anxiety/guilt over seeing disturbing pictures on the web

[colinr]

I enjoy reading about true crime online, but ocassionally, I will stumble upon disturbing pictures of crime scenes post-mortem. I do not seek out these pictures, but some websites don't warn the visitor ahead of time. After I see these pictures, I feel tremendously guilty/anxious over having seen the pictures. I worry that I have been scarred by them, that I'm going to be haunted by the images, that I am a bad (worse?) person for having seen them.

I try to tell myself that looking at the pictures doesn't make me evil, that I am not responsible for posting the pictures and I don't take the pictures lightly (as in, I'm not saying "Oh wow! Look how gross! Look at the ... etc.!"), but I worry about worrying...

I just saw some disturbing pictures earlier today, that is my reason for writing. I try to be careful with my internet browsing. I was on a truetrue crime website at the time. Usually, the webmaster (a criminologist according to his page bio) puts a warning if the pictures are graphic. But he didn't put that warning this time and the pictures are in my head now. And I'm terrified they're going to be in my head forever, that I'm going to keep thinking of them all of the time, regardless of my mood.

My therapist (I have an appt with her tomorrow) has suggested Exposure and response prevention as in letting myself look at the pictures and avoiding escaping from looking at the pictures.

Any thoughts about this, please? Thank you in advance.

[Im-Suffering]

I enjoy reading about true crime online, but ocassionally, I will stumble upon disturbing pictures of crime scenes post-mortem. I do not seek out these pictures, but some websites don't warn the visitor ahead of time. After I see these pictures, I feel tremendously guilty/anxious over having seen the pictures. I worry that I have been scarred by them, that I'm going to be haunted by the images, that I am a bad (worse?) person for having seen them.

I try to tell myself that looking at the pictures doesn't make me evil, that I am not responsible for posting the pictures and I don't take the pictures lightly (as in, I'm not saying "Oh wow! Look how gross! Look at the ... etc.!"), but I worry about worrying...

I just saw some disturbing pictures earlier today, that is my reason for writing. I try to be careful with my internet browsing. I was on a truetrue crime website at the time. Usually, the webmaster (a criminologist according to his page bio) puts a warning if the pictures are graphic. But he didn't put that warning this time and the pictures are in my head now. And I'm terrified they're going to be in my head forever, that I'm going to keep thinking of them all of the time, regardless of my mood.

My therapist (I have an appt with her tomorrow) has suggested Exposure and response prevention as in letting myself look at the pictures and avoiding escaping from looking at the pictures.

Any thoughts about this, please? Thank you in advance.

It is right not to avoid. Firstly a man has many probable courses of action he may take. Before he settles on his path, and even during it, there are multitudes of probabilities or avenues, some actualized, and some dreamed only.

Now it would be of no good for a man to dream of being a baseball player, yet in his dreaming he had no bat. The bat he would need you see. He could experience the weight, the hand positioning, the stance and power applied to make a hit.

Should a man daydream what his life may have been if he chose criminology as a profession, yet left out images of post mordum, then in dreaming he would have no fulfillment, and a man needs to complete his dreams, you see. You must get the whole package to say, "now I can make an informed decision, should I choose to actualize my dream"

You then by analogy have an interest in these things, for by the law of attraction you see what you wish to see. Thus you can make an informed decision based on that, do I continue, have I had enough, or is this interesting enough I shall persue it. A child playing house, has all the components, the child is prepping for future actualization or not, deciding, so she would need to dream of parenthood, and get that experience psychologically first. Should the little girl decorate her dream home complete with husband, but omit children, she then denies quite natural urges to play out dream scenarios to the fullest, and even biological urges of motherhood, losing the benefits of the experience.

So you see, you expect to see what you see, and attract it to you, it is the law, period. Your eyes bear no witness that has not first been desired in the mind. That is true denial, period, end of post, no exceptions.

You create your reality, then experiencing it first hand deny your part in it. Feeling guilty then and shame is destructive to self, when in turn you are human, and it is part of the psyche to be as thorough as possible in your daydreams of roads not traveled.

Print this, and give it to your therapist for discussion

[Prayer for Anxiety]

Images have a profound impact on our mental health. If I see images of people suffering or being abused - it affects me. I don't know if I agree with exposure therapy. For someone who is addicted to pornography, for example, the best thing is to learn to avoid harmful virtual environments.

You said the "pictures are in my head now" and you are right. Some current technology can nearly retrieve images from our brains. If you think it is harmful, then it probably is better to avoid. These images have taken away your peace.

Try to cultivate other interests. Why true crime? Is it essential to your well being? If not, and it carries some risk, why not look elsewhere?

Hope this helps,
Vince