Line #132 Main/NervousWreck


1	[[quoteright:250:[[Webcomic/{{Zoophobia}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2012-09-17-aliens_8033.png]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:She's ''always'' like this.]]
3
4	->''"Sometimes I give myself the creeps''\
5	''Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me''\
6	''It all keeps adding up, I think I'm cracking up''\
7	''Am I just paranoid or am I just stoned?"''
8	-->-- '''Music/GreenDay''', "[[Music/{{Dookie}} Basket Case]]"
9
10	There are some characters with firm NervesOfSteel. No matter the situation, they'll keep a cool head no matter what, and even in the cases where they do lose said cool head, they'll either regain it in no time or simply go on and do the right thing regardless of their fears.
11
12	[[WellThisIsNotThatTrope And then]], at the other end of the scale, there's ''these'' guys.
13
14	They'll be the first to panic under pressure, and [[HeroicBSOD Heroic BSODs]] are a common thing for them. Pessimistic by nature, they'll automatically assume the worst and worry even when everything's going right. And when the worst really does happen, they might even be reduced to [[DeterioratesIntoGibberish spouting incoherent gibberish]] and their {{nervous tic\|s}} may come out as well. For them, life is one long FreakOut.
15
16	Often, this character is revealed to have a [[DarkAndTroubledPast painful past]] that left them like this. As such, this is sometimes a trait of a ShrinkingViolet, a CowardlyLion, or a more emotional BrokenBird. Some versions of this will hide their anxiety (or at least try to) behind a [[StepfordSmiler cheerful]] or [[TheStoic stoical]] [[StoicWoobie facade]]. If malicious, this character is a DirtyCoward who may not look the part when he believes he has the upper hand but will become a blubbering mess whenever he has to deal with his superiors or a competent opponent.
17
18	Compare ProneToTears. Contrast TheStoic, NervesOfSteel.
19
20	----
21	!!Examples:
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23	[[folder:Advertising]]
24	* The Orange [[Advertising/MAndMs M&M]] is known for being constantly paranoid, thinking that people are constantly out to eat him (and given what happens to the other Spokescandies, he's not wrong). He also has a terrible track record with [[CannotTalkToWomen trying to talk to women]] and has an ostensive fear of changes, such as him protesting having Pretzel Guy stuffed into him. Whenever he tries to convince other people to imagine what it's like being him, [[AnalogyBackfire it backfires on him]], ''hard''.
25	-->'''Creator/DiedrichBader:''' Yep, there goes your sister! ...Uhp, there's your cousin! Oop, it's your first date!\
26	'''Orange:''' [[AccidentalTruth ...Cheryl?]]
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* Mai of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'' doesn't have much self-confidence. As a result, she freaks out very easily since she doesn't think she is capable of handling the task at hand.
31	* [[ExtremeDoormat Bertolt Hoover]], from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan''. He normally manages to keep things under wrap as a CowardlyLion, restraining it to constant nervous sweating and uncomfortable expressions. But once his composure breaks, he's reduced to TearsOfFear and shrieking in panic. In those moments, it's easy to forget he graduated 3rd in his military class and [[spoiler:is the Colossal Titan]]. How much of this is his natural personality, and how much of it is connected to his DarkAndTroubledPast is unclear.
32	* Mihashi Ren from ''Manga/BigWindup'' is chronically anxious, has next to no self-confidence, and constantly thinks that people are angry with him for some reason. A part of that comes from his naturally sensitive personality but most of it is due to getting heavily bullied for all three years at his middle school. He gets [[CharacterDevelopment better]]. Somewhat, at least.
33	* ''Manga/BocchiTheRock'': At the beginning of the series, the protagonist Hitori "Bocchi" Goto is a clumsy and stuttering ball of anxiety who can barely say "hi" to another person. Her social anxiety is so severe that she's [[FriendlessBackground spent her entire life without any friends or acquaintances]]. And even after finding herself in a band like she always wanted, she's so afraid of facing the audience that she spends her first performance inside a ''cardboard box''.
