Film Screening Addresses Student Anxiety

As part of an ongoing effort to address mental health issues on campus, the Moraga iKind Project hosted a free screening of the documentary Angst: Breaking the Stigma Around Anxiety.  After viewing the film in the CPAC on September 12, students in the audience discussed their personal experiences with anxiety.

“My goal was to spread awareness on a very important topic, which is anxiety,” said librarian Ms. Sarah Morgan, who helped organize and host the event with both students and parents. “It’s a word that we use very often in this day and age of education, and it’s something that teachers worry about a lot.”

While the film discussed treatment options, it also described the different causes and effects of anxiety, including social and academic pressures. In particular, the film highlighted social media as a driving force for student anxiety.

“[Social media] is kind of like a double-edged sword,” said junior Max Schultz, 1 of 7 students who shared their own stories during the post-film discussion. “On one hand you can stay in contact with everyone at your school and talk to your friends easily, and see what other people are doing. But at the same time, I think with some kids there’s definitely some sort of jealousy that builds up, like when you see other people doing different things that you may think is better than what you’re doing.”

Junior Paige Love added, “I’ve seen a lot of communities centered around LGBT+ issues, I’ve seen communities centered around helping people with mental illness. But then there are those issues where you see someone post something, like something you weren’t invited to, and it hurts.”

The film recommends combatting the forces responsible for anxiety by confiding in a trusted relative or friend. “When emotions go unspoken, it gives them power,” said Dr. Jenny Howe, one of the therapists featured in the film.

“Having someone there who can be there for you and give you a hug is just so valuable and really, really helpful,” agreed Love.

The film’s producers, Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick, hope to raise awareness about anxiety and provide their audiences with tools for dealing with it. Sophomore Katie Price said she “especially took to heart how people talked about how you can be a better friend to someone who does struggle with anxiety. It’s making me more aware of how to talk to people with anxiety and just how I can help more.”

For more information about mental health, visit https://angstmovie.com/resources/