For Dr. Strange to have Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), it actually wouldn’t be so bad for him. He has magical abilities that seem to stretch the imagination beyond the point of fairy tales and wizardry. Strange could use a spell to hide facial blushing and profuse sweating or he can simply open a quick portal and leave. Either way, he’d be alright.
In the Multiverse of Madness, we learn a lot about Dr. Strange and the MCU in general. We saw him fight a one-eyed monster using magical hands which can lift a spear to the single eye. Then we learn that there is such a thing as physically travelling to different universes (multiversal travel). We even learned that you can Dream Walk to different universes simply by using the Dark Hold. So yea, it’s a crazy world they live in.
But as absurd a world the MCU is and regardless of which universe you live in, Social Anxiety Disorder does not discriminate. It’ll attack aliens, androids, or even wizards (thanks Falcon and the Winter Solder). Meaning, Dr. Strange could still be vulnerable to the dreaded Red Face of Social Anxiety Disorder. Let’s look at three scenes from Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness that could cause SAD.
Three Scenes from Dr. Strange that cause Social Anxiety
Scene 1: The Indirect Blame
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 2022.
Setting: While seated at Christine’s wedding, Dr. Strange has a conversation with Dr. Nic West.
Anxiety Provoking Event: Dr. West indirectly places blame on Dr. Strange for the 5 year-long blip, during which his brother died and West never got to see again.
At the beginning of the movie, Dr. Strange is seated at Christine’s wedding when Dr. West (former colleague from the first Dr. Strange movie) sparks a conversation. He tells Strange that during the blip his brother died and he couldn’t say goodbye to him because he was blipped out of existence. West was saddened by the death of his brother, but his death isn’t what keeps him up at night. Instead, he is most distraught about whether the blip even had to happen. West asked Strange if there was any other way it could have happened.
Dr. Strange was honest and upfront with his answer when he replied that there was no other way. West then indirectly and passive-aggressively blamed the blip on Dr. Strange by mockingly stating that “only the great Dr. Strange could have made that call.” He was essentially pointing his blame finger at Strange for causing trillions to be removed from existence for five years. And although Strange was rightly justified for making that decision against Thanos, West didn’t want to hear it. He just wanted Strange to know that he held him responsible.
Being blamed is a Social Anxiety trigger
If Dr. Strange had Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), the blame from Dr. West would have been a huge trigger for the cause of Red Face (the most prominent symptom of SAD). Being blamed and finger pointing can trigger the mind to be on the defensive, especially if the results of the blame were catastrophic (liking blipping out for five years). SAD sufferer’s always feel like they need to be prepared to defend themselves in social situations anyway, but being blamed really pushes the anxiety levels high. And since SAD sufferer’s care about what other people think of them, the social anxiety would be even worse. West blames Strange and thinks negatively of him for that reason. This could be a huge Red Face trigger all while Christine’s wedding is happening.
Scene 2: “Are you happy?”
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 2022
Setting:– While at Christine’s wedding, Dr. Strange speaks to Christine and she asks him if he is happy.
Anxiety Provoking Event: Dr. Strange tells the woman he loves that he is happy while attending her wedding to another man.
It’s no secret that love will make you do crazy things. What really sucks about love though is learning to let go while masking your true feelings. Dr. Strange had to tell Christine that he is happy for her and that he wished things worked out for them years ago. She then responded by asking him if he is happy. And for a bunch of different reasons, Strange lied and replied “yes.”
Telling someone you love that you are happy while at their wedding to someone else is not an easy thing to do. But it’s especially difficult for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder. Two things happen here:
- Dr. Strange lies to avoid an awkward conversation
- Dr. Strange wants to confess his love to Christine but can’t
SAD sufferer’s have a very difficult time lying because of the fear of being caught. Lying is a huge trigger for developing Red Face (both bright red blushing and profuse sweating will be so obvious) and someone with social anxiety disorder will avoid it at all costs. Red Face is just a huge red flag that someone is lying, and even worse, embarrassed by the lie.
Social Anxiety is all about Brain Chemistry
The brain chemistry of a man in love is absurdly difficult to comprehend. Men will do and say things that are completely out of character. In one part of the brain, Strange is feeling the warm, crazy, and totally nuts feeling of love. In another part, his chemistry is telling him to confess his feelings to her. And in a third part, his brain molecules are telling him not to confess his love. The combination of these molecular reactions causes stress and anxiety, and in the presence of the woman you love, you experience the effects of Social Anxiety. In other words, an unwelcome Red Face symptom will appear.
Scene 3: “I love you in every universe”
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 2022
Setting:– After Dr. Strange saves America Chavez from Scarlett Witch, he is back in a different universe with an alternate Christine waiting for Chavez to return him home. As he’s waiting, he has a heart-to-heart conversation with the Christine.
Anxiety Provoking Event: Confessing his love to Christine.
If there is anything we have learned about love in the presence of social anxiety, it’s that those two things don’t mesh well. Telling someone who you hold on the highest romantic pedestal that you love them triggers the fear of rejection, and worse, humiliation. It’s always a tricky thing to tell someone that you love them, but to say in the profoundly “I love you in every universe” sense will carry quite a bit of extra weight.
At the moments leading up to and after his confession, Dr. Strange would be thinking about the consequences. “She probably doesn’t love me back” or “she is going to let me down easy” are some things he will think about. “What if she laughs at me or tells someone about my confession” is another thought for SAD sufferers. These thoughts of rejection stresses the mind and causes anxiety in any normal person, but even more so in an SAD person. And since the anxiety is caused by Christine’s presence, it is considered to be social anxiety.
Thoughts alone are bad enough
The worst part is that just these thoughts alone can trigger Dr. Strange being swallowed in the humiliation of Red Face. Christine doesn’t even need to say or do anything. The thoughts alone can cause Red Face right in front of her. And when her eyes shift direction from Strange’s eyes to his forehead and she sees the sweat formation, it’s all over for him. Her notice of his red, sweaty face will make Strange more red and sweaty. It’s really uncomfortable.