Category: mental health
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Horror Boundaries & You
Trigger warnings: boundaries, survival, mental health, horror, scary, sharks, exorcism Boundaries work is top tier therapy some would say. Some even organize their whole practices around this. Nedra Tawwab, a LCSW who writes book, workbooks, flipcharts, and decks about boundaries (https://www.nedratawwab.com/) describes a boundary as something that keeps us safe and comfortable in a relationship…
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Sex and Horror
Trigger warnings: murder, survival, mental health, horror, scary, stigma, sex, fantasy, attraction You may ask yourself, why do horror and sex go together so often?! Let’s start with just one textbook definition of what sex is: -“Human sexual activity encompasses a wide range of behaviors and practices related to sexual arousal, desire, and satisfaction, both solitary…
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Horror Video Games and Mental Health
Trigger warnings: death, dying, murder, survival, mental health, horror, scary, stigma, grief, loss, psychosis Some horror games have proven to be beneficial for mental health, although they’re still not thought of immediately that way. One study showed that survival horror games could increase emotional well-being, competency, and relatedness. Hell yeah, come at me scratched-mirror Michael…
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Horror and Anxiety
Trigger Warnings: horror, anxiety, trauma responses, triggers I get that look a lot when I tell people sometimes liking horror is a way to control or tamper our anxiety. It can provide validation, control, time-limited fear, and not to mention the come-down feels good after the adrenaline spikes. Consuming horror media may have us dip…
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‘Good for Her’ Genre in Horror and Feminist Therapy
Trigger Warnings: horror, violence, IPV, DV, assault, revenge, murder, rape culture, gendered discussion, gaslighting Horror but make it warranted. The ‘good for her’ genre usually starts with violence towards the protagonist and them getting some sort of revenge. We sorta, kinda root for them (at least some of us do). It is the dis-enfranchised regaining…
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Psychology Of Horror Fans
Trigger Warnings: horror, mental health discussion, ghosts, trauma Some people wonder if people gripped by the macabre, gory, violent, and stressful genre of horror are ok; safe to be around; right in the noggin? Are we ok?! Most likely. And we are empathetic, friendly, personable, and have a great sense of humor. Ok, I don’t…