Is It Just Me Or Is Watching True Crime Oddly Relaxing?

As someone with anxiety and my biggest fear is being kidnapped, I really don't know why but I am addicted to watching true crime.

While it may be odd, I know I am not the only one as tons of women I know also love true crime and Saturday Night Live recently even aired a whole song about women's love for "murder shows":

Whether its in a long-form docu-series format, documentaries, TV shows or even YouTube videos I can sit and watch true crime day in and day out.

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Just the other night I was watching my favorite YouTube channel where the host, Bailey Sarian, drops her "Murder, Mystery and Makeup" every Monday.

She has garnered millions of subscribers because she does such a good job telling the story while also keeping the content visually stimulating and she even has a video about a Lansing, Michigan true crime case, the story of Rose Larner:

Basically, Bailey does her makeup while telling people a true crime story ranging from infamous serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer to criminals from Victorian times that poisoned hundreds of men.

I watch this kind of stuff when I'm doing laundry, cooking, or just genuinely relaxing and it really makes my significant other, well, significantly concerned.

Just the other day, he came home to me watching the story of a family whose 20-something son would steal their credit cards to fund his porn/cam girl addiction and was later charged with their murder. Luckily all he said was, "oh, this lady again" because he is so used to it by now.

So why is it that this is something I watch when I want to just "chill out"?

Is it the fact that it kind of gets your adrenaline going? Is it that I just like mysteries? Is there something wrong with me?

Well according to MentalFloss, unless it becomes an unhealthy obsession, it is completely normal to be interested in true crime!

MentalFloss in their article "12 Reasons We Love True Crime, According to the Experts" reasons include adrenaline, relief we aren't the victim OR the perpetrator, it can help us feel prepared, and basically satisfies our consistent need for "good vs. evil."

They also say that much like going to haunted houses or watching horror movies, some people just like to be scared but in a "controlled" way. 

All in all, I think what really gets me into true crime is that a lot of these things are things that have already happened and I like to have some resolution. That's why the cases where the "jury's still out" or ones that leave off on a "we may never truly know" kind of basis leave me extremely unsettled.

I love true crime and am always looking for more crazy, interesting stories, what ones are some of your favorites to watch?

If you are really into iconic crime stories, check out the Lizzie Borden bed and breakfast: