AIBU to listen to friend suggestion to cure childhood phobia?

[nightmares]

When I was 11, I saw a horror flick (now a classic cult movie). It haunted my teenage, I had difficulty sleeping for about a year. Avoided seeing the movie again. Even looking at a screenshot of it still makes me sweat (ironically I am a movie buff, and love watching moderately scary movies!).

My close friend tells me I cannot be this scared of a movie, when I am almost 40. She wants me to watch it during the day so that I can see it, and "conquer" my phobia. She feels once I see it as an adult I will realise that it is just a movie and move on.

I understand the reasoning behind her idea, but I am prone to night terrors - have a long history of them whenever I watch a scary movie - and I am scared of what the many nights in the future will bring, after I watch this movie. As a solution, I want her to watch it with me, since she is insisting I should take this step to address this phobia. She says she cannot as she is not interested in watching horror movies!

AIBU to expect her to sit with me and watch the movie with me if she feels justified in telling me to do it? Just for support? 

Which film?

This works (well, it did for me, anyway)!

I watched Nightmare on Elm Street and Candyman when I was far too young, and was utterly terrified of both films. At nearly 40 I watched them again after my partner suggested the same thing, and realised they’re both a bit crap (good films, but really not that scary).

See if you can watch with someone else if your friend isn’t interested? She can’t be expected to watch something she doesn’t want to, but I’m sure someone else would be happy to help?

It wil probably work but why torture yourself? If you don’t like it and it’ll give you night terrors why bother, surely you don’t see the movie by accident (ie screen shot) that often?

It might help if you say which film.

I've only ever watched Bambi once and I've not been able to again since as that terrified me when I was about 7.

It's Evil Dead, the first one ~shudders~

In retrospect I think I don't have the guts to watch it even in day time

In that case watch it! I guarantee you won't find it as scary now, especially when you see how low budget it looks compared to modern films.

Is there anyone else you can watch it with? Maybe make a night of it with some wine? Alternatively, watch it with the sound off. There's not a horror film in the world that's still scary when it's on mute.

All you'll see is bad special effects, terrible acting and a really bad movie.

Rather than watching the film, perhaps looking into the making of it might help. Once you break it down to writers and actors and makeup rather than what’s on the screen it might take some of the power out of it.

Great advice, thanks all... I asked my husband but he seems to be a bigger wimp than I am w r to horror flicks. I will keep asking other friends...

I think it's the tree rape and the heaving ground that still is so fresh in my mind. I still am mad at my mom for leaving me at a neighbour's place without checking what the entertainment was, and of course mad at the neighbours for thinking it's okay for a 11 yr old girl to watch that movie...

I think it’s a good idea to watch it in the day, maybe pause it every so often to reality check. I don’t understand why your friend would refuse to watch it with you though after suggesting it!?

Maybe start by reading a synopsis and thinking about the special efffects that would have been used etc.

divgirl2 that's an excellent suggestion! Will mute and watch... when I bring myself to watch it!

Karwo that's what annoyed me a bit... that she would ask me to watch it but not sit with me for support

I watched The Exorcist at age 12 (gotta love an 80s feral childhood!!) at a friend's house, and I had terrible dreams for ages. When it was rereleased in cinemas in the 90s/early 00s (I think) I went along to watch it, with my Mum! No, the cross scene wasn't at all awkward! I laughed my way through it with adult eyes and brain, as I saw it for what it was.

If my DC are afraid of a film related thing (thanks to the boy who showed my DC the picture of the Nun!) we search for a picture of the actor, and pictures of them getting their make up done. Seeing them as normal people, who are just doing a job, calms them down.

Why do you have to? It's not like it's a fear of something you encounter a lot like flying or spiders. But if you do want to I think the suggestion of muting it is excellent and maybe play some music while it's on mute, a chase scene to the sound of the Benny Hill theme tune maybe?

I remember watching Jaws at the cinema. Our local pool had bars at the wall of the deep end and I stopped swimming lessons because they scared me. I have never swam in the sea deeper than my ankles.

Watched it again last year and I couldn’t believe how fake it was. Technology has moved on so much. It has completely lost its power.

Def watch it.

Maybe don’t watch the whole film? There is a trailer on YouTube you can watch.

Don’t minimise the effect that it had in you but watch it with adult eyes and I am sure you will feel different about it.