34	* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': Kobeni. Good Lord, [[TraumaCongaLine KOBENI]]. If there was a definition of someone who's a nervous wreck 24/7, it's her. Constantly panicking in her assignments, a [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood backstory involving a terribly abusive family]], and despite being an [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass effective]] devil hunter, she does NOT want to live in that world. And of course, everything related to her is PlayedForLaughs.
35	* ''Manga/ConvenientSemiFriend'': Suuna has a plethora of fears, and when she's agitated she completely falls apart. Her mouth and eyes turn into squiggles, her cheeks turn beet-red, and sweat pours off her chin like she's melting.
36	* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': [[SquishyWizard Marcille]] is such a basket case that you'd wonder why she became an adventurer in the first place. High-strung and easily worried, she's especially terrified by the thought of eating slain monsters (which, granted, could be an uncomfortable idea to some).
37	* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': Zenitsu is a capable guy [[CowardlyLion when he finds the courage to brave through killing demons]] or just resorts to his trance sleep mode where he fights in a state where fearing the enemy isn’t possible, but he tends to freak out like no tomorrow at every single thing before he shows his true colors.
38	* Jyou Kido from ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', although he mellowed out in ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' as he matured.
39	* The title character in ''Manga/KomiCantCommunicate'' has extreme social anxiety to the point of being an ElectiveMute. This is a problem, as she is also [[SoBeautifulItsACurse devastatingly gorgeous]], leading people to ogle her and not be confident to approach what they see as an AloofDarkHairedGirl, which Komi naturally interprets as them giving her the cold shoulder.
40	* ''Manga/MariaNoDanzai'':
41	** Poor [[ShrinkingViolet Yashima]] is constantly soaked in her own stress sweat. Even after [[TheBully Kowase]] has seemingly disappeared from her life entirely, both the fear of being pegged as a probable suspect in his disappearance, and the realization that she hopes he stays gone, [[IAmAMonster weigh heavily in her mind]].
42	** [[spoiler:Yuda]] may no longer be [[BullyBrutality Okaya's toy]], but the experience has left him quite jumpy, to say the least. He's [[ShrinkingViolet easily intimidated]], yet at the same time [[TranquilFury is constantly on the verge of murdering anyone who becomes too aggressive with him]].
43	* ''Anime/{{Moldiver}}'': Nastassja, one of the Machinegal Dolls, can be frequently anxious around other people, including her sisters.
44	* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Poor Shinji Ikari, in the first few episodes. It comes in [[SarcasmMode very handy]] when he's shanghaied into being a mecha pilot. He spends his first few battles [[FreakOut freaking out]]. While he does get ''much'' better after the Futagoyama incident as far as battles go, he never quite stops acting like this in his everyday life... and then, of course, any progress he made is undone as [[TraumaCongaLine everything goes straight to hell...]]
45	* Crona from ''Manga/SoulEater'', thanks to being raised [[spoiler:to become a new [[EldritchAbomination Kishin]]]] by [[AbusiveParents Medusa]]. They're even quite jittery when they're AxeCrazy.
46	-->"I just don't know if I can deal with being a trope example..."
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
50	* One character in ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'' named Ted (not to be confused with Ted TheGenericGuy) with an appropriate nickname.
51	* TNT the cowardly talking dog from ''Webcomic/RipHaywire''.
52	* Wade Duck from ''ComicStrip/USAcres''.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Comic Books]]
56	* ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}'', especially early on, is an awkward, inexperienced superheroine who spends most of her time in costume fidgeting, stammering, and sweating if not outright panicking. Nonetheless, she's a CowardlyLion who does her best to save the day anyway and eventually improves somewhat.
57	* Eric Jorgensen of ''ComicBook/GothamAcademy'' jumps at the slightest provocation and is always jittery and afraid. He was starting to get better as he developed friendships with the main cast but then got significantly worse after Amy stole his rescue inhaler and taunted him while leaving him struggling to breathe.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Fan Works]]
61	* In ''Fanfic/TheApprenticeTheStudentAndTheCharlatan'', Nova Shine has panic attack episodes when he feels he is getting too emotionally close to somepony, or that pony is getting too emotionally close to them, stemming from a lifelong flight from his family and a time when someone brought his parents to him despite knowing he was fleeing from them as a colt.
