TV shows triggering?

[gloomwood]

Has anyone else ever had an obsession caused by a TV show or film? My partner started watching A Handmaid's Tale and even though j avoided watching it myself, she started telling me the storyline and I feel like it's triggered thoughts in my head that's got me analysing stuff like...what if that really happened? What would I do in that situation, should I get stuff set up in case? I've asked to not talk about it anymore in case it gets worse but its frustrating me already.

[DRS1]

59 minutes ago, gloomwood said:

Has anyone else ever had an obsession caused by a TV show or film? My partner started watching A Handmaid's Tale and even though j avoided watching it myself, she started telling me the storyline and I feel like it's triggered thoughts in my head that's got me analysing stuff like...what if that really happened? What would I do in that situation, should I get stuff set up in case? I've asked to not talk about it anymore in case it gets worse but its frustrating me already.

You actually don't want to avoid this, you want to lean into it. I used to get triggered so bad by TV shows and even music and it was brutal, so much so I'd do compulsions immediately after watching the programmes or... even during it to prevent harm. Eventually I learned to lean into it and sit with the anxiety and after about 30 minutes it would reduce and I would feel normal again without ever doing compulsions it was great. I would avoid some of my favourite songs if they used words that triggered me (either that could somehow imply harm or sexuality) but the correct response was to intentionally go listen to these songs that I enjoyed listening to prior to that. I even noticed how OCD would have a problem with one specific song but not one from before OCD's appearance in my life which was a bit of an ah-ha moment. 

[gloomwood]

On 13/08/2022 at 20:18, DRS1 said:

You actually don't want to avoid this, you want to lean into it. I used to get triggered so bad by TV shows and even music and it was brutal, so much so I'd do compulsions immediately after watching the programmes or... even during it to prevent harm. Eventually I learned to lean into it and sit with the anxiety and after about 30 minutes it would reduce and I would feel normal again without ever doing compulsions it was great. I would avoid some of my favourite songs if they used words that triggered me (either that could somehow imply harm or sexuality) but the correct response was to intentionally go listen to these songs that I enjoyed listening to prior to that. I even noticed how OCD would have a problem with one specific song but not one from before OCD's appearance in my life which was a bit of an ah-ha moment. 

Thank you so much for your response. I do tend to always try and avoid things, as a first reaction. I'll certainly try and sit with it next time, and see if it takes the wind out of its sails. 

[OB1UK]

When I first started getting triggered I used to watch endless episodes of pointless as it was always “safe”, but the reality is that @DRS1is right, if I wasn’t triggered by tv the it would be something else, and trying to avoid things doesn’t work