A lot of feedback from our unwanted thoughts post was from young people scared half to death from watching scary movies.
So here’s some specifics for that particular problem. This was the actual list I sent a young girl so scared she slept with a bible.
I’ve kept this post very short to get to the solutions straight away…
Know this:
- You’re not alone — most people freak out after watching scary movies, even adults.
- YOU ARE SAFE. You aren’t in any more danger now than you were before… it’s just a movie.
- You won’t feel scared for long. It will soon pass.
- Scary movies are made to scare you, that’s their job.
- Part of your mind can’t tell the difference between a movie and real life. It’s THIS part that freaks out, but YOU know… it’s just a movie. Because of this, it’s best to be careful what you feed your mind — what you watch, think and imagine!
Do this:
- Do some exercise: You are in a “fight or flight” state so act it out — dance or run about, jog on the spot, do star jumps, skip, have a pillow fight, do some shadow boxing or press ups… whatever.
- Watch “behind the scenes” videos to take the realness out of the movie, so you see clearly; “It’s just a movie.”
- Do what you can to feel safe: Be with people. Get lots of hugs from your parents, friends, even a pet or a big cuddly toy. Use a night-light.
- Keep your mind distracted: Watch comedy, get absorbed in a good book, listen to relaxing music, anything you can to distract your mind. Each time a thought comes up, remind yourself “It’s just a movie” and distract.
- To help you sleep, play the famous lullaby tune by Brahms below. Relaxing soundtracks like waves crashing on the beach would also be very good. Then when it’s time to sleep, use this relaxation technique: Put all your attention into your feet, feel your feet tingling and relax them, then move through every part of your body doing the same thing until you fall asleep.
“I want to say that a while ago I saw this article, it was the night after I saw a scary movie. I haven’t really thought about it since like, 3 months ago! This really helps!”— Katie, USA
FAQ
Q PLEASE HELP ME!!!
A If you follow all the tips in the article as best you can, that’s the fastest way to get back to normal. It’s all there, everything you need to know and do. Please leave a comment below if you’re having trouble following the advice.
Q Why am I sooooo scared just from watching a movie?
A Your mind reacts instinctively to perceived danger and changes your physical and mental state in order to deal with the danger — the “fight or flight” state. We evolved in nature where danger was real, like lions, and your brain still works that way. More about this →
Q Why am I hearing noises in my house after watching scary movies?
A If your mind thinks “danger,” your body changes to a “fight or flight” state. One of these changes is that you notice sounds that you normally wouldn’t notice. Your house always makes these sounds but you normally filter them out.
Q Why are my friends better at watching scary movies than I am?
A We’re all different. If you were to measure fear reaction in you and all your friends, you would get what is called a “normal distribution.” Most people would be somewhere in the middle, a few would not be affected at all and a few would have an over-reaction. There’s lots of reasons why you react like you do… genetics, previous experiences, beliefs, sensitivity etc. Everyone is different.
Q If my friends are watching a scary movie, I have to go along or I will be left out. What should I do?
A Go along if you want to, but don’t get sucked into it. Keep moving your attention away and back, away and back… like… look at objects in the room, notice the objects in the background of the movie rather than on the action, look to see how your friends freak out at the really scary bits :-) And you can keep remembering “that’s just a guy wearing make-up,” “just back a bit is the camera crew and director.” All sort of tricks like this to “keep it real.”
If the music builds up and you know there’s a scare coming, close your eyes or hide behind a pillow! Lots of people do it and the rest will be too absorbed to see what you’re doing.
A few fluttery moments of thrill are what you want from a movie. Losing sleep over it means it wasn’t worth it.
You could take your own DVDs to sleepovers, and see if a great comedy can tempt people away from horror. If you know in advance it’s going to be a horror marathon, you could just skip the event. Your friends won’t ditch you over one blow-off, and you get to spend time with them you actually enjoy.
If you’re REALLY sensitive and know you can’t handle it, then just say “No thanks.”
Q Why can’t I sleep after watching a scary movie?
A As you settle down to sleep, there are no distractions for your mind, it’s just you and your thoughts. It seems as though you are looking at your thoughts through a big magnifying glass.
Whatever you fear, you will be reminded of — it’s just a primitive part of your mind protecting you against what you saw as danger. If you react with anxiety to your thoughts, your body makes adrenaline as part of the “fight or flight” reaction. This will keep you awake and stop you sleeping. Then a vicious cycle of more thinking, more anxiety and so on.
