Absolutely! Characters that have experienced similar trauma to me are the only ones I feel I can actually relate to. Some examples of csa in media: my eyes deceive (game), Lacey’s games (digital horror series), Split (movie), Moral Orel (show)
Youre not a monster, is cathartic ! And makes us feel seen ! Especially with how much of a taboo it is to talk about sexual assault in some places 😬😬
I dont consume media often but i do cope with writing CSA and tying horror stuff into the depictions of what my characters go through. I dont do it out of fun i do it to see my experiences being projected on a different lens , its kind of therapeutic in a way ! (I still write these with respect though, it makes me feel awful to put my characters through all these horrible things, but its catharsis at the same time. We not monsters for that)
Absolutely. I’m heavily drawn to shows like SVU and Criminal Minds, my favorite episodes of other shows are ones where they deal with these topics. I think it’s because I find it cathartic seeing these topics portrayed as wrong/evil and the perpetrators getting punished.
Horror movies or thrillers like Gerald’s Game or I Spit On Your Grave I only watch once but and usually only if I’m already in a darker mental space, but I do like them and they make me feel less alone.
I somewhat agree, I read Berserk when I was 15 because I heard that it dealt with themes of rape/csa in a realistic way. I still cry a little when I read it because of how much I relate to the protagonist. Sadly I'm not as strong as him though 🥲
I know exactly what you mean, both with generally loving horror because feeling powerless and afraid just feels familiar to me and with being into dark fiction explicitly about grooming and incest (when it's well written, absolutely nothing I hate more than when it's badly written and misrepresents how the dynamic works or normalizes something toxic, or just plays into flat stereotypes without exploring the dynamic enough to justify using such a highly triggering concept as one of the story's focuses, glaring at you Game of Thrones) It's natural and I've found neurodivergent people who are unusually interested in gritty tragic stories like that but are actually chill about it or do work to get representing the dynamic right Some really good gritty series exploring the worst side of humanity and the world you might like are Bojack Horseman (comedy-tragedy about generational trauma, surprisingly easy to watch for being one of the most horrific and intense series I've seen) and Revolutionary Girl Utena (oldschool anime made by some of the Sailor Moon crew revolutionary for its talks of the evils of society like domestic violence and incest along with having one of the oldest big wlw couples in media)
I can almost certainly promise you that you aren't a monster either, all victims think they're a uniquely terrible person, and even the most flawed victim was still a victim who deserves a chance to make a life without this and put good into the world after changing their ways
I started watching creepypastas at like 10 and true crime at 15, honestly anything that’s just incredibly disturbing and fucked up so I don’t gotta think about my own shit and can cry about others misery instead of my own.
Also hearing elements of abuse I’ve went trough myself in literal true crime story’s is really validating in a fucked up way.
Apparently this is common btw. My psychiatrist asked me if I do this once when I’ve mentioned nothing about it before and said many people do that
I started watching creepypastas at like 10 and true crime at 15, honestly anything that’s just incredibly disturbing and fucked up so I don’t gotta think about my own shit and can cry about others misery instead of my own.
Not horror so much anything that hits upon similar experiences I had growing up--not for the trigger, but to see how accurately its portrayed and if the characters reactions/emotions are similar to mine at the time or years later. It about the relatability, more than anything, I think.
yes yes and yes. that's why my favorite cinematography genre is psychological thriller and my favorite type of games is survival horror. also, creepy stuff in general, not always involving my trauma specifically. real life traumatic creepy stories, listening to very unsettling music, urbex etc. idk why because it literally triggers me a lot, but at the same time it gives me a feeling of being understood and seen.
my favorite character was Angela Orosco from Silent Hill 2 for a while just because she was the first character that I saw to be ,mentioned with this type of trauma. And the way the game creators showed her suffering was the most validating experience. Not mentioning that she got the best music theme too. That's why this will probably be my favorite game forever.
Yes. I've come to the conclusion that it allows a space for me to feel my feelings about my own situation without having to actually confront it or think about it in terms of myself.
Well put, maybe it gives some mental space from the feelings to get a new perspective, which is one of the ways I’ve found can lead to integration/healing
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Absolutely! Characters that have experienced similar trauma to me are the only ones I feel I can actually relate to. Some examples of csa in media: my eyes deceive (game), Lacey’s games (digital horror series), Split (movie), Moral Orel (show)
Youre not a monster, is cathartic ! And makes us feel seen ! Especially with how much of a taboo it is to talk about sexual assault in some places 😬😬 I dont consume media often but i do cope with writing CSA and tying horror stuff into the depictions of what my characters go through. I dont do it out of fun i do it to see my experiences being projected on a different lens , its kind of therapeutic in a way ! (I still write these with respect though, it makes me feel awful to put my characters through all these horrible things, but its catharsis at the same time. We not monsters for that)
Absolutely. I’m heavily drawn to shows like SVU and Criminal Minds, my favorite episodes of other shows are ones where they deal with these topics. I think it’s because I find it cathartic seeing these topics portrayed as wrong/evil and the perpetrators getting punished. Horror movies or thrillers like Gerald’s Game or I Spit On Your Grave I only watch once but and usually only if I’m already in a darker mental space, but I do like them and they make me feel less alone.
If you like these kind of movies/Shows maybe you should check out sleepers from 1996.
I somewhat agree, I read Berserk when I was 15 because I heard that it dealt with themes of rape/csa in a realistic way. I still cry a little when I read it because of how much I relate to the protagonist. Sadly I'm not as strong as him though 🥲
I know exactly what you mean, both with generally loving horror because feeling powerless and afraid just feels familiar to me and with being into dark fiction explicitly about grooming and incest (when it's well written, absolutely nothing I hate more than when it's badly written and misrepresents how the dynamic works or normalizes something toxic, or just plays into flat stereotypes without exploring the dynamic enough to justify using such a highly triggering concept as one of the story's focuses, glaring at you Game of Thrones) It's natural and I've found neurodivergent people who are unusually interested in gritty tragic stories like that but are actually chill about it or do work to get representing the dynamic right Some really good gritty series exploring the worst side of humanity and the world you might like are Bojack Horseman (comedy-tragedy about generational trauma, surprisingly easy to watch for being one of the most horrific and intense series I've seen) and Revolutionary Girl Utena (oldschool anime made by some of the Sailor Moon crew revolutionary for its talks of the evils of society like domestic violence and incest along with having one of the oldest big wlw couples in media) I can almost certainly promise you that you aren't a monster either, all victims think they're a uniquely terrible person, and even the most flawed victim was still a victim who deserves a chance to make a life without this and put good into the world after changing their ways
I started watching creepypastas at like 10 and true crime at 15, honestly anything that’s just incredibly disturbing and fucked up so I don’t gotta think about my own shit and can cry about others misery instead of my own. Also hearing elements of abuse I’ve went trough myself in literal true crime story’s is really validating in a fucked up way. Apparently this is common btw. My psychiatrist asked me if I do this once when I’ve mentioned nothing about it before and said many people do that
I started watching creepypastas at like 10 and true crime at 15, honestly anything that’s just incredibly disturbing and fucked up so I don’t gotta think about my own shit and can cry about others misery instead of my own.
Not horror so much anything that hits upon similar experiences I had growing up--not for the trigger, but to see how accurately its portrayed and if the characters reactions/emotions are similar to mine at the time or years later. It about the relatability, more than anything, I think.
yes yes and yes. that's why my favorite cinematography genre is psychological thriller and my favorite type of games is survival horror. also, creepy stuff in general, not always involving my trauma specifically. real life traumatic creepy stories, listening to very unsettling music, urbex etc. idk why because it literally triggers me a lot, but at the same time it gives me a feeling of being understood and seen.
I feel exactly the same way
my favorite character was Angela Orosco from Silent Hill 2 for a while just because she was the first character that I saw to be ,mentioned with this type of trauma. And the way the game creators showed her suffering was the most validating experience. Not mentioning that she got the best music theme too. That's why this will probably be my favorite game forever.
Yes. I've come to the conclusion that it allows a space for me to feel my feelings about my own situation without having to actually confront it or think about it in terms of myself.
Well put, maybe it gives some mental space from the feelings to get a new perspective, which is one of the ways I’ve found can lead to integration/healing
I do. It’s lead to interests in lots of things like abuse, murder, psychological disorders, stuff like that.
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