![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by llrrrpp on August 26, 2006, at 22:47:57
I had the responsibility of picking movies tonight for my date with husband.
It came down to Snakes on a Plane vs. World Trade Center
I decided to take a big risk and see WTC. The reason why it's very risky is that I am often triggered by movies. For about 2 months, I couldn't see ANY movies [I was triggered by the were-rabbit. yes, I had some kind of strong anxiety/trauma reaction to almost anything]. I am still cautioned by T to avoid the news, and anything that involves violence, strife, or loss.
Well, I just finished reading a fairly disturbing book that involves some pretty twisted psychology "Lulu Incognito". It was free at the used bookstore. I rescued it. Anyways, I was feeling brave, but also kind of like I wanted to inflict something on myself.
Well, WTC is enough to trigger anyone with post-trauma stress following 9/11. I have a little bit of that myself. It happened at a bad time in my life, and I was in a bad place. The movie did not try to INFLICT 9/11 on the audience though. It avoided most of the tricks that movies use to terrify us, like sudden shocks, scary music, and gore. Rather, there was a certain ease between transitions, and a relaxed rhythm, despite the urgency of the rescue attempt.
Ultimately though, at the end of the movie, I felt strong emotions, none of which were anxiety.
I felt survivor's guilt.
I felt like life was precious.
I felt like love was precious.
I felt like family was precious.
and I had a renewed sense of respect for those who risk their lives in public service.And I held my husband's hand. And we walked out of the theater, and he asked me "Do I love you enough?" and I asked him "Do I love you enough?"
It was that kind of movie.
-ll
Posted by finelinebob on August 27, 2006, at 0:26:38
In reply to World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!!, posted by llrrrpp on August 26, 2006, at 22:47:57
I want to see it, especially on the Big Screen, but I don't know if I ever will be able to, even on the Small Screen.
Posted by llrrrpp on August 27, 2006, at 0:34:03
In reply to Re: World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!!, posted by finelinebob on August 27, 2006, at 0:26:38
FLB,
I just read your stuff on 2000. I was SO worried that I had triggered you with the previous post. I'm so relieved that you responded to this.Don't worry about watching the movie. It's a wonderful, but bittersweet story, and you already have your own story. You don't need to add any more details or mental images. When you're ready, you'll know.
-ll
p.s. on DVD you can fast foward, and leave the movie to take a moment on babble.
Posted by finelinebob on August 27, 2006, at 3:20:22
In reply to Re: World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!! » finelinebob, posted by llrrrpp on August 27, 2006, at 0:34:03
> FLB,
> I just read your stuff on 2000. I was SO worried that I had triggered you with the previous post. I'm so relieved that you responded to this.
>
> Don't worry about watching the movie. It's a wonderful, but bittersweet story, and you already have your own story. You don't need to add any more details or mental images. When you're ready, you'll know.Yes, I know this isn't an Irwin Allen disaster flick -- Oliver Stone has an entirely different style of schmaltz. But if you read my post on 2000, then you know this is my fight with the Intruder. I don't want to hide from it, tho sometimes I have to ... I want to hunt it down and kill it.
I wish I could have a theater to myself and maybe a few friends (my T among them). And free popcorn. And lots and lots and lost of napkins. I don't want to invite the Intruder into my home next year when it comes out on DVD, special 'bonus' features included. I don't want to be able to pause the movie -- time stood still that day, it's paused enough.
But I remember when Oliver Stone released Platoon. My older brother was a police officer, and many of the more senior officers were Vietnam Vets. They talked about having flashbacks and crying like babies when watching the film. But they left believing that people finally understood, and that meant the world to them.
A lot of people wrote to me -- I just got another email last week -- about how my website helped them to understand what happened that day more than any TV news coverage or anything else. My PTSD was one of those disassociations for years with a sudden, instantaneous onset like someone flipped a switch 3 years later. The sense of alienation -- that no one around me (in Michigan at the time) could possibly EVER understand what it was like to live through that day and the months after -- was unbearable. Besides all my good reasons, that DROVE me back to living here, with people who lived it too. So if I can go into a theater, sit in the back row with a lot of napkins (I never sit there -- I go front and center almost all the time), and watch people leave just to see if they finally understand, that would be worth the trauma of seeing it now.
Posted by Tabitha on August 27, 2006, at 3:43:28
In reply to World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!!, posted by llrrrpp on August 26, 2006, at 22:47:57
that's sweet, Lllrrppp.
If you're triggered by violence you'd better skip Snakes. Yeah, it's cartoony, but it's still R for violence and gore.
Posted by llrrrpp on August 27, 2006, at 10:24:50
In reply to Re: World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!! » llrrrpp, posted by Tabitha on August 27, 2006, at 3:43:28
Tabitha, thanks for the heads-up
Well, I'm triggered by realistic violence, but Tarantino's stuff just makes me laugh, it's so over the top!
But a scene from a movie where they are cooking and they slip with the knife? Or a movie where they are filing and they get a paper cut from one of those manilla file folders. That makes me wince.
I have major problems with children's movies too. Very triggering. They never bothered me until I was 27 years old. WTF? My T says it's because animation, puppets, claymation movies are so unreal that we allow them access to our minds. They bypass the normal circuits for understanding social interactions, becuase their voices and faces are so unreal. Rather than use our normal mechanisms for recognizing and processing scenes, we use the part of our minds that is suited to fantasy and imagination. And this part of MY mind can quickly go to very scary places. On screen, a dragon is kidnapping a princess. In my mind, I have a really gruesome scene that I cannot escape or control. Does this make ANY sense?
-ll
Posted by Tabitha on August 27, 2006, at 12:52:33
In reply to Re: World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!! » Tabitha, posted by llrrrpp on August 27, 2006, at 10:24:50
I never realized children's movies were so insidious.
If you are OK with Tarantino I think you could handle snakes. It's definitely not realistic. The snakes are bad CGI.
Posted by Phillipa on August 27, 2006, at 16:29:03
In reply to Re: World Trade Center Movie- spoiler!! » llrrrpp, posted by Tabitha on August 27, 2006, at 12:52:33
I hate snakes none for me. Love Phllipa
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.