SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been nearly two months since Disney and Pixar released their latest film, “Inside Out 2,” giving millions of viewers some time to process the experience.
The latest installment in the Inside Out series takes viewers on a journey through the inner workings of main character Riley as she enters her teenage years. This follows hot on the heels of the first film, which introduced viewers to the core emotions embodied in the characters of joy, sadness, anger, fear and disgust. The sequel introduces more complex emotions, including fear, envy, ennui (boredom) and embarrassment.
In an effort to create a “new Riley,” Anxiety, with the help of her counterparts, suppresses the core emotions in order to overtake the growing teenager. Anxiety’s antics eventually lead to Riley completely losing himself and, you guessed it: a panic attack.
We are all on the path to healing and self-integration, and this film is a great tool for people of all ages.
–Gabby Accord, LCSW
While millions of viewers can relate to many of the experiences described in the film, psychologists call Inside Out a “brilliant” way of describing what happens inside the brain.
KSL.com spoke with two Utah-licensed clinical social workers to get their thoughts on the film and its impact on the wider world of mental health.
“A lot of the inner child work is done through the inner family systems method, and the film was just a really beautiful visual representation of that,” said Gabby Accord, founder of Mood Psychotherapy and Coaching in Bountiful.
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is the idea that each person is a system of protected and wounded inner parts controlled by a central self. It is based on the premise that each person’s mind is “inherently multiple” and consists of many functioning parts.
“‘Inside Out 2’ did a really good job of showing us that we are a collection of internal parts and how those parts work together to build a sense of self,” Accord said. “We have several of these pivotal moments where we have to decide whether we’re going to give up who we are at the core in order to fit in. Then you start to build a little more comprehensive sense of self that includes self-awareness where you realize you have less desirable parts that you’re not in conflict with, you’re just aware of.”
“Fear” attacks
Before Riley experienced an epiphany and complete integration of self, she experienced an anxiety-induced panic attack. Melissa Lambson, owner of New Leaf Counseling in Sandy, said Pixar’s portrayal of anxiety was “on point.”
“I liked how Anxiety portrays a different version of Riley, because when Anxiety takes over, you see behaviors that are not her true character,” she said. “Anxiety can trigger this fight, flight or freeze response, and in the movie they showed the freeze response during the panic attack. And then you feel this sympathy for Anxiety because she was just trying to protect Riley.”
Accord agrees that viewers can benefit from the portrayal of fear and Riley’s relationship to it.
“What struck me was how helpful it is to be kind to the fear,” she said. “The fear was getting out of control, but after she was taken out of the driver’s seat, she was given a little place to sit and a snack. I just loved how they showed that fear should never be the driving element, but it should have a place.”
Something for everyone
Lambson said she watched the film with her teenage daughter during a trip to a national volleyball tournament. As a former college athlete who specializes in athlete mental health, Lambson said that seeing Riley overcome many of her obstacles as an athlete underscored the need for mental health awareness in the field. But she said the film offers something for everyone, not just athletes.
“It seems like the editors didn’t really have an agenda,” she said. “They chose a general enough tone so that people could have their own experience of it. You know it’s a good film when they portray a scene and everyone can put themselves in it and make something completely different out of it. It’s a brilliant film.”
Accord said she hopes people of all ages and from all walks of life can find healing in the film.
“I thought it was so beautifully done,” Accord said. “I don’t want anyone to go in there and feel ashamed because they weren’t able to resolve some of these things sooner. We’re all on the path to healing and self-integration, and this film is a great tool for people of all ages.”
