Paranoid and uncomfortable watching movies about mental problems - Mental Health Message Board

stevie_23 · 07-03-2006, 12:37 AM

I find when watching certain movies (Girl Interrupted, etc) I get uncomfortable and paranoid and sometimes very depressed...I worry that I'm like these people in the movies, with some mental problem. And if someone else is watching the movie(s) with me, I get embarrassed that they'll think I've got these problems too...is this normal? It goes away when the movie's over and I feel fine and normal again.

scriptabuse · 07-03-2006, 05:40 AM

i dont know about movies but theres been times when ive been reading books where there's a charcter with mental health problems or whatever and i find myself drawing comparisons between myself and that character and getting paraniod that thats what im like or thats how people see me. dont worry about it tho, just remind yourself that you are YOU, no-one else. the way your feeling is a reaction to the fact you are aware of having some problems youself so notice a lot more if they're mirrored in a film character. sorry if that doesnt help much but its the best i can do to explain. maybe speak to your doctor and find out if you have any underlying mental health issues which could be treated.
keep your head up.
SA

GatsbyLuvr1920 · 07-03-2006, 06:45 AM

I say, simply don't watch those type of movies if they bother you. After nearly seven years of having obsesssions over certain types of TV shows and movies, I've learned to avoid what triggers my "bad thoughts." I have blasphemous obsessions, so why would I ever watch a movie like The Exorcism of Emily Rose? That's just asking for trouble. If you're worried that you have symptoms of a certain disorder, you should go to a doctor, like scriptabuse said, but movies portraying mental illness have literally been the only thing that has helped me hold on sometimes. The Aviator and A Beautiful Mind have literally been the only things that I could relate to and feel understood by on really bad days. I encourage movies surrounding mental illness, if they're portrayed accurately, but movies such as As Good as it Gets and Matchstick Men that only reinforce incorrect stereotypes, should be taken away.
-GatsbyLuvr1920-

trg247 · 07-03-2006, 12:18 PM

I don't know I watch movies like Girl Interrupted and am almost comforted by the fact that I am not alone in my struggles.

trg247

emeraldeyes114 · 07-05-2006, 04:15 PM

I do enjoy watching movies in general even those with mental illness in them. My problem soon becomes one where i seem to pick up behaviors or habits that they protrayed in books or the movie. For instance reading I Never Promised You A Rose Garden while an insightful piece also gave me aspects to my personality that i didn't have before and have had to suffer with for a while. It doesn't always happen but sometimes it does more then I like to. Or if a friend is also dealing with mental health issues then I at times might pick up stuff from them as well. I don't usually get bothered more like becoming the cheerleader for the character in a weird way. I mean i watched Gothika and understood Halle Berry better then the norms in the movie.
Emerald