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TV Show Addiction

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by waitwhat, Feb 16, 2015.

  1. waitwhat

    waitwhat Guest

    My therapist and I have been discussing my thing with The Fosters pretty much since I've going to her for about a year now, and we are treating it like an addiction. A real addiction, like alcohol or drugs. Most people who say they are addicted to a TV show are actually just big fans and can watch the show, read the fanfic, make the fan-art, and then move on with their lives for a while. Not me. Once I watch the episode, read the fanfic, or see the fan-art, that's fucking it for anything else in my life. Including school, relationships, and work. If I have access to a computer during classes, I am on tumblr or a fanfic site. I will re-watch clips of my OTP from each episode over and over again on youtube and re-read the same fanfics about them over and over again. It's all I think about. And I don't know what to do. My therapist and I are working on it, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me on what I can do? Most people in my life or online just say "watch a new show." That's horrible advice, and it doesn't work because I will find a way to relate it to The Fosters, then switch back to The Fosters. This is really affecting my emotional well being.

    So does anyone have any advice on what I can do to stop all of this?
     
  2. Really

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    Can you use it as a treat/reward? Tell yourself you can have some Fosters only after you've gone to your classes, and done your work. You'll feel better for having finished what needs doing and then getting your treat. Maybe even schedule Fosters time. Outside of the time when you have other responsibilities.
     
  3. Chip

    Board Member Admin Team Advisor Full Member

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    Does your therapist have a lot of experience with process addictions? If not, it might be worth referring you for a few sessions with a therapist that is a specialist in that area, as it's a very specialized issue that most mainstream therapists do not have a lot of experience with.

    Process addictions (the most widely known are things like gambling, shopping, and video gaming) are often challenging to treat. What we do know is that like all addictions, the behavior is rooted in a desire to numb. So the most effective treatment generally involves exploring what underlies the desire to numb... which, again, requires a therapist with extensive experience and fluency in psychodynamic and other insight-based approaches. And whatever the underlying issue is... often it is not immediately obvious, so it requires a therapist with a really skilled ability to identify and help you explore the potential issues, as they're often buried below several other layers.

    There are some cognitive-behavioral approaches that can be effective with some forms of addiction, but process addictions are often less responsive to CBT-based approaches and, additionally, all addictions, but particularly process addictions, tend to return if the root issue isn't identified and worked through.

    I realize I'm not giving you a whole lot of specifics here, but I'm hopeful that if you discuss some of this with your therapist, it may spur either some insights on his/her part as to other ways of approaching that might be more effective for you.
     
  4. Michael

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    I agree with Chip.

    I've also heard that humans are able to give an emotional response of familiarity when watching sitcoms, which is very similar than the one that you give when having relationships IRL. It might be related to what they call mirror neurons (which are active also when you are watching sports, if you are into that sort of thing).

    Now, it also could be that the characters of the show are giving you an emotional response that you are missing in your real life : Being understood, etc.

    Don'tr try another show unless it's The Untouchables or Mike Hammer :icon_wink
    Seriously now, try to make an active effort to keep away from it : Besides following a therapy, try to go outside more often, maybe with an old phone. Make an effort to have at least one daily walk, even if it's going to the mall and browsing around.

    I don't think you should watch the show as a reward, it could reinforce the answer. What you could try is to analyze the show with a new perspective : Why the show sucks.

    At the end your own progress is up to you. It's good to ask for help, but without you doing your best, you are not going to make it.

    (*hug*)