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Nim’s Island and Nim’s Island and AgoraphobiaAgoraphobia

Kameron PayneKameron Payne

Always having the fear of Always having the fear of experiencing another experiencing another panic attack.panic attack.

Agoraphobia is very Agoraphobia is very closely related to panic closely related to panic disorder, and often disorder, and often accompanies it.accompanies it.

Panic DisorderPanic Disorder

The fear of being in an inescapable The fear of being in an inescapable situation.situation.

When someone has agoraphobia When someone has agoraphobia they try to avoid any situation that they try to avoid any situation that they are afraid of or where they they are afraid of or where they might panic.might panic.

When a person doesn’t want to have When a person doesn’t want to have another panic attack, they avoid another panic attack, they avoid being in an uncomfortable situation. being in an uncomfortable situation. So, they avoid putting themselves So, they avoid putting themselves into situations that they are afraid into situations that they are afraid of and as a result are often trapped of and as a result are often trapped in their own home because of fear.in their own home because of fear.

AgoraphobiaAgoraphobia

This movie is about a little girl named Nim This movie is about a little girl named Nim and her father that live on an island in the and her father that live on an island in the middle of the ocean that no one knows middle of the ocean that no one knows about. Nim always reads books written by about. Nim always reads books written by Alex Rover, and looks up to him greatly. It Alex Rover, and looks up to him greatly. It is a great shock that Alex Rover is actually is a great shock that Alex Rover is actually a girl and goes by Alexandra. When Nim’s a girl and goes by Alexandra. When Nim’s father goes on a trip and doesn’t return father goes on a trip and doesn’t return she asks Alexandra for help. Alexandra has she asks Alexandra for help. Alexandra has a very hard time coming to help Nim. She a very hard time coming to help Nim. She suffers from agoraphobia; she is very suffers from agoraphobia; she is very afraid to leave her home and thinks that afraid to leave her home and thinks that everything is dirty and is always putting everything is dirty and is always putting on hand sanitizer. She has to face her on hand sanitizer. She has to face her fears and leave her home in order to help fears and leave her home in order to help this little girl. this little girl.

Nim’s IslandNim’s Island

In this movie the character In this movie the character Alexandra suffers from Alexandra suffers from agoraphobia and panic attacks agoraphobia and panic attacks also. also.

There are several different There are several different scenes where this anxiety scenes where this anxiety disorder is very evident. This disorder is very evident. This will be shown on the following will be shown on the following slides.slides.

The ConnectionThe Connection

There is one scene in the movie where the There is one scene in the movie where the character Alexandra sees that her mail has character Alexandra sees that her mail has arrived. She walks to her door to go outside arrived. She walks to her door to go outside and get her mail. She stands at the door giving and get her mail. She stands at the door giving herself a pep talk saying that “she can do it”. herself a pep talk saying that “she can do it”. Once she opens the door she automatically Once she opens the door she automatically closes it again. Alexandra can’t handle going closes it again. Alexandra can’t handle going outside.outside.

Another scene is when Alexandra leaves her Another scene is when Alexandra leaves her home to go and help Nim. She’s leaving to home to go and help Nim. She’s leaving to some place very far when she hasn’t even left some place very far when she hasn’t even left her apartment in months. She says that she her apartment in months. She says that she can’t leave because “the world’s not sanitary”, can’t leave because “the world’s not sanitary”, and also that she “is scared of everything”. It and also that she “is scared of everything”. It takes so much for her to leave her house. takes so much for her to leave her house. When she finally gets into her cab after much When she finally gets into her cab after much delay, she is still panicking. We can see from delay, she is still panicking. We can see from the picture to the left how Alexandra is the picture to the left how Alexandra is handling being in an unsanitary cab when she handling being in an unsanitary cab when she is extremely frightened to leave her home at is extremely frightened to leave her home at all. all.

ExamplesExamples

We can see from the scenes in the We can see from the scenes in the movie that the character Alexandra movie that the character Alexandra suffers greatly from the agoraphobia suffers greatly from the agoraphobia disorder. She is always scared to do disorder. She is always scared to do anything. anything.

This fits perfectly with the definition This fits perfectly with the definition of agoraphobia that was given of agoraphobia that was given earlier. It is very evident that this earlier. It is very evident that this character has a fear of being in an character has a fear of being in an inescapable situation, and will do inescapable situation, and will do anything to prevent herself from anything to prevent herself from being in an uncomfortable situation. being in an uncomfortable situation.

Putting It All TogetherPutting It All Together

Lecture notes and videosLecture notes and videos Nim’s IslandNim’s Island Mayoclinic.org (for more Mayoclinic.org (for more

info on agoraphobia)info on agoraphobia)

References References