Psychologist warns it's a major red flag if you enjoy new Ed Gein Netflix series

A psychologist has revealed why it's a red flag if you're a fan of the new Ed Gein series, which is taking Netflix by storm.

The third season of Monster is based around the infamous Butcher of Plainfield, and much like its predecessors, it has generated a lot of chatter from viewers on social media.

Charlie Hunnam portrays the serial killer in Monster: The Ed Gein Story, after previous seasons of the Netflix show covered the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers.

Creator Ryan Murphy has come under fire in the past as Dahmer's victims' families and the Menendez brothers themselves have criticised his portrayals of them in the series, and the Ed Gein season is no different.

Hunnam himself has responded to comments on his 'empathetic' portrayal of Gein, while the show itself has been accused of faking or exaggerating some events for dramatic effect.

At the end of the day, TV adaptations are a dramatisation of real-life events, even if a thing or two is inaccurate. However, despite this, the show remains firmly in the streaming platform's Top 10 list.

For some reason, people become hooked when a new season of Monster is released, which is odd because why do we enjoy seeing how the mind of a mass murderer works?

It turns out that there may be a reason to worry if you've got a particular liking for violent media.

Mental health specialist Dr Thema Bryant spoke about the subject on The Mel Robbins Podcast back in 2023, explaining: "If your idea of relaxing before you go to sleep is to watch three episodes of Law and Order, [then] I would encourage you to think about 'why is trauma relaxing to me?'"

It's a good point which may make you reconsider your love for true crime series and dramatised takes on traumatic events.

The expert went on: "Some of us grew up in high stress [situations], so people mistake peace for boring. To come home to yourself you have to lean into the discomfort because it’s gonna feel unfamiliar."

Viewers seemed to reflect on this, as one commented: "The trauma isn't relaxing to me - it's the justice the characters/real people often get that I never did in my own life."

Another pointed out: "Wow that is exactly what I watch to relax. This was so enlightening," as a third went on: "And this was the moment I realized... I haven't watched SVU since I went to therapy and started healing..."

Other professionals have also backed the explanation, as clinical psychologist Dr Elizabeth Jeglic said to Crime Reads that trauma survivors may take a liking to true crime stories.

Dr Jeglic, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, explained: "Anecdotally, some people are drawn to the study of psychology to understand themselves and heal themselves."

She added that people in psychology programmes are often found to have a history of mental illness, saying: "Similarly, I think it might be likely that people who have a history of trauma might be drawn to true crime to kind of re-experience those traumatic situations in a safe environment where they have more control."

Maybe it's time to turn Monster off and put Friends on.