There was a time in our cultural lives when the idea of a motion picture, let alone a moving picture that was in real life culture, with voices, sounds, or any kinds of effects, was fantasy. Movies, as we know them today, are ubiquitous to being alive. Dozens upon dozens of movies are written, produced, and released every single year. In just the mere decades that film has developed, storytelling has developed, style has developed, and so much more. Essentially, movies are storytelling. Storytelling is an ancient ancient form of human communication, passing on our experiences from one generation to the next, spreading information worldwide, and gaining a greater human understanding. Every level of a movie, from the exposition to the story development, from the film style to the shots, from the colors to the dialogue, has intense meaning from which we can gain important insight.
Cinema therapy helps us in trauma recovery by giving us stories to relate to when we cannot relate to our own stories ourselves. Trauma is becoming an important topic in media, becoming a prominent theme in all kinds of media production, including movies. We can watch movies about trauma, carefully, and compare our own experiences. In movies where trauma is not a prominent theme, we can still pinpoint trauma, manifestations of trauma, and even PTSD from trauma. What many movies call ‘character development’ is often a development of trauma from some significant event or ‘plot twist’ in a character’s life.
Looking at someone else’s story and hearing someone else’s message is important for our trauma recovery. Trauma is a shake up in our lives, directly impacting the way we think, feel, and act. Trauma lives in our central nervous system, lives in our brain, and lives in our spirit. Often when we experience trauma, we experience a disconnect from who we are, who we think we are, who we know we are, and more importantly, who we want to be. Movies can take what we have difficulty articulating in our own minds and articulate them for us. Whether verbally, thematically, or metaphorically, movies can literally put right before our eyes what is hidden in the depths of our psyche. Being able to talk about a movie in treatment is being able to talk about ourselves.
Everyone has a story of trauma before they come treatment. Everyone leaves with a story of recovery when they leave treatment. The Guest House Ocala is a private treatment center specializing in the treatment of trauma, addictions, and related mental health issues. Your program of care is customized according to your specific experiences and needs. Our luxury amenities provide the highest level of quality care and comfort so you feel safe, supported, and serene. Call us today for information: 1-855-483-7800