Researching into Anxiety: Case Study
As our game will cover a variety of different mental illnesses, we need to make sure that we accurately understand these illnesses and can represent them in a respectful and accurate way. In our game, the MC suffers with anxiety and depression. (previously PTSD too, but we changed our script). They cope with these illnesses by creating imaginary personifications of them, who they view as imaginary friends. As we are creating personified versions of mental illnesses, we need to make sure we present them in a way that is not seen as stereotyping and disrespectful. To assure this, we each decided to research into the mental illnesses we will be choosing to put in our game to guarantee that our script represents them well in terms of their personality, and also with how they interact with the MC. For my case study, I have chosen to research into anxiety disorder as it is one illness present within our game.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety disorder is a common mental illness many people suffer with in which it causes excessive stress, worry and panicking. Anxiety can cause many people to suffer through daily life tasks. Very common occurrences of this are things such as public speaking, talking to new people, going outside or trying new things - however it can also effect many other types of daily activities. There are a multitude of different types of anxiety disorders, such as Generalised anxiety, Social Anxiety, Separation Anxiety and Agoraphobia. Anxiety can range from low to very high and intense, and can cause some people to really struggle on a d ay to day basis. People with very high anxiety levels may get stressed out from very simple things that others may find normal, such as asking questions, walking down the street or getting on public transport. Anxiety varies from person to person and each person who suffers with the disorder has their own unique challenges and issues.
What are some Symptoms of Anxiety?
Some common symptoms of anxiety consist of excessive panicking, stress and worry. This can have side effects of shaking, panic attacks, throwing up, illness and even passing out. The disorder causes people to feel stressed and anxious in different situations, which can sometimes spiral and cause panic attacks. A panic attack occurs when an induvial gets too stressed or panicked, and can cause a shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat exhilaration. This can then cause the induvial to panic more and spiral further, causing heartburn and rapid shaking. Sometimes these panic attacks can cause people who suffer with them to pass out, be sick or continue in this state for long periods of time. Is it really important to treat people going through these events gently, and to be considerate of them and their feelings to help them calm down as best as possible.
How do people with Anxiety cope?
There are lots of ways people use to cope with anxiety, however it varies from person to person. A few examples of techniques that people may use to deal with their anxiety can be; Taking things slowly and over longer periods of time. For example, entering a new environment can cause lots of stress and worry. Ways to help lower this stress can be to familiarise yourself with this new location, and slowly take steps into becoming comfortable in this location. Support systems are vitality important, such as friends or family members who can help you to feel comfortable and settled. Sometimes, people with anxiety will feel much calmer and safer with someone they trust and feel they can confide in around.
Sometimes people with anxiety will want space and quiet when they begin to feel overwhelmed and stressed. This can mean that they would like to exist a situation or location, to calm down elsewhere if they are beginning to feel overwhelmed. Studies have shown that music can help greatly when feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and has been show to lower anxiety while listening.
In the scenario where someone is having a panic attack or anxiety attack, there are a list of different techniques others can do to help them, or the person struggling can do to help ground themselves and calm themselves down. A method commonly used to help ground people who are spiralling or stressed is a method called the 5-4-3-2-1 method. In this, the person suffering will be asked to name things they can see, smell, touch, hear and feel in order to help them focus on something else and calm their mind down. This technique has been proven to work, and can be really helpful for some. In my personal experience, I find that counting down and finding something to fidget with such as a fidget toy helps to take my mind off things and calm myself down when I feel anxious.
As well as this, people who suffer with Anxiety disorders can also reach out to their local doctor or GP, or can reach out to specialised therapists who can help them learn to deal with their emotions and feelings or can prescribe medication that can help them stay calm and lower their feelings. Reaching out for help from a medical professional is never something to be ashamed about, and can be incredibly beneficial for people who are struggling and wanting to receive help.
How we will make sure to Represent this Respectfully?
In order to represent this illness properly and respectfully, it is very important that we conduct research beforehand when writing our script and characters. This will allow us to make sure we do not create stereotypes of miscategorise someone who is struggling with these illnesses, and that they are represented in a way that people who also deal with these issues and problems can relate to and feel seen by. As well as this, we can also ask people who may suffer with this disorder to help us when writing the characters. By asking for feedback and opinions from someone who has also experiences this disorder will allow us to understand how they feel and let us know if they think our character is represented accurately and in a respectful manner. We will also avoid stereotypes such as making our character constantly worry and be upset throughout our entire game. While people with this illness may feel stressed for large portions of time, is it not the only thing that defines them. People who suffer with illnesses are still individuals, with personalities and thoughts and goals that define them. Mental illness does not define who a person is or their worth, and it is very important we showcase that with our characters.
References:
Anon, What is anxiety? [online]. Mental Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week/anxiety-report/what-anxiety [Accessed 18 May 2025 a].
Anon, Org.uk. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/for-friends-and-family/ [Accessed 18 May 2025 b].
Mallik, A., Russo, F.A., 2022. The effects of music & auditory beat stimulation on anxiety: A randomized clinical trial [online]. PloS one, 17(3), p.e0259312. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259312.
Raypole, C., 2020. Helping someone through a panic attack [online]. Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-help-someone-having-a-panic-attack [Accessed 18 May 2025].
Website, N.H.S., 2025. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) [online]. nhs.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder-gad/ [Accessed 18 May 2025].
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