62	* ''Fanfic/DanganronpaKommSusserTod'': Masato quickly proves himself unable to cope with the stress of the [[DeadlyGame Killing Game]], frequently panicking about the situation and being paranoid that someone will try to kill him.
63	* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged'', this happens to Krillin. He cannot shut up when he's scared.
64	* In ''Fanfic/AFancifulDream'' Bella experiences this. Granted, she thought she was being stalked.
65	* In ''Fanfic/GraduateMeetingOfMutualKilling'', Hoshio Saitou really doesn't take well the perspective of being left in a shelter to starve to death. He even considers barricading himself in his bedroom, out of panic.
66	* ''Fanfic/MyDreamIsYours'': Ocean, normally the [[MellowFellow polar opposite]] of a nervous wreck, becomes one when he contracts Dream-Transfer-itis and has O'Malley's recurring dream of riding a racecar. As a result, the odd creatures in his care also become nervous and jittery.
67	* ''Fanfic/TheNaekawaProject'': Like in canon, Toko is this, a result of not just bullying, but horrendously AbusiveParents, leaving her with severe anxiety. Her relationship with Makoto, bit by bit, helps her feel calmer, but she's still badly scarred, having anxiety attacks if sufficiently triggered, such as a sudden blackout.
68	%%* ''Fanfic/NightOfTheVentATaleOfWeirdness'': Poor Nolan. %%Zero-context example
69	* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': Soren has yet to be reduced to spouting incoherent gibberish, but being hesitant and nervous is his defining trait, especially towards people having authority over him (e.g. [[MentorInSourArmor Kyril]] and [[TheHighQueen Celestine]]).
70	-->'''Lily''': Stop fidgeting, Soren.\
71	'''Soren''': I'm not, Lily. I'm... freaking nervous. I'm going to see the [[GodEmpress Goddess Incarnate]] herself!
72	* ''Fanfic/TheMostEvilTrainer'': Max, the SelfInsert, is an absolute psychological ''wreck'' during the entire first arc; desperate for any way home, fighting a tournament he's already lost once while hated by ''everyone'' for his CombatPragmatist style of battling, but using it anyway because he knows how incredibly outmatched he is by every other trainer, and failure on his part will mean another year that his friend and family believe he's dead, one gets the impression he's on the verge of a full nervous breakdown that he only powers through via sheer tunnel vision. Once he [[spoiler: actually ''wins'' the conference]] he proceeds to [[spoiler: pass out from sheer relief]]. He gets a ''lot'' better after that, thanks to having friends to support him and gaining more confidence in himself as a trainer.
73	* ''Webcomic/PMDTheRogueTeam'': Often happens to Erin. While she can think logically when focused on something, she quickly panics whenever she's faced with any dangerous location or pokemon. Outside of threatening situations, Erin also acts nervously when interacting with others.
74	* ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse:'' Cloud Kicker, the assistant manager of Ponyville's weather patrol. According to Raindrops, she's usually in control, but since Ponyville's right next to the unpredictable Everfree Forest, and her immediate superior is Rainbow Dash, who is often absent right at the worst possible time, Kicker tends to come off as frazzled.
75	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' story, ''Fanfic/ASmallButStubbornFire'',
76	** As the day goes by, after Marinette’s violent [[CatapultNightmare nightmare]], Sabine grows increasingly concerned with Marinette's well-being that even customers start to notice that something is off. It gets so bad that the second she is able to get free from the bakery she runs to her daughter’s bedroom and starts to look for anything that can tell her what happened to Marinette.
77	** When she starts to connect the dots that Marinette is Ladybug, Sabine is unable to breath probably and desperately tries to find any excuse to tell herself that Marinette isn't Ladybug. It just gets worst form there when she only gets further confirmation. She is unable sleep due to the revelation.
78	* In ''Fanfic/TheWitchOfTheEverfree'', Sunset has a series of panic attacks in the immediate aftermath of her removal as Celestia's student, and thereafter whenever she comes too close to encountering Celestia again.
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
82	* ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'': Atta starts off as this before her CharacterDevelopment. (To be fair, inheriting a colony enslaved to a gang of grasshoppers led by an AxCrazy {{Sadist}} who won't hesitate to kill her sister or worse if she doesn't deliver would put everyone on edge.)
83	-->'''Dot:''' It's not my fault [Atta]'s always stressed out!
84	-->'''Atta:''' Oh, I know, I know! I'm always acting like the sky is falling![[note]]This line is then followed by a stalk that was launched by Flik's latest invention falling on her.[[/note]]
85	* Iridessa from ''Franchise/DisneyFairies''. She constantly is neurotic and freaks out easily.
86	* Panic in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'' whose [[MeaningfulName name seems to be more indicative of what he suffers from rather than what he causes to others.]] The series also introduced Neurosis, whom even Panic considers a mess.
87	* [[MeaningfulName Fear]] from ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' always looks on the verge of a panic attack. WordOfGod describes him as acting as if he fears losing his job... except that he ''is'' his job.
88	* Max in ''WesternAnimation/MaryAndMax'' is one generally, with panic attacks striking whenever his life is "disrupted" -- say, by a letter from a curious 8-year-old girl.
89	* Both discussed and exploited in ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'': After the puppet escapes from Stromboli the puppet master, [[CunningLikeAFox J. Worthington Foulfellow]] tells Pinocchio that his encounter must have made him a nervous wreck, and, with the assistance of his stooge [[CatsAreMean Gideon]], proceeds to "diagnose" him. In the end, the fox informs Pinocchio that his problem is he is "allergic", and the only cure for what ails him is "a vacation on Pleasure Island".
90	* Aaron, Moses' older brother in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt''. It's done for humor, and not--to children he comes off as a coward because of his repeated efforts to stop Miriam from talking back and babbling apologies to the Egyptians. Older viewers realize he's so panicky because he's seen hundreds of beatings and executions with no end in sight, and he's terrified that she's going to get both of them killed.
91	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': Linguini is incredibly awkward and insecure, and also VERY high-strung and neurotic when interacting with others.
92	* The second princess in ''Animation/SonOfTheWhiteHorse'' is one. She did get married to a [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]] who seems to represent the horrors of industrial warfare.
93	* Rex in ''Franchise/ToyStory'' is very easy to set off, from either external or internal factors.
94	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', this is not as immediately apparent due to Ming not acting the stereotypical part, but a lot of her controlling and coddling behavior is a result of her struggling to deal with her ''massive'' anxiety issues.
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
98	* ''Film/AWedding1978'': The wedding planner is quite neurotic and has to deal with miserable occurrences like barely any guests showing up, the groom's aunt presenting a nude portrait of the bride (drawn from her yearbook photo), and a storm hitting the house.
99	* Creator/WoodyAllen is famous for playing this kind of character.
100	* Many, many of the lead roles from French comic actor Creator/LouisDeFunes are this, a good part of his humor consists of watching how his protagonists are cracking up under pressure. Although De Funès had to tone it down after his heart attack in 1974.
101	* ''Film/DontLookUp'': Randall panics easily when he's in high-pressure situations and takes several medications to deal with his anxiety. When delivering the news about the comet to President Orlean, he's reduced to a stammering mess, with Kate and Teddy being the ones who have to get the point across to her. However, when he and Kate leak information about the comet to a morning news talk show, he's able to quickly adapt to its lighthearted and joking style while Kate is the one who has a freakout about how everyone's going to die.
102	* Ken the stutterer in ''Film/AFishCalledWanda''.
103	* Lee, a deconstruction of the archetypal badass western gunslinger from ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960'', has become completely paranoid due to frequent attempts on his life. No civilian wants him around because of the inevitable violence that will happen when someone tries to kill Lee to take his fame, and his nerves are completely shot from his experiences.
104	* Felix in ''Film/{{The Odd Couple\|1968}}''.
105	* In ''Film/{{Pixels}}'', Q*Bert is terrified of everything, from Matty's brutal computer game through the invasion of Earth up to Ludlow's broken heart.
106	* Leo Bloom in all adaptations of ''Film/TheProducers''.
107	* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' Universe, Nute Gunray (the Trade Federation Viceroy) nearly embodies this trope. Although beings from his species, Neimodians, are usually pessimistic and prone to great stress by nature, Gunray's overly-nervous personality is well beyond even Neimoidian standards.
108	* Ernie in ''Film/WhatACarveUp''. He proofreads lurid horrid novels for a living, which makes him inclined to panic at the slightest thing. According to his best friend Syd, he actually starts hallucinating things when there is nothing to be frightened of. Needless to say, being invited to his uncle's OldDarkHouse for a reading of his will does nothing to improve his state of mind.
109	* Mr. Salt in ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'', after being put upon by his notoriously demanding daughter. And his sanity is not at all helped by what he witnesses in the Wonka factory...
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Literature]]
113	* The White Rabbit, in almost all adaptations of ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland'', is a Nervous Wreck due to being "late for a very important date," even going so far as twitching a lot.
114	* Lori reacts to motherhood this way in ''[[Literature/AuntDimity Aunt Dimity Digs In]]''. In [[PlayedForLaughs an exaggerated bid to childproof the cottage]], she fastens the kitchen cabinet doors so securely that no one can open them, padlocks the medicine cabinet and misplaces the key, and covers the edges of the coffee and end tables with miles of cotton batting. Ultimately, Bill finds her trying to wrestle their mattress out of its frame and onto the floor so the boys cannot crawl under it, although their little knees have yet to touch the carpet. Though she does calm down with time (and the services of a couple of nannies), Lori is still apt to react badly to the idea that her sons could get hurt, and the start of their schooling at Morningside in nearby Upper Deeping sets off another crisis in ''Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter''.
115	* It's not uncommon for characters in the Franchise/CthulhuMythos to become this, usually the result of surviving an indescribable horror. Danforth in ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness'' would be a good example.
116	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
117	** The Bursar. He starts off fine in ''Literature/{{Eric}}'' and becomes only slightly twitchy after having to put up with the new Archancellor [[BoisterousBruiser Mustrum Ridcully]] in ''Literature/MovingPictures''. However the events of that book, and the following one ''Literature/ReaperMan'', leave him a paranoid, twitching, nervous mess, who has to be medicated into hallucinating he is sane (previous attempts to cure him of his nervous state proved impossible).
118	** Brother Nhumrod in ''Literature/SmallGods''. He apparently tends to touch any surface he comes near in case it "might slip away", and has a habit of repeating the last words of a sentence someone's said to him, in addition to a variety of other, undisclosed nervous tics. Brother Nhumrod's behaviour is apparently quite normal for someone who has survived several decades in the Omnian Citadel, home of the Exquisition.
119	* Pharamond in ''Franchise/DragonAge: Literature/{{Asunder}}'' as a result of [[spoiler:curing his Tranquil condition -- i.e. having been severed from his emotions for years if not decades, which all come back to him at the same time]].
120	* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Oreg constantly watches Ward, and carefully steps away if Ward shows signs of being angry. Justified in that Oreg has been a slave to all of Ward's ancestors (he's the "child" in the PoweredByAForsakenChild castle of the family) and some of them were ... rather nasty.
121	* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', Molly Carpenter becomes this in ''Ghost Story'', following [[spoiler:Harry's apparent death in the previous book and her own attempt to fill in his shoes as the magic defender of Chicago]].
122	* ''Literature/{{Edgedancer}}'' (a novella of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive''): Wyndle is usually stressed out about Lift's rash, bizarre decisions, but when he finds out that their enemy is the immortal Herald Nale, he turns the "terrified" dial-up.
123	* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'':
124	** Ron starts having trouble eating and worrying constantly after becoming the new Gryffindor Keeper, hearing the [[TheHeroSucksSong song Draco composed for him]] and allowing his nervousness to affect his performance on the pitch, letting most of the Quaffles in and generally doing very poorly.
