Mental Health looking at gore for no apparent reason

[noone1]

Does anyone else do this? It's progressed to a daily thing where I just check out gore videos and pics as part of my routine. I wonder what it's doing to my mental health. Nothing seems to faze me I even eat lunch sometimes while looking at the nastiest things and just roll with it.

It's not for a thrill or excitement or anything. I can't even tell why I do it really, it started with curiosity at first but now I'm not sure.

In my "real" life I can't even tolerate seeing a stranger yell at another stranger, I'm a very sensitive person. Maybe this is part of the reason why I do it? Sometimes I hate being so totally emphatic with everything and everyone.. I mean I "feel" for any people or animals that suffer in what I see but it's also matter of fact "this happened and I can't change it why get upset about it"

 

[LookingForSelf]

Does anyone else do this? It's progressed to a daily thing where I just check out gore videos and pics as part of my routine. I wonder what it's doing to my mental health. Nothing seems to faze me I even eat lunch sometimes while looking at the nastiest things and just roll with it.

It's not for a thrill or excitement or anything. I can't even tell why I do it really, it started with curiosity at first but now I'm not sure.

In my "real" life I can't even tolerate seeing a stranger yell at another stranger, I'm a very sensitive person. Maybe this is part of the reason why I do it? Sometimes I hate being so totally emphatic with everything and everyone.. I mean I "feel" for any people or animals that suffer in what I see but it's also matter of fact "this happened and I can't change it why get upset about it"

I use to watch it when I was younger. Did it for a short time, I think I stopped because of the very same reason. I didnt know if it would affect me later and I didnt want to gamble.

I think the curiousity is from wanting to know about death. Were all going to experience it one day and the urge may come to verify if it even exists. Sure you read the news about death all the time and even watch it occur in movies but both of those arent first hand accounts. Watching actual footage on the other hand exposes you to it as closely as most people will ever get to see it, well except for our own end.

My dad watches foreign news and on occasions they show stuff like beheadings uncensored. I dont watch, in fact thats the actual type of video I watched that turned me off to it. Witnessing the violence occur is unsettling. But my dad doesnt turn it off when it comes on. My dad is 78 now and still a good, mentally sound, respectable father.

 

[MrRoot]

Most of the people find even news of gory happenings unsettling. I had taken part into ISAF operation in Afghanistan and sadly had to see plenty of bad stuff.

After a while seeing hanged people on the streets or someone being blown up by suicide bombing it blended into background noise or atleast I didn't feel like vomiting after few weeks. Some really gory or otherwise disturbing imagery still lingers into my dreams even after years but I don't (anymore) suffer from PTSD or similar issues.

Atleast for me there isn't any long term issues and I found even some horror or war movies such as Aliens disturbing This is pretty much different reaction than for example what I had when I was eating MRE in ditch with dead camel and guerrilla fighter...

 

[Moreaux]

When I was young I was preoccupied with serial killers and looking at photos of their victims. As I got older and subsequently sober, I can look at gore anymore, or even read about it. For me, I think the fascination had to do with my own mortality, and back then I couldn't wrap my brain around the concept that I could die.

ETA: Forgot to mention back then I was also on antidepressants, and they completely numbed my emotions, and I think they interfered with my ability to empathize.

 

[noone1]

Most of the people find even news of gory happenings unsettling. I had taken part into ISAF operation in Afghanistan and sadly had to see plenty of bad stuff.

After a while seeing hanged people on the streets or someone being blown up by suicide bombing it blended into background noise or atleast I didn't feel like vomiting after few weeks. Some really gory or otherwise disturbing imagery still lingers into my dreams even after years but I don't (anymore) suffer from PTSD or similar issues.

Atleast for me there isn't any long term issues and I found even some horror or war movies such as Aliens disturbing This is pretty much different reaction than for example what I had when I was eating MRE in ditch with dead camel and guerrilla fighter...

I think being part of combat can explain feeling numb to this stuff but I've lived a really soft carefree life. I was emotionally abused by my family growing up but that's it nothing serious ever happened to me, I'm not a sociopath or a psychopath or anything. I wonder how I would react to seeing this stuff in reality I would be devastated if it happened to someone close to me. But I can watch the nepropetrovsk Maniacs video repeatedly and not feel anything (the 3 guys one hammer video... I don't recommend people watch this)

Animals are harder for me to watch but I still keep compulsively watching everything no matter how vile.

When I was young I was preoccupied with serial killers and looking at photos of their victims. As I got older and subsequently sober, I can look at gore anymore, or even read about it. For me, I think the fascination had to do with my own mortality, and back then I couldn't wrap my brain around the concept that I could die.

ETA: Forgot to mention back then I was also on antidepressants, and they completely numbed my emotions, and I think they interfered with my ability to empathize.

Yes I am terrified of my own mortality this could be part of it.

I use to watch it when I was younger. Did it for a short time, I think I stopped because of the very same reason. I didnt know if it would affect me later and I didnt want to gamble.

I think the curiousity is from wanting to know about death. Were all going to experience it one day and the urge may come to verify if it even exists. Sure you read the news about death all the time and even watch it occur in movies but both of those arent first hand accounts. Watching actual footage on the other hand exposes you to it as closely as most people will ever get to see it, well except for our own end.

My dad watches foreign news and on occasions they show stuff like beheadings uncensored. I dont watch, in fact thats the actual type of video I watched that turned me off to it. Witnessing the violence occur is unsettling. But my dad doesnt turn it off when it comes on. My dad is 78 now and still a good, mentally sound, respectable father.

Seeing someone getting their head lopped off really quickly isn't that big of a deal compared to a lot of the things out there. I won't get too graphic but some of the medical stuff involving children would give a lot of "normal" people nightmares for years.

 

[LookingForSelf]

I think being part of combat can explain feeling numb to this stuff but I've lived a really soft carefree life. I was emotionally abused by my family growing up but that's it nothing serious ever happened to me, I'm not a sociopath or a psychopath or anything. I wonder how I would react to seeing this stuff in reality I would be devastated if it happened to someone close to me. But I can watch the nepropetrovsk Maniacs video repeatedly and not feel anything (the 3 guys one hammer video... I don't recommend people watch this)

Animals are harder for me to watch but I still keep compulsively watching everything no matter how vile.



Yes I am terrified of my own mortality this could be part of it.



Seeing someone getting their head lopped off really quickly isn't that big of a deal compared to a lot of the things out there. I won't get too graphic but some of the medical stuff involving children would give a lot of "normal" people nightmares for years.

This wasnt done 'really quickly', they used a butcher knife and cut into his neck for what must have been two minutes, sawing and sawing with difficulty. All the while the victim is screaming a yelch that Ive never heard before throughout it.

 

[MikeRWK]

I also do this my favourite is combat footage especially jihadis getting fucked up but sometimes I watch isis videos because they put out a lot more footage and occasionally the cameraman dies.

 

[herbavore]

I'm going to ask that this subject be discussed minus the actual graphic details please.

It's an interesting phenomenon and seems to be somewhat common. I wonder how much of it has to do with it being frowned upon or discouraged as "wrong", thus increasing the magnetic attraction? Or maybe it really is deeper than that and is a way to confront the fear of pain and violence and death we all carry? IDK, but for me I absolutely cannot watch or even read about graphic violence because the images NEVER leave my brain, waking or sleeping.