the fear they feel when standing atop a high building, severe anxiety symptoms can be much worse and downright terrifying. Symptoms of severe anxiety can create the feeling of a heart attack or even make you feel like you're dying.
Remember: anxiety isn't always a bad thing. We need the adrenaline rush anxiety can provide to stay alert or propel ourselves to action. However, when anxiety is constant, overwhelming, and interferes with your daily life, you may have an anxiety disorder that will require professional treatment.
Anxiety changes brain chemistry, and makes it easier for the mind to focus on the negative. You're not only more likely to have a scary thought when you have anxiety – you're also more likely to focus on the thought, have the thought cause more anxiety, and ultimately have more scary thoughts in the future.
