“Angst” Screening Raises Awareness of Stress and Anxiety

Mental health has always been at the forefront of conversations about student well-being at Hotchkiss, whether it be in Human Development classrooms or in club meetings. On February 3, the Bring Change to Mind club furthered this discussion by hosting a screening of the film, Angst. The 2017, 56-minute documentary explores what we can do to treat anxiety and remove its stigma. The filmmakers’ goal is to have a global conversation and to raise awareness around stress and anxiety. The film not only features candid interviews with teenagers and young adults reflecting on their experiences with anxiety, but also includes discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects.

One of the key points highlighted by the film is that, contrary to popular belief, anxiety is not only caused by highly competitive and stressful environments, but can also be the result of a clinical anxiety disorder. Amelia Berlandi ‘21, co-head of the Bring Change to Mind club commented,“I think there are a lot of misconceptions regarding anxiety and stress and even more so in such a highly competitive environment such as Hotchkiss.”

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing our community is the difficulty of recognizing when someone is in fact suffering from the illness. Many students feel the best way to prevent anxiety is to create an environment that is supportive, open, and accepting of mental health challenges. William Muse ‘21 said, “After watching Angst, I’ve come to realize the importance of having someone to speak to and finding techniques to relax and alleviate stress.”