I think when we talk about Zoe not doing things because of her anxiety, a lot of people get defensive (understandably because of their own anxiety) and say ‘anxiety is hard to understand’ ‘it’s not so easy to just do something’ etc. Trust me, we all know. 4 years ago I couldn’t leave the house at all it was so bad. But that was 4 years ago. I sought out help and I worked on things and now, I still have anxiety, but I’m able to recognise when it’s controlling my behaviour and I’m able to try to actively work through it.
The problem with Zoe is that her life is so cushty that she’s never worked on herself. She uses her anxiety as a crutch and an excuse to do nothing. This is what we criticise - not the fact she has anxiety but the fact she makes no effort to overcome it and has allowed her life to become so stagnant and nothing-y. She’s so comfortable in her bubble that she doesn’t push herself to change.
It actually would’ve been so interesting for them to be able to do their ‘year of travel’ in 2020 to see if Zoe actually did it and experience stuff when away. We’ll have to see what happens after the pandemic eases.