To prevent this happening, you need another focus and to stay relaxed. To do this, play the famous lullaby tune as soon as you get into bed. Put your attention on the music. This will give your mind something to focus on and the calming effect of the music will help you relax. When it’s time to sleep, use the relaxation technique (tip 5) to keep your mind off scary thoughts.
If you wake in the night, remember, “it’s just a movie, no real danger” and then immediately use the relaxation technique again until you go back to sleep.
Q What about movies that are based on true stories?
A Saying a movie is based on actual events is just a way to get you more scared. An unusual event is often used to make unquestioned false assumptions, distorted, and then built upon further to end up with a story that has zero truth in it. In short, you can safely assume that no scary movie is true. It’s just a silly movie.
Free chapter
Michael Kinnaird is the author of Happy Guide, the result of a 20 year exploration into what works for health and happiness.
Read Chapter 1 “The Happiness Secret”
Or get the paperback…
Keep in touch
Get inspiration in your inbox from Happy Guide…
Happy Guide 
Oh and, when i watched the movie, i thought it was going to happen to me too.. Dx
LikeLike
@Katie. Thanks for letting us know. I’ve added your feedback to the article cos it will help people to trust the info. Thanks!
@Amanda. The meaning you’ve given is “This could happen to me” and not “Just a silly movie” as suggested. The meaning you give causes your mind to react in a certain way. You’ve given the most powerful reason possible “My life is in danger.”
You’re not in danger at all, and so, you have to tell that new truth, that the “danger” is gone to your mind by your attitude “don’t care.”
Read this post to understand a bit more…
LikeLike
Hi Mike,
So i watched this movie [Wicked Attraction] and it was really scary. I took your advice, and calm down, then the next day i was really stressted out. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, cause obviously it has murders in it, but i’ve been scared for a month now. What do i do?
LikeLike
Hello Amanda. Since I’m pretty religious so I rely on my god or idol to help through hard time in my life. But if u r not, here are ways to help you to over come your fear.( 1.Writing about your feelings will help 2. Do not try to talk to your fear figure, you r pretty much making yourself believe that your fear figure is really there 3. It is good to talk about your fear to learn from others how to handle your fear 4. If that doesn’t work turn to logic, this is the technique my cousin uses when he’s paranoid, if you are physically in shape just imagine yourself beating the living crap out of your fear figure 5. Or you can try to imagine the director saying ” Lights, Camera, Action!” This will help you face the truth that the movies are all mind tricks, invisible cable ropes, and professional animation, trust me I know because I’ve been behind scenes of movies and shows 6. And if you think you see your fear figure, just know it won’t physically hurt you in any shape or form.
This is my knowledge to you Amanda and good luck and GOD speed. : )
LikeLike
I want to say that a while ago I saw this, it was the night after I saw A scary movie. I haven’t really thought about it scince like, 3 months ago! This really helps!
LikeLike
PLEASE HELP I’M 11,
I just played Call of Duty Black Ops Zombie mode with my friends and i wasn’t scared when i was playing it.
Before this I watched some zombie clips on Youtube one really really REALLY scared me the clip was with real people and CoD World at War Nazi Zombies but they looked really REALLY REALLY REAL!!
and now I’m so scared my I can’t sleep i know that it’s fake but i can’t get it outta my head! I’m also really unwell does that have anything to do with it?? I was scared by a zombie thing when i was younger and couldn’t sleep for ages.
I also heard the advert for Paranormal Activity 3 and that scared me big time.
I know it’s not real it just really scares me!
Any tips or tricks?
LikeLike
Hi Peter,
Yes follow the tip n tricks in the article. It can make a difference if you’re not well yes, and also your previous fear of zombies also makes a difference. Make a decision not to think about it anymore, and then if you get a thought or a fear flash, just remember it’s not real and then put your attention somewhere else. Keep repeating that, that’s the main thing, but all the tips will work together.
Mike
LikeLike
i listened to the lullaby and it is very soothing… i know that ghosts don’t exist and it’s just our thoughts that scares us as we think of the movie we have watched… i have a suggestion: try to watch something that can be related to anything of the horror movie but is still funny… for example, how the ghosts in the harry potter series aren’t scary but helpful and how the poltergeist (peeves) is a prankster… i hope my suggestion helps! :)
LikeLike