May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
I’ve been watching scary movies for as long as I can remember — from black-and-white classics like Frankenstein and The Fly to beautifully twisted modern horror like Hereditary and The Strangers.
Being drawn to the dark, the macabre, and the adrenaline rush of what hides in the shadows is nothing new for me. Horror has brought me more than fear — it brings a kind of healing; excitement, comfort, and even escape in ways everyday life sometimes cannot.
I live with anxiety and depression, and horror acts as a release. Not to say I don’t get scared, but the fear from a frightening movie versus the real-life fear of wondering how I’m going to pay the bills are two very different feelings.
Horror has been blamed for influencing violence, fear, and antisocial behavior, but fans and experts alike now argue the genre actually helps people process emotions that already exist beneath the surface.
As Billy Loomis says in Scream: “Sid, don’t blame the movies. Movies don’t create psychos, movies make psychos more creative.”
Horror, a misunderstood genre
I think horror fans are often misunderstood. Have you ever excitedly talked about a scary movie only to be met with wide-eyed confusion from someone who just doesn’t get it?
I’ve always identified as a weirdo — a title I wear proudly. So how can a love for horror, the possible source of your weirdness, lead to connection and even healing?
As Nancy says in The Craft: “We are the weirdos, mister.”
Katie Evans – Framing the psychological impact of horror
Another self-proclaimed weirdo, Katie Evans — a psychotherapist and lecturer who speaks around the world about psychology in horror films — has personally found empowerment and healing through the genre.
“Watching horror or going through haunted houses lets us experience fear, excitement, and safety all at once,” Evans explains. “It’s like being on a rollercoaster.”
Evans says horror also allows people to confront emotions and fears they may struggle to process directly in their own lives.
“Horror uses images and stories that allow us to project our inner world outward,” she says. “When difficult emotions feel too overwhelming to face directly, exploring them through film can create relief or a sense of working through them.”
According to Evans, horror can also help people safely explore themes many avoid in everyday conversation.
If you enjoy horror, it can help you face the things that scare us most — death, identity, uncertainty, and the unknown,” she said. “It creates a safe place to challenge ourselves, build empathy, and even embrace the darker parts of who we are. Ultimately, that can help build resilience.
— Katie Evans
“Congratulations. You are still alive. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore.”
With the quote above, Jigsaw from Saw provides a chilling reminder that horror often pushes audiences to confront mortality in ways everyday life avoids.
While extreme, the quote reflects one reason horror resonates so deeply with many fans — it can make us more aware of fear, survival, and even gratitude for being alive.
Horror Therapy?
Another horror lover, Terri Rivera, created The Horror Community Foundation, which uses horror films as a therapeutic tool for coping with anxiety, stress, and burnout.
The foundation brings people together in therapist-led support groups using horror movie examples to spark conversation and connection — using films like The Substance to discuss grief, youth, and identity, and The Craft to explore imposter syndrome.
Since launching in October, Rivera has seen the response grow, with familiar faces returning to events and the community continuing to build.
Working through her own CPTSD, Rivera says she has learned that perfection is not everything. Through creating the foundation, she has grown her confidence, challenged negative self-talk, and found a unique way to help others heal through horror.
My Personal Horror “Prescription”
So how am I going to protect my mental well-being? Maybe with a night spent watching scary movies, planning my next Halloween adventure, and finding more people who understand why the strange and spooky feel like home.
It’s time to grow my frightening friend group and surround myself with fellow weirdos — the people I can share fears, laughter, life, and horror movies with.
Maybe horror isn’t really about darkness after all. Maybe for some of us, it’s about finding light within it either way I’m ready for a good scare!
Send your scary movie recommendations to @tiffrtreat.
To learn more about The Horror Community Foundation, visit The Horror Community Foundation.
For more from “The Spooky Therapist,” follow @mhmons on Instagram.