Psychologist warns it's a red flag if you relax by watching true crime TV shows

A psychologist warned it’s a red flag if you relax by watching true crime TV shows.

We all have our fave series, podcasts and movies to play in the background as we chill out or nap (or even as we work), but a mental health expert has served up a warning.

If you’re someone who loves a bit of Making a Murderer or Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, it turns out you could be rather disturbed.

Mel Robbins welcomed psychologist Dr Thema Bryant onto her podcast, The Mel Robbins Podcast, to spill on how we can reconnect and heal after experiencing hardship.

And while they were chatting, Dr Bryant revealed that those of us consuming these violent TV shows examining crimes and dark events might be doing so for a very dark reason; possibly because the trauma is familiar to us.

She said on the podcast: “If your idea of relaxing before you go to sleep is to watch three episodes of Law and Order, [then] I would encourage you to think about 'why is trauma relaxing to me?'

“Some of us grew up in high stress [situations], so people mistake peace for boring. To come home to yourself, you have to lean into the discomfort because it’s gonna feel unfamiliar."

So basically, if you can relate to this feeling of relaxation as you binge on true crime before bed, you might possibly be in need of some serious counselling.

Dr Elizabeth Jeglic, Professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, also explained to Crime Reads why survivors of trauma may be so interested in these kind of stories.

"Anecdotally, some people are drawn to the study of psychology to understand themselves and heal themselves," the clinical psychologist said.

"We have many people in psychology programs who have a history of active mental illness.

"Similarly, I think it might be likely that people who have a history of trauma might be drawn to true crime to kind of re-experience those traumatic situations in a safe environment where they have more control."

Bryant’s comments on the podcast spoke to many, as TikTok users flooded the clip with responses.

One said: “Wow! Makes so much sense.”

And others wrote: “Gut drop….. Off to journal.”

Another added: “Wow that is exactly what I watch to relax. This was so enlightening.”

One also put: “Damn. This really hits home. I used to watch so much chaos on TV, but after working hard on myself for the past two years I just can't anymore.”

And another opened up: “The trauma isn't relaxing to me - it's the justice the characters/real people often get that I never did in my own life.”

Featured Image Credit: Netflix/TikTok/Mel Robbins

Topics: Mental Health, Health, True Crime, TV And Film

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_