Shows like Dateline, 48 Hours, and 20/20 have broad appeal because they let people become detectives in the comfort of their own homes as they try to figure out who the bad guy is. If you like watching these types of shows, there may be an unconscious reason. Let’s dive in.

Cases that make the show have to be mysterious, exciting, and jaw-dropping. This excludes people in healthy relationships, who handle breakups like adults. Hence, practically all cases involve unhealthy people and relationships. This website has many articles on the unhealthy and growing up in abusive and neglectful households.

When watching these cases, you become a detective and try to figure out who did what. What you don’t realize is that you are unconsciously drawn to them because of your own unhealthy upbringing. Practically all cases have someone with a mental disorder in them, and likely multiple people. If you understand how the unhealthy generational cycle works, you realize you are watching people who have no empathy.

VARIATIONS OF THE SHOW ARE VARIATIONS OF MENTAL DISORDER BEHAVIORS

Understanding the different behaviors of mentally ill people can help us better understand these shows. 48 hours, The First 48, Cops, Dateline, American Greed, and 20/20 are just a few of the shows that can be solved by understanding mental illness.

Most shows deal with relationships gone awry. One of the partners ended up dead, with the other one as the only one to speak. Most of the time, the person who is alive will be the mentally disordered person with no empathy.

Usually, when a boundary is set on a mental person, that boundary cannot stand. It will usually lead to the death of the person setting the boundary on the mentally ill person. The unsuspecting victim most times does not even realize they are setting a boundary.

Some shows deal with love triangles and a cheating spouse who then plots the death of their partner or muse. A cheater is someone who requires a constant supply of adoration or has a mental disorder. Their no-empathy plan to execute their partner fits into their mental dilemma where they get rid of someone they have discarded (latter stages of a toxic relationship), possibly for a value like life insurance.

Sometimes, the partner drugs or tries multiple times to eliminate their partner. When they drug their partner, they are using the persecutor and rescuer pattern to show how loving they are. They drug the partner to kill them, and also appear as their caretaker and rescuer, as they ensure they can continue to drug them in isolation while appearing to be the good person.

At times, the mentally disordered person kills their partner and then takes on their role to suggest that they are still alive to cover up their crime. This usually fails since mentally disabled people only impersonate and do not actually know how to come off like a real human being.

Some shows deal with kidnappings or random attacks. This gives the mentally disabled person a feeling of power over another human being. This power is false and comes from their mental disorder.

Other shows deal with prolonged kidnappings where the victims are isolated in a home. Isolation is a favorite tactic of the mental person to make their victim fully dependent on them. It can take years to find out since isolation is supported in the American system, where no one can enter your home without a reason.

Some of the love triangle shows deal with a smear campaign where the partner’s name is smeared by a weak flying monkey in and out of jail. This weak person believes the mentally disabled abuser and kills the unsuspecting victim, who has no clue his name has been smeared with false lies.

THE REPETITIVE THEME

These variations have a recurring theme. Unhealthy people are interacting with each other in a toxic way. The craziest part is when you get skilled at watching these shows and the behaviors of mentally ill people, you can always spot the mentally ill person. The more ironic part is that the mentally ill person might be the police officer, investigator, or one of the parents of the victim. You heard that right. At least one of the parents is often mentally ill if you understand how toxicity passes down from one generation to the next.

In most of the shows, you are watching a setup of a victim by their abuser. Because these sick people have no empathy for others and view them as objects, anyone can die or be used to fulfill their childish plan. Often, the victim has no way to defend themselves because their name is being smeared by flying monkeys. The victim is usually unaware of what the mentally ill person is doing behind their back. This is why it is imperative to stay far away from these people and set boundaries if they must be close. By learning how the mentally ill person sets up their partner, you can grow your arsenal of how to stay out of similar situations.

UNCONSCIOUS PATTERNS

Now, you might understand why you are drawn unconsciously to these shows if you grew up in an abusive or neglectful family. You are watching people on television who resemble those in your real life. Unfortunately, you most likely do not know how to analyze the relationships; hence, you play detective, thinking you can solve the crime. Without realizing that the mentally ill person could be anybody on the show, including the host, you would most likely have a mediocre rate of solving these.

There was one show where I watched the summary that comes on at the beginning before the show starts. From the summary alone, I was able to put everything together and was completely right. The ironic part was that the mentally ill person was found not guilty based on reasonable doubt. I was in shock, considering how obvious it was to me what happened.

CONCLUSION

Watching these shows is a great way to play real-life detective with real-world mysteries. But you may also consider that if you love watching this type of show, there may be an unconscious reason you are attracted to them. Making your unconscious conscious can play a big role in your healing and your ability to solve these crimes.‍

“YOUR UNCONSCIOUS RUNS WILD WHILE YOU PLAY DETECTIVE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THESE SHOWS.”