Characters Who Clearly Struggle With Anxiety

There is a reason certain characters stay with us long after a show ends. They feel familiar. They feel real. Often, those characters are the ones who struggle. They overthink. They worry. They doubt themselves. They feel deeply and sometimes painfully.

Characters with anxiety resonate because they reflect something many people recognise in themselves, myself included. They are not perfect or fearless; they hesitate and spiral. They care too much, and in doing so, they make anxiety visible in a way that feels human rather than clinical, and we resonate with it.

As conversations around mental health have grown, anxiety has become one of the most common experiences represented on screen. Some subtle, and some explicit. Many are messy and complicated, just like real anxiety.

This blog looks at characters from UK and US television and film who clearly struggle with anxiety, and explores why we love them, relate to them, and find comfort in their stories.

Anxiety on screen feels validating

For a long time, anxious characters were portrayed as weak, neurotic, or there just for comic relief. Today, anxiety is shown with more nuance, and characters are allowed to be competent and anxious at the same time.

Seeing anxiety represented honestly helps people feel less alone. It tells us that anxiety does not cancel out worth, intelligence, or courage.

Characters with Anxiety:

1. Will Byers from Stranger Things

Will Byers is one of the clearest portrayals of anxiety shaped by trauma. From the very beginning, Will is sensitive, intuitive, and emotionally aware. After his experiences in the Upside Down, anxiety becomes part of his daily life.

His fear is not irrational. It lives in his body. He struggles with feeling different, disconnected, and unsafe in a world that has already hurt him. His anxiety shows up as hyper awareness, emotional overwhelm, and difficulty moving on.

People connect with Will because his anxiety is quiet and internal. He does not dramatise it. He carries it. That makes it deeply relatable.

By the final season, that sensitivity and emotional awareness become his superpower.

2. Claire Dunphy from Modern Family

Claire Dunphy is often seen as controlling, intense, or overly organised, but beneath that is clear anxiety. Claire worries constantly about her family, her competence, and her sense of control.

Her anxiety shows up through overplanning, micromanaging, and fear of things falling apart. Many viewers recognise this type of anxiety immediately. It is the anxiety of responsibility.

Claire resonates because she represents people who cope by holding everything together, even when they feel overwhelmed inside. Shes a mother, a wife, a daughter and a friend, much like many others, she deals with the practicalities of life. We recognise her in ourselves.

3. Charlie Kelmeckis from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is one of the most emotionally open portrayals of anxiety and trauma in modern film. He feels everything deeply and struggles with intrusive thoughts, panic, and emotional shutdown.

Charlie’s anxiety is tied to unresolved experiences and emotional sensitivity. He is kind, thoughtful, and observant, yet overwhelmed by the intensity of his inner world.

People love Charlie because his anxiety does not define him, but it shapes how he experiences life. His story reminds viewers that gentleness and struggle can exist together.

4. David Brent from The Office UK

David Brent is an uncomfortable example of anxiety, but an important one. His constant need for approval, fear of rejection, and awkward social behaviour are rooted in deep insecurity.

David’s anxiety is masked by bravado and humour. He overcompensates. He performs. He tries desperately to be liked.

While often played for laughs, many viewers recognise something painfully real in David. His anxiety reflects the fear of being unimportant or invisible.

5. Rue Bennett from Euphoria

Rue’s struggles are often discussed in terms of addiction, but anxiety is a core part of her story. She experiences intense internal chaos, racing thoughts, and emotional dysregulation.

Rue’s anxiety is overwhelming and often unmanageable. It fuels her coping mechanisms and makes calm feel unreachable.

People connect with Rue because her anxiety is raw and unfiltered. It is not softened for comfort. It shows how anxiety can consume when support and regulation are missing.

6. Mark Corrigan from Peep Show

Mark Corrigan lives almost entirely inside his anxious inner monologue. His thoughts race constantly. He overanalyses every interaction. He fears judgment, failure, and social missteps.

Mark’s anxiety is exaggerated for comedy, but it reflects a very real experience. His internal dialogue mirrors how many anxious people think, even if they never say it out loud.

Viewers love Mark because he says what anxiety often sounds like in our heads.

7. Princess Diana in The Crown

The Crown portrays Princess Diana as deeply anxious, emotionally sensitive, and overwhelmed by pressure. Her anxiety is tied to isolation, scrutiny, and lack of emotional safety.

Her struggle highlights how anxiety can exist even within privilege and fame. External success does not protect against internal distress.

Diana resonates because her anxiety is portrayed with compassion. She is not weak. She is human.

8. Chidi Anagonye from The Good Place

Chidi is one of the most recognisable anxiety characters in recent television. His anxiety centres around decision-making, morality, and fear of making the wrong choice.

Chidi’s overthinking is relentless. He wants certainty in a world that offers none. His anxiety is intellectual, ethical, and exhausting.

People love Chidi because his anxiety is both humorous and deeply relatable. He represents the paralysis that comes from caring too much.

9. Fleabag from Fleabag

Fleabag’s anxiety is hidden beneath humour, sarcasm, and fourth wall breaks. She is constantly distracting herself from discomfort.

Her anxiety is tied to grief, guilt, and emotional avoidance. She fears stillness because stillness brings feelings.

Viewers connect with Fleabag because she shows how anxiety can look like confidence on the surface, while chaos exists underneath.

10. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter

Neville begins the series as anxious, unsure, and lacking confidence. He is afraid of making mistakes and being judged.

Over time, Neville grows into courage, but his anxiety never disappears completely. It transforms.

People love Neville because his story shows that anxiety does not prevent bravery. Often, it exists alongside it.

Why do we connect so deeply with anxious characters

Characters with anxiety feel real because they reflect emotional truth. They struggle in ways that mirror everyday experiences.

Common reasons people connect include:

• Anxiety is shown without judgment

• Characters are still capable and lovable

• Fear does not erase kindness or strength

• growth feels earned rather than miraculous

These portrayals help normalise anxiety.

Reflecting on characters through journaling

Watching characters with anxiety often sparks recognition. You may see your own patterns, fears, or coping mechanisms reflected at you.

Using the Discovery Journal to capture resonating moments can be surprisingly powerful. Writing about what feels familiar helps increase self-understanding and compassion. It turns recognition into insight.

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Representation matters

When anxiety is represented thoughtfully, it challenges stigma. It shows that anxiety is not a flaw but a response. It invites empathy rather than judgement.

These characters remind us that anxiety is part of many human stories, not something to hide.