What Exactly Is PSD? Nishtha Budhiraja, a child psychologist, describes post-series depression as a feeling of "profound sense of grief, loss, or emptiness," which is usually experienced after the end of a TV show, movie, or book. "PSD can also involve feelings of being confused.
Post movie depression syndrome occurs when we snap back to reality after watching a “perfect” movie. You became really engrossed in the movie, connected with the characters, compared the fantasy with your not so wonderful life and when the movie is over, you feel as though you're back to square one.
It is not rare for people to experience emotional outbursts after seeing a really captivating movie. Whatever it is termed to be, post-movie depression is actually an experience, a period, a feeling and a new identity.
Post-Avatar Depression Syndrome is not recognized as a disease as it is still something very new, but that will probably be further explored, in the future. Nevertheless, these experiences remain real for many people.
Feeling Empty When You Finish A Good Show (and why it's a good thing)
Why do I get so emotional after watching movies?
Your attention is captured and emotions elicited by the movie's story. Oxytocin is then associated with heightened feelings of empathy and compassion, further intensifying feelings of social connectedness and you pay even further attention to the social cues of the characters in the movie.
We also cry during movies because the brain releases oxytocin, which heightens our responses to the things around us. Researchers at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands discovered that viewers who cried during a sad movie felt more relaxed afterwards.
Coping with Post-Avatar Depression Syndrome. Many mental health professionals have suggested that getting out and connecting with nature; finding like-minded people; seeking professional help and immersing yourself in the world of Avatar can all help.
A mysterious malaise gnaws at some viewers after seeing James Cameron's latest film, largely referred to as “post-Avatar depression syndrome.” This feeling of despair or being down in the dumps was first observed in some viewers when the first part of the blockbuster saga was released in 2009.
Characters can become part of an actor's identity, and leaving them behind can feel like a loss they need to grieve. Acting is also an intense career path, with a lot of rejection, unpredictable work schedules, strained relationships, and a fear you've peaked when a long-standing role is over.
Potential reasons for crying for no reason include pregnancy, burnout, anxiety, and grief. Depending on the cause, a person may experience other symptoms alongside sudden crying. Everyone cries now and again, and a person may cry more on a given day for no clear reason.
It may be that movies offer you the perfect environment to express those kind of emotions. Maybe it's the intimacy that you have when you watch movies or it's the lack of predictability of what can happen, compared with everyday life you may explore every event through logic and control.
Looking up can also help cut the flow of tears and get you back to the right frame of mind. Your tear ducts stem from the corners of your eyes down the side of your nose, so pinching the bridge of your nose when you feel the tears start to flow could help stem the tide, or better yet, stop it entirely.
You were very much engrossed in the story of one or more of the characters and when the story is put to an end, you miss that character and his/her story; You still want to know more about the happenings or adventures of his/her life.
Why do depressed people watch the same movie over and over?
"It can become really therapeutic, especially if you are feeling anxious. Watching the same piece multiple times reaffirms that there's order in the world and that it can create a sense of safety and comfort on a primal level," she says in Medium.
Individuals with binge-watching behavior are more likely to be affected by depression because depression makes people want to escape their current state of frustration and consume more TV to release this pressure [3].
It also reflects on the implications of the phenomenon known as the Pandora Effect, or the reported feelings of depression at discovering the impossibility of real immersion after watching the movie.
Interestingly, PADS was not confined to when the film came out; individuals have spoken about watching Avatar for the first time in the years since it was released and still reported having similar feelings. One fan recently estimated that 10-20% of people using Avatar fan forums report experiencing it.
Does overstimulation from social media cause depression?
It's hard to say for sure that social media causes depression. Still, there are several ways that using social media could harm kids. Some experts think that connecting with peers online is less emotionally fulfilling than connecting in person.
Consider a diagnosis of another mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder, which can cause or worsen depression and may require different treatment; dysthymia, a mild but long-term (chronic) form of depression; or a personality disorder that contributes to the depression not getting better.
Why does my personality change after watching a movie?
Experts have dubbed this subconscious phenomenon 'experience-taking,' where people actually change their own behaviors and thoughts to match those of a fictional character that they can identify with.
Empathy is considered one of the main reasons that movies can make us cry. According to psychologists, it's one of the five characteristics of emotional intelligence — the other four being self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and social skills.
