Anyone traumatised?

[Barney]

Has anyone been so scared by a horror film (or book) that it has given them mild trauma?
When I was a child a friend and I would watch lots of horror and action movies that were way too old for us. I discovered some films have 18 certificates for a reason - because they'll scare the bejaysus out of a kid!

Most of the films I just enjoyed, but the Nightmare on Elm Street films freaked me out for what felt like months afterwards. If I was upstairs in my house, and realised none of my parents or siblings were upstairs, I would have to quickly run downstairs for safety because I thought Freddy was going to come for me.

And if I was in a room on my own, and the door was closed, I would really work myself up and start to believe that when I opened the door Freddy would be stood on the other side of it, waiting patiently, silently, and then cut my face off with his knife hands!

[HoopyFrood]

I, too, have watched horror films from a very early age and I don't think they've had a lasting effect on me. I remember when little that I was usually a little scared that a group of zombies would come shambling up the stairs; in fact even now they still freak me out somewhat (despite being my favourite type of horror film monster) and I have at least two zombie dreams per month. But other than that I can't remember ever being really scared of anything I saw in the films, nothing past the normal childhood fears of maybe having something lurking under your bed or what have you. And despite watching so many certificate eighteen films when very young, I can remember the thing that really scared me was the idea of a fire suddenly breaking out in the house.

Mind you, even now some films or books can creep me out a little, especially those subtlety scary ones. There's something not quite right about toy clowns or porcelain dolls. And I can remember, after seeing The Ring at the cinema, I kept having this weird feeling that she'd be standing right behind me if I were to turn around! But I think that's a sign that the film has had the proper effect, if it's still making you twitch hours after watching it

[Rohan]

I wouldn't say that I have been traumatized by horror films, but I do find that I can become quite disgusted and angry at times while watching them. I used to enjoy the genre but, as I've grown a little older (a wizened 25 years now) I find myself less able to tolerate them. I find it increasingly difficult to find the 'fun' in the cruelty and degradation; now it merely makes me angry to watch.

I do love horror films that are 'frightening', though; I suppose you could call that horror/suspense. A frightening and tense film can be very enjoyable. But slasher-esque films (like Wolf Creek, for example), which glorify violence and cruelty, have nothing of fear in them for me. They merely sicken and infuriate me.

[Barney]

Clowns and dolls, they can be pretty creepy. And old people...I remember another fear I used to have (it's all coming flooding back now!). I would be in bed, facing the wall with my back to the room. I would worry that when I turned over there would be some wizened old crone leaning over the bed, staring at me.

Ring creeped me out too. That and The Grudge (US remake, haven't seen the original) are the only films i've seen for years and years that were so unnerving I actually had to look away from the screen because it was too much.

[dustinzgirl]

I always envisioned myself as Nancy, so when Freddy comes for me I'll kick his butt.

[brsrkrkomdy]

I don't recall being traumatized by horror films I watched. Only three made an impression on me: Let's Scare Jessica To Death; The Other; Night Of the Living Dead. The honorable mention goes to John Carpenter's The Thing. Got nightmares after watching it the second time. Not the first time. Go figure.

[power to the J]

When I read The Shining I had a few bad nightmares when I actually fell asleep, which didn't happen very often.

[Omphalos]

I have never been scared by a movie, and only once when reading a book. I was a young teen reading 'Salem's Lot and was at a particularly tense scene when the small reading bulb in my lamp burst and made a big noise. I practically wet myself I was so startled, then I laughed myself silly.

[power to the J]

Originally Posted by Omphalos

I have never been scared by a movie, and only once when reading a book. I was a young teen reading 'Salem's Lot and was at a particularly tense scene when the small reading bulb in my lamp burst and made a big noise. I practically wet myself I was so startled, then I laughed myself silly.

LOL I've never had anything happen to me quite like that, but once I heard my mother scream downstairs while coming to the peak of an particularily scary part of a book.

[Wiglaf]

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe(animated version) scared me as a kid; I was rather young during the 70's.
What gave me nightmares as a kid though was The Amityville Horror. When the remake came out however, I wasn't scared. I was more torn between amusement and embarassment over my date throwing popcorn at the teenagers in front of us.

[Nightmare]

Given the OP's childhood fear of Fred Krueger, how could I not post here? The first horror movie I ever saw was An American Werewolf in London, when I was about 10. Scared me so badly that I couldn't get out of bed to use the bathroom that night, with predictable (and even more traumatizing) results. I was a horror fan for the rest of my teenage years, but werewolf movies always genuinely frightened me. I'm over it now, but for many years I worried I'd been damaged.

Originally Posted by Omphalos

I was a young teen reading 'Salem's Lot and was at a particularly tense scene when the small reading bulb in my lamp burst and made a big noise. I practically wet myself I was so startled, then I laughed myself silly.

Salem's Lot scared me, too, but the book alone was enough to do it. I'd never read a horror book before, and I was running down my Stephen King-reading friend, saying how silly it was that anyone could be frightened by a book. He said, "read this," and I learned my lesson.

Originally Posted by Rohan

I wouldn't say that I have been traumatized by horror films, but I do find that I can become quite disgusted and angry at times while watching them. I used to enjoy the genre but, as I've grown a little older (a wizened 25 years now) I find myself less able to tolerate them. I find it increasingly difficult to find the 'fun' in the cruelty and degradation; now it merely makes me angry to watch.

+1, Rohan. I've really been disgusted with the "torture porn" that has been masquerading as horror over the past several years. And twice as disgusted with our culture for lapping it up.

[Winter Lord]

Originally Posted by Barney

Clowns and dolls, they can be pretty creepy. And old people...I remember another fear I used to have (it's all coming flooding back now!). I would be in bed, facing the wall with my back to the room. I would worry that when I turned over there would be some wizened old crone leaning over the bed, staring at me.

Ring creeped me out too. That and The Grudge (US remake, haven't seen the original) are the only films i've seen for years and years that were so unnerving I actually had to look away from the screen because it was too much.

Sounds like you've had dreams about the Old Hag.

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Yeah, no horror films or story has ever creeped me out enough to give me trauma, simply because I knew even as a little kid they weren't real. Never was scared of the dark due to them or anything....

Though I do have to admit, some sections of the original Hellraiser movies came close....

[j. d. worthington]

Not traumatised, but I have had some spook me now and again (though not for a very long time has anything done more than give me an eerie frisson....). "The Upper Berth" was one, when I was young. I recall reaching the point where the thing makes its appearance, and having my brother-in-law come up behind me and tap me on the shoulder... I must have levitated at least three feet at that point....

As for movies... Occasionally, when I was very young. I still get a chill from some things... Sadako's appearance as she comes out the television set in Ringu still gives me that sensation, for instance (it's the actress' movements there... very unsettling). There was also old Haggis, in Pumpkinhead, who I found to be the most effective old witch I'd seen on the screen. There's something especially chilling to me in her response when Ed Harley (Lance Henrikson) snaps and blurts out "God damn you"... to which she simply replies: "He already has, son. He already has." I think it's the feeling that -- albeit quite quietly -- she's mockingly gleeful when she says this; a very sadistic joy in being damned, and letting him know that by coming to her for help, he has also damned himself....

[ravenus]

The Innocents was one of the intensely scary films I've seen.

While not scared, I remember feeling very depressed after seeing Picnic at Hanging Rock in my childhood...I so yearned for Miranda.