‘The Promise’ : a screenplay about anxiety effects on teenage life

Abstract

This dissertation aims to explore the integration of two areas: anxiety and screenwriting. The result is a cinematic expression of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The screenplay aims to tell a story about the effects of anxiety on teenage life based on real-life mixed with fictitious events. The screenplay follows the story of a nineteen-year-old girl who has to deal with many life-changing situations, all of which contribute to her being diagnosed with GAD. I have decided to conduct this research on anxiety to shed light on how badly anxiety can affect people, even if one cannot really see the effects. My research into anxiety, as well as the art of screenwriting, has been my mission to spread awareness. Furthermore, I also made sure that a big part of my research was humane, which is why I opted for an interview in which I had the interviewee - a psychiatrist – diagnose the protagonist as if she were a real person. Moreover, I managed to incorporate the information and advice that the psychiatrist gave me, with the information that I have researched in books and journals. Ultimately, this dissertation aims to give the answer to the research question—how does anxiety control one`s day-to-day life?— in cinematic terms.