Skip to content
  • Our story
  • Our science
  • Hormona Library
  • For business
Menu
  • Our story
  • Our science
  • Hormona Library
  • For business
  • En
Menu
  • En
Get the app
  • Mental health

Horror Films: My Unusual Way Of Managing Depression

The Hormona Team

Like 25% of people in the UK, I struggle with depression daily, and have done for most of my life. Even after 3 years of taking medication, I often still have bad days; days where I feel lethargic, unmotivated, and downright crappy. I’ve tried writing in journals, listening to music, or even going for a walk – all the usual things that are suggested by friends and doctors – and, although they made me feel a little bit better, I have found the one thing that works the best and without fail. Horror films!

Why Not Watch Comedies to Cheer Up?

I’ve tried watching stand-up films and cheesy rom coms, but they always feel too close to home as they both focus on real life issues, whether it be the struggles of love, or telling jokes and anecdotes about the failures of our country. I much prefer watching a full-on gore-fest (like Saw, Would You Rather, Sinister) or a paranormal thriller that’s unlikely to ever happen (like The Grudge, Mama, The Shining).

These films provide me with a vessel that I can fill with my worries and anxieties. Plus, those jump scares can really get my heart racing, which is an amazing, indescribable feeling after spending days feeling completely numb.

What’s the Psychology Behind It All?

When I first realised that scary films lifted my mood significantly, part of me felt it to be a cause for concern – joy brought on after watching the pain and suffering of someone else is a little difficult to ignore. After a couple hours on Google, I’d read many different accounts from lots of different people talking about how these films helped them in the same way.

Even medical professionals see a rational correlation between horror films and managing mental health. These films give us a sense of control over experiencing negative emotions, as we voluntarily put them on to begin with. Exposure to these films provide a sort of buffer for depression and anxiety because we can experience the characters’ emotions instead of our own, creating a psychological distance from these feelings. The empathy we feel for the main characters also gives us a different person to focus our energy on rather than ourselves.

Some of My Favourite Horror Films

My favourite horror film so far has got to be Winchester; a film about a woman who built a house with impossible rooms full of ghostly tenants and dangerous spirits. Being full of thrilling suspense and well-timed jump scares it was perfect for stirring up my blood and bringing feeling back to my entire body.

I have only ever found one horror series that terrified me so much that I actually had to watch it with the lights on: The Haunting of Hill House. There were a few episodes where I grabbed my nearest teddy for comfort. As scary as it was, I was hooked so much I couldn’t stop watching it. By the end of each episode I felt more and more alive, and the characters’ stories were so full of trauma that my own anxieties shrank down to mild concerns and were easier for me to deal with.

Sometimes I even watch horror films that are so bad that I can vent out loud about all the loopholes and laugh at poorly written scenes, like Wounds, which tried to tell a complex story without explaining any of the events that transpired. The first hour of the film was full of far too much exposition and the ending seemed to come out of nowhere in the last half an hour. However, it was still effective in helping my mood as my anger was focused on the ridiculously poor film, providing me with a respite from my own worries.

With horror being one of the most popular movie genres, thankfully, there will still be an abundance of them for a very long time; Netflix seems to be running out of films for me, so I’ll need to scour amazon video soon and track down an HMV!

Do you have any unconventional methods of managing your mental health? What’s your favourite horror film? Let us know below!

  • November 29, 2019
  • Mental health
The Hormona Team

The Hormona Team

Articles by the Hormona team are written by the amazing people that are, or have been, involved in Hormona and who all stand behind the cause and purpose of educating and empowering women to live better and healthier lives. It’s all of our goal to share personal stories, helpful information, tips, tricks and experiences to help other women in our community in their daily lives and on their hormonal health journey.

More stories

5 Reasons You Should be Journaling for Your Health and Wellbeing – A Post Written By Mind Medicine

Who Are You Trying To Please? Seeking Fulfilment Instead Of Validation

you've got this on black board

Mental Health at Work – Self-Care Isn’t Enough!

RELATED POSTS

juice and a plate of fruit

How do high levels of progesterone impact our hunger?

Sweets. Takeaways. Cakes, ice cream, crisps, bubbles… What are we talking about? Well, aside from being a kickass

Read More »
Hormona app on table

Announcement: The Hormona app is now global.

Gang, we’ve got some big news! We’re thrilled to announce that the Hormona app is global! Yes, women

Read More »
Ciara_Hormona_Employee_02

Meet Ciara Horrigan, Regulatory Manager at Hormona

As you may have noticed, Team Hormona is expanding as we grow and introduce new features and exclusives.

Read More »
  • Our story
  • Our science
  • Hormona Library
  • Our story
  • Our science
  • Hormona Library
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
  • Career
  • Contact us
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
  • Career
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Sign up to our newsletter

Follow us
Instagram Facebook Linkedin Twitter

© Wlness Science Ltd 2023

Language
  • En
  • En
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You can always opt-out if you wish. Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT