Research: psychological concepts

As well as forming my character profile, it is equally important to conduct research into key psychological terms, before I can actually start writing my script, in order for my writing to be accurate.

I decided to centre my research around mental distress and anxiety.

ANXIETY:
characterised by feelings of tension, worry and fear, which are frequent . The individual has the tendency to over-exaggerate a perceived problem.

• An individual with anxiety dreads everyday situations 
• Some suffer from panic attacks 
• Stems from childhood such as traumatic experiences
• Largely co-occurs with depression.
• Worries are exaggerated
• Pre-determining the future, as holding negative outcomes  
• Unable to relax in many cases 
• Trouble concentrating 
• Irritability 
• Watching for signs of danger
• Feeling like your mind's gone blank 

The disorder is accompanied by physical symptoms...

• Muscle tension 
• Headaches 
• Stomach cramps 
• Spontaneous crying 
• Feelings of despair 
• Pounding heart 
• Sweating 
• Dizziness 
• Insomnia and fatigue 
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling tense and jumpy 
• Going to the bathroom frequently 
• Low energy

 THE SPOTLIGHT EFFECT

A tendency to believe that other people pay more attention to us than they actually do in reality. This notion can be associated to people with anxiety, who feel worry as they perceive that they become the central figure of our people's gazes. 

DREAMS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS 

Freud theorises that dreams reveal the unconscious of the mind, including repressed fears and worries. 

In relation to anxiety, an anxious individuals worries and traumas of their past that fill up their unconscious mind will be manifested through their dreams. 

The dreams will stop when they acknowledge and confront their issues. 

MY APPLICATION: 

Such psychological research was essential for me, in terms of developing Kate's character and to also develop her story in the film. Looking at the common symptoms for people with anxiety is enabling me to represent the disorder more accurately through the action, description and dialogue in my screenplay. The works of Freud concerning dream analysis is particularly fascinating for me, and I aim to manifest Kate's worries and fears through very visual dream sequences, with profound meanings. I imagine that Kate has repressed the traumatic experiences, involving her abusive mother and is in denial of her anxiety, which will seek through in her dream, I conducted further research into the dreams that someone with anxiety might have: 

• Teeth falling out- a sign that we are losing our sense of control 
• Being naked in public- clothes are the armour that protects us from the rest of the world, so losing that puts us into a vulnerable position, whereby we feel exposed, ashamed and subject to the gazes of others. 
• Falling- a sign that we are not fully secure in our lives. 

I might be using some of these elements in the dream sequences of my film, however I don't want my scenes to be too Cliché or general. As I am inspired by the works of  Salvador dali, I will be using more bizarre and specific symbols to reflect the inner-working of Kate's minds. 

Additionally, I will also be adapting other key psychological notions in my screenplay such as 'The spotlight effect'; my main character Kate has fallen prey to this 'spotlight effect', as she feels the constant gazes of the people around her, leading to her anxiety.