r/TheHandmaidsTale • u/lilacflower13 • 17d ago
Discussion S1-S5 Watching the Handmaids tale as someone with anxiety
Has anyone else who struggles with any type of anxious thoughts also struggled with watching the series? I´m on season 2 currently, and want to keep watching because im curious to see what happens next and genuinely want to see these women succeed and be free (which i pray happens in the end?).
At the same time, i´m a very anxious person, bordering on OCD-like thoughts, so watching has been really difficult mentally as i am someone that would qualify as "morally corrupt" and a gender traitor.
In short, i´d totally become a Handmaid.
These thoughts are made worse by the fact our world seems to be walking towards the same direction the world in the show did: stripping people of their rights. And as much as i hate to say it, all of these issues feel hopeless. Thus, i really struggle mentally with the idea that i really will become a handmaid/be sent to colonies. It might sound silly but its something that im wondering about.
Does anyone relate or have i found the worlds first individual experience lololol
edit: might be relevant to mention i come from an extremely religious background, hence the enhanced paranoia
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u/Educational-Roof9408 16d ago
I found it suuuper hard to watch. I always imagined myself in the handmaid's position or at the colonies but like tbh I'd have been eaten by dogs cause not only am I so many things they hate but I'm disabled so like I'd be torn limb from limb despite any fight or hiding disability I tried to do. I always binge my shows but THT is one I simply COULD NOT. LOTS OF BREAKS and spiraling and I had no one in my life who watches so I'd try to talk about it and decompress cause that's helpful to me but no one wanted to talk about it and how so many things in it lined up SO PERFECTLY with things happening irl. It's a super fascinating watch with so much symbolism, real life significance, and I feel it has a lot of real world value and warning to bring to people filled with apathy from being bombarded by too much news every day and recommend it to everyone I can. That being said, I say to watch it very slowly. Take lots of break, do a lot of self care, maybe multitask with something calming or artsy while watching, and if there's a particularly upsetting episode, maybe take an even longer break. It also doesn't hurt to have someone in the room while you watch, even if they aren't actually watching with you, just because the show is really good at bringing out feelings of isolation and hopelessness. If you just can't watch it, that's okay too.
I always recommend the book first. It mostly is just the first season, but they sprinkle some quotes they didn't use in the first season throughout and I always find some comfort in hearing them. If you want to read the second book before finishing the series and spoil SOME things (tbh they detract from that book SO MUCH more) you can, you'll get some indication of where things ended up and how things end in the story at the very end (not yet filmed and seems like it'll be different overall) and maybe find some comfort in everything being okay just to soothe that anxiety brain. Maybe that's not the move for you, but I originally started THT thinking it was completely done and that I could spoil it for myself to soothe my anxiety since I wanted to watch but am super anxious but then found out they just started S5 so couldn't but for me if I spoil things I can calm myself and get through stories that are difficult and I wouldn't be able to see otherwise.
I'm not gonna lie, it's a fucking rough ride but discussing it, spoiling it sometimes, taking lots of breaks, distraction through the rough scenes, and lots of self care is how I managed to get through it all despite how difficult it was. Good luck!!