The Struggle Within: Unseen Effects of Anxiety in Adolescent Romantic Relationships

There are many ways that anxiety hinders an adolescent’s ability to function normatively in romantic relationships. With a combination of library research and content analysis, these effects were evaluated. Attachment style was indicative of their childhood experiences with forming relationships, thus influencing the way they approach, and evaluate, new relationships. Social media presents new challenges to the way they view, exist within, and cope with the world around them. Anxiety was found to occur independently from, but more often in tandem with depression, also having a tendency to exacerbate it. The findings of the research served as a reference point for the narrative of a short film. The film is intended to be a visual representation of the more difficult to explain constructs of anxiety, and the associative internalized symptoms. Through this paper, and the accompanying film, the assertion is made that psychotherapeutic aid should be encouraged for those who need it. Lastly, more needs to be done in terms of normalizing the discussion of mental illnesses in a public forum.