For a lot of us, the ideal way to unwind at the end of a long day is by watching an episode or two of our favorite show. The thing is, if your series of choice is a plot-twisting thriller like “Paradise,” violent like “Squid Game” or a true crime documentary, you may feel more stressed when it’s over than you did before turning on the TV.
“Many people have a little bit of fun watching these intense shows or movies — they get a heightened experience, and then they’ll get back to their mood baseline,” explains Aaron Brinen, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “But sometimes we’ll watch something that gets under our skin, and it takes longer to come back down from that.”
Everything we watch affects us in some way, whether it leaves us feeling happy, relaxed, angry or upset, and psychologist Hillary Ammon says intense shows and movies can even activate our fight or flight response, leaving our heart racing afterwards. So, how do we know if what we’re watching is stressing us out in a way that’s not good for our mental health? These are the signs to watch for, according to therapists and other mental health experts.
- You can’t sleep well after watching - Whether you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, Brinen says that’s a major red flag that it’s not good for you.
- You’re obsessing over the storyline - Any good show will stay on your mind, but if you keep thinking about disturbing scenes even days after watching, that’s concerning.
- You feel worse after watching - You probably won’t feel uplifted after watching a show about someone being murdered, but it shouldn’t be bringing your mood down for days.
- It affects your ability to function normally - If you have trouble focusing at work because you keep dwelling on a show’s disturbing plot, or you’re suddenly afraid that someone’s going to break into your house after watching the latest true crime series, the experts say it’s a sign that this kind of content isn’t for you.
Source: Yahoo