Is the Movie ‘Inside Out 2’s’ Portrayal of Puberty and Anxiety Accurate? Psychologist Shares Thoughts on Teen’s Mental Health Crisis

"Inside Out 2," Pixar's new movie, was released in theaters on Friday. It takes viewers back into Riley's mind, where she is now a 13-year-old girl dealing with puberty and all the complicated feelings that come with it.

Accurate Depiction of Anxiety and Puberty

The movie follows the hit 2015 movie Inside Out, which showed Riley's main feelings: joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. This new chapter shows Riley's journey through youth and four new emotions: Anxiety, Envy, and Ennui.

Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist who worked on "Inside Out 2," says the movie shows how worrying the problems of puberty are. Damour says Anxiety is an integral part of the emotional team, which is true of its role in real life.

According to psychologists, Anxiety is a normal and healthy emotion that keeps us safe, continues Damour. Anxiety is only considered unhealthy when it leads to overreactions or false fears about real or possible problems.

In "Inside Out 2," Riley has a panic attack. It's shown as an upsetting event that makes her hyperventilate and lose touch with her surroundings. Damour says that this picture is very accurate to life, bringing out how intense and confusing panic attacks can be.

The movie also shows valuable ways to deal with worry, like grounding, which Riley does by touching her hockey stick to return to reality. Damour stresses the importance of cognitive treatments, like changing how you think about negative thoughts.

She clarifies that the goal is not to get rid of worry but to help people deal with it when it gets out of hand. One of the main ideas of the movie is that Anxiety can be both a protective strategy and a problem when it gets out of hand.

Critics Praised the Box Office Hit Inside Out 2

"Inside Out 2" has a powerful message about mental health and does very well at the box office. The movie made about $154 million in its first weekend in the U.S., which made it the biggest opening of the year and the second-biggest animated opening of all time in the U.S., after Pixar's Incredibles 2. With today's exchange rates, "Inside Out 2" has already made $292 million worldwide, the most significant start for an animated movie ever.

"Inside Out 2" has a Certified Fresh mark on Rotten Tomatoes, meaning critics liked it. Reviewers liked how it looked, how the actors played their parts, and how creatively it told its story. Both critics and audiences liked it, as shown by its 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes and its "A" grade on CinemaScore.

When Pete Docter quit as director, Kelsey Mann took over. "Inside Out 2" inspired him because he believed the plot had more to offer. Mann said that Joy asked the audience what could happen next at the end of the first movie since Riley was 12. He intended to provide you with an answer to that query.

In this direction, new feelings like Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) were added, giving Riley's emotional range more depth.

"Inside Out 2" has received high entertaining and educational marks. Damour talks about how important it is that Anxiety is shown in the movie as someone trying to protect Riley. This point of view helps remove the mystery and shame surrounding Anxiety by showing it as an essential part of mental health rather than a bad thing.

According to Hawke, the movie is reasonable because it deals with challenging feelings that everyone has, not just teens. The film shows these feelings, making them less stressed and separate.

People are becoming more aware of the mental health problems among teens. "Inside Out 2" is a helpful movie for parents and teens because it gives a balanced view of Anxiety and encourages a healthier understanding of emotions. The film has a lot of humor, heart, and psychological insight, which makes it sure to be a hit at the box office and an important cultural touchstone.