Do you relax by watching true crime series? Then you are fodder for psychologists

Just before you go to bed, watching a series to relax, I find it wonderful in any case. But what you watch can say a lot about your personality. Do you enjoy true crime and can you relax with it? Then according to psychologists, that is quite a ‘red flag’.

In ‘The Mel Robbins Podcast’, psychologist Dr. Thema Bryant explains why it can be a bad sign if you relax by watching true crime series. Watching violence, crime, and injustice is apparently what helps you to unwind. According to Dr. Bryant, you should ask yourself: why does someone else's trauma relax me? Yes, when you put it that way, it does sound like a ‘red flag’. Don't worry, enjoying true crime doesn't immediately make you a psychopath. But it can tell you a lot about your mental health.

People who grow up in stressful situations or experience something traumatic see rest as boring and unfamiliar. Reverting to what you know feels familiar. The traumas in the series can provide that recognition. It also gives you the opportunity to (re)live the experiences, but now with more control. Is it too much? Then you have the option to stop, which you might not have had before.

Enjoying this kind of series doesn't always mean that your mental health isn't great. You can also find satisfaction in the fact that the perpetrators are eventually caught. That gives a sense of justice, as is evident from the reactions to the podcast. So, don't feel guilty if you want to watch ‘Law & Order’ or ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ tonight. But taking a moment to reflect on what such a series does to you is good to discover how you really are and whether it's necessary to seek help.