“Learning to tolerate anxiety, to not know what will happen but still move forward, is a valuable skill for writers, as it’s always been an unpredictable industry.”
Now that the strike is at the 50+ day mark, I thought this Hollywood Reporter guest column would be a good one to spotlight. No matter how energetic and passionate WGA members have been on the picket line, the daily grind of protesting while AMPTP “suits” sit in their plush corporate offices daydreaming about more ways to screw writers has to take a toll on the union’s rank and file.
In other words, time to talk about mental health.
Alan Dybner had a nice run as a writer on the TV sitcom That ’70s Show from 2001–2006. Subsequently, he transitioned into working as a marriage and family therapist. Having been a WGA strike captain in the 2007–2008 work stoppage, I thought his observations are particularly resonant.
Here are some excerpts from Dybner’s column.
WGA members have incredible imaginations. It’s a union filled with people who spend much of their day asking “what if?” over and over again. The right “what if” question, like “What if, the night before starting her surgical residency in Seattle, a doctor slept with a guy with great hair who turned out to be her new supervisor?” can lead to 19 seasons and counting of more “what if” questions, and not just jobs for writers, but for actors, producers, gaffers — you name it.
Writers bring that restless imagination not only to their scripts but to many aspects of their lives. Most writers at some point have asked themselves a version of, “What if, with hard work and lots of practice, I could one day see my script turned into a TV show or a movie? Not only that, what if one day I could actually get paid to write full time and that could even be my job?”Of course, while writers can imagine positive outcomes, most writers are even better at thinking up negative scenarios. “What if my script is no good?” “What if everyone realizes I’m a fraud?” Or the classic, “What if I never work in this town again?”
Catastrophizing, or fixating on the worst possible outcome of an upcoming situation, is not uncommon among my therapy clients with anxiety, and writer clients are often particularly gifted at it. Learning to tolerate anxiety, to not know what will happen but still move forward, is a valuable skill for writers, as it’s always been an unpredictable industry. Thankfully, people can find ways to develop this skill over time.
But tolerating uncertainty becomes much more challenging when there’s a giant and very real stressor currently making itself felt in your life. A complete work stoppage caused by multibillion-dollar companies refusing to negotiate in good faith with your labor union, over demands that would cost them very little but would make it possible for you to actually earn a livable wage? Definitely fits the bill.
So, given you might’ve been a worrier before the writers strike and now there’s something quite real to worry about, what can you do? A perspective on anxiety that I find helpful is one taught by the Beck Institute, a leader in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy. They believe anxiety is commonly caused by overestimating the risk of a situation while simultaneously underestimating your ability to get through it.
Now, when it comes to the strike, the risks are very real. It is possible your career will be affected negatively, not only in the short term but possibly in the long term. Some jobs and opportunities may indeed never come back, and that can be terrifying.
But you also may be underestimating your ability to get through this. For most WGA members, it took years of hard work and drive to even get into the Guild in the first place. Similarly, it takes tenacity and resilience to keep a career going. That determination and grit, which you’ve already shown you possess, can be called upon both during the strike and once it’s over. Yes, when it ends, your career might look different. The whole field might look different. An industrywide work stoppage is difficult and scary, but it is also survivable. Especially when you look at all you’ve endured in the past already and survived (at times, even thrived).
I am reminded of when I joined the WGA in 1987. As part of the enrollment process, a group of newbies met at Guild headquarters and one of the speakers worked in HR. In talking about the benefits we had from our health insurance (the first time I had been insured as an adult!), she emphasized the good deal we had if we were to meet with a therapist.
I remember her smiling and shrugging as she said, “And ‘coz you’re all writers … you know … this could be extremely valuable.”
We all laughed. Because we knew. Writers are equipped with imagination. Instinctively, we generate scenarios. And because we are writers, we are especially good at creating negative scenarios.
You know … catastrophizing.
I confess that HR person was right. For many years when I lived in L.A., I would drive over to Santa Monica each week to meet with my own therapist Jean. Over and over again, I would indulge in detailing catastrophic scenarios. Jean would simply stop me with this:
I still remember that little exercise to this day to counteract my anxiety.
Dybner notes several tips for writers dealing with anxiety including:
- Don’t Keep Everything Inside
- Practice Compassion For Yourself, Especially If You’re an Introvert
- Keep an Eye on Your Alcohol and Drug Intake
- Focus on What You Can Control
- Don’t Fall Into the Trap of Comparing Yourself
All good advice … not just for writers during the strike, but experiencing the day-to-day stress of working in the film and TV business, or just being any type of writer.
To read the rest of the guest column in The Hollywood Reporter, go here.
For the latest updates on the strike and news resources, go here.
A Therapist Shares Mental Health Tips for Striking Writers was originally published in Go Into The Story on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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Author: Scott Myers
