It’s Completely Normal to Get Queasy While Watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ According to a Neuropsychologist
I want to watch Grey's Anatomy. I really, truly do. For starters, the show's in its 16th season, which means it rates extremely high on the bingeability index. There are just so many episodes. It also has a rabid fan base, meaning if I did watch, I would have bajillions of people to talk about it with. Most importantly, Grey's is emotional as hell, and who doesn't love a cathartic television watching experience? Me, apparently.
At the risk of sounding more dramatic than Shonda Rhimes herself, I simply cannot watch Grey's Anatomy. I've tried, but it makes me SO queasy. No amount of hot doctors could ever make up for the nauseous feeling I get when a patient is rushed into the emergency room with a license plate stuck in their face. Yeah, I know that none of the patients are actually dying, but apparently, someone forgot to tell that to my stomach. Also, I can watch reality shows like Botched, where real people undergo real procedures. So what is it about Grey's, specifically, that makes me want to vom? The official answer is: kind of everything.
According to neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez, we experience parasympathetic reactions while watching the show (i.e., your brain tricks you into feeling sick). Basically, because you're emotionally invested in the characters and their storylines, your brain says, "Oh hey, we're sick now, too," when you see someone suffering.
“Being nauseous is a parasympathetic reaction, and it has a lot to do with how emotionally invested you feel in a show," she says.
Dr. Hafeez also points out that Grey's Anatomy is perfectly engineered to create a literal visceral reaction. First of all, everything from the camera angles to the music is an intentional decision to make the audience feel something. Secondly, that emotional investment is heightened because the show has been on forever, and there's been so much time to develop that connection.
"Viewers have become invested in the characters, and they seem more real to them. They seem more like friends, family, or people you know," says Dr. Hafeez. That makes a LOT of sense. The world's been watching Meredith Grey for 16 seasons. "You're scared about what's going to happen to her, for her, and for her patients."
Okay, so...why can I watch a woman get liposuction on Botched without even flinching? Dr. Hafeez says it's because the show is more like a documentary. There aren't any theatrics. Although Botched occasionally shares background stories, the show itself is not really emotionally charged. Dr. Hafeez compares it to watching National Geographic. Seeing a lion tear apart its prey is gruesome, but it's not an emotional experience. It's not going to mess you up the same way a scene with dramatic music and skillful actors would.
So, there's got to be some kind of device to trick your brain into enjoying Grey's Anatomy, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, there aren't any tips for lessening the parasympathetic responses you experience while watching.
"It's a very natural, emotional response," says Dr. Hafeez. "If you're that kind of person and react to things that way...you're probably always going to."
So, yeah. Someone call me when Grey's ends and all the hot doctors are on a show about baking, or something.
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