Macabre...ish Using Horror To Heal

For me, watching horror movies, reading horror novels, being completely nuts about Halloween, is not just about entertainment. Sometimes it’s everything. As you know, life can be a waking, 24 hour nightmare and some times we need an escape. Some of us use alcohol, some of us use cigarettes, some of us collect purse dogs...I partake of all things horror.

 I love it. It’s an escape. It’s something for my mind to focus on that isn’t whatever happens to be troubling me at the moment. It’s art and lots of it, lots of different kinds of art. It is not real and this makes it a much more enjoyable alternative to the pain and reality of so many parts of life. Let’s be honest, that’s the point of entertainment, that’s why we dedicate to so much time to it, spend so much money on it and for it. We’ll pay for entertainment with our last $20 when we know saving it is probably smarter. 

We will give up a lot of things to entertain ourselves as well as for a shot at being in or apart of entertainment some day. A part! Not even a guarantee but the hope of it. Horror is simply that. Everything. If it’s a horror movie and the ending is the absolute worst, well, it’s a movie! If the end is great and brings me to my feet because it’s so good, then great! Halloween comes around, man, October...the entire month (plus some) may as well be Halloween because it’s got the trifecta, it’s a killer Holiday, it’s my birthday and it can be all horror (or not). I’m binging on horror movies everyday, dressing up everyday, ok not the full get-up everyday but there are at least fangs...and contacts...maybe a tail. It gives me joy. Most of my casual wear is horror wear and that’s year round. 

If I’m stuck in a rut, then it’s me an Stephen King, until I’m back. And there are particular books that do it for me. The Long Walk is a short go to for putting my life right back in perspective. If I’m down and struggling with appreciation for my life, that’s cool, Cell is right there to bring it all back. Feeling restless and completely inconsequential, The Dark Tower Series. All of it, even the stories within the stories like The Wind Through The Keyhole. And I could go on and on, I have a book prescription for every ailment. Movies too and sometimes I get an overdose with too much psychological horror and have to prescribe myself a little Bob. Bob’s Burger’s, God, The Devil and Bob, Bob And Margaret etc...you get what I’m saying.

Listen, life’s been unbelievably tough between child abuse and years long homelessness, it’s been unbearable  and horror is sometimes my drug, sometimes my therapy and sometimes my comfort. I feel right at home in it. Whether it’s trick or treating, a witches ball or horrorcon, it’s all good and it’s all home. Horror has normalized me in a way that few things have. I may have thousands of movies lining my walls but I also have no debt. I may go ball to the walls with my Halloween decoration but I own my home free and clear. I spend way to much time writing about, reading, blogging and watching horror but I looked around at my life and discovered myself to be a pretty healthy, successful adult.

It’s obviously not for everyone but it is for me. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been all horror all the time but it’s been a lot of horror, a lot of the time. Have a little horror therapy, I highly recommend it.

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