125	** Later on, Hannah completely falls apart under the pressure of O.W.L. exams. First she has a mental breakdown in the days leading up to the exams and needs a magical tranquilizer from the school nurse, and then she loses her head again in the middle of the transfiguration portion of the exams, multiplying her ferret into a flock of flamingos, resulting in the exam being halted for ten minutes while the staff rounds up the birds and carries them out of the Great Hall, where the exam takes place.
126	* Nora, from ''Literature/HushHush'' seems to ''constantly'' fret about things. Granted she does have things worth worrying about, but she also seems hung up on the idea that Patch will leave her for better women (despite him repeatedly proving he won't), that something's going to go wrong with whatever she's doing, that Marcie Miller will do something horrible to her, etc. One notable instance is when she's serving Marcie and several other of her classmates at a restaurant. They demand that she sing "Happy Birthday" to them without offering any proof that it's actually her birthday... and this causes Nora to go to pieces and think that refusing will be grounds to get her fired on the first day of work.
127	* Calkoro in ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' is timid and cautious normally, but when around someone that intimidates her, such as [[JustGotOutOfJail Kana]] or her boss Halna, she constantly fidgets, breaks out into a sweat, and struggles to keep herself from openly freaking out.
128	* Nettie in ''Literature/NeedfulThings'' is always tense and jumpy due to the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband. Keeton also gradually becomes this as [[SanitySlippage paranoia sets in]].
129	* Matt in ''Literature/PeterPaysTribute'' panics about things like giving an oral presentation to the class.
130	* ''Literature/SomethingMightHappen'': Twitchly Fidget doesn't leave his house, put on his shoes, or eat his breakfast cereal because he's convinced some horrible consequence will result from each of these.
131	* Aya of ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'' has anxiety as her official main attribute. She simply can't handle pressure very well, and in the first few episodes, she actually attempted to run away from problems she can't deal with. Even in the latter half of the AnimatedAdaptation she nearly has QuiveringEyes OnceAnEpisode. Strangely, this trope also provides for this series' educational value, as she tries to resolve her "uncertainty of the book" -- which is supposed to be the kind observed in tween girls, its [[MiddleGradeLiterature intended demograpic]].
132	* ''Literature/WarriorCats'':
133	** Shrewtooth... until he TookALevelInBadass.
134	** Ravenpaw also was an apprentice; he calmed down once he left the Clan and got away from Tigerclaw.
135	* Fiver from ''Literature/WatershipDown'' is nervous and panicky even by rabbit standards. He often, however, is right to be uneasy.
136	* In ''Wemberly Worried'', Wemberly is a mouse girl who worries about absolutely everything, including her first day of school. When the teacher introduces her to another girl named Jewel who is also nervous, they become friends, and are happy enough that they both stop worrying so much.
137	* Piglet, from ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'', is a classic example: meek, timid, stuttering, always fretting over something, and in the Creator/{{Disney}} version is usually seen visibly trembling.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
141	* Lydia from ''Series/BreakingBad'' is a business executive who's secretly running a drug empire in spite of the fact that she's high-strung to the point of being completely nuts.
142	* ''Series/BetterCallSaul'': Gustavo Fring, [[NervesOfSteel the man who stood his ground while in the sights of a sniper with barely any visible fear]], [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness briefly becomes this]] following the failed assassination attempt on [[TheDreaded Lalo Salamanca]], a state he is not lifted out of until [[spoiler:he manages to, by sheer luck, get the drop on Lalo and kill him]].
143	* These show up a LOT in ''Series/CanadasWorstDriver''. They're as scary as road ragers and ditzes.
144	* Rebecca from ''Series/{{Cheers}}'' is a bundle of neuroses and incompetence.
145	* Clare from ''Series/DerryGirls'' freaks out at the slightest threat of her getting into trouble or failing at something, becoming a hyperactive, MotorMouth ball of nerves. When threatened with detention for a group offense, she panics and rats out her friends immediately.
146	* ''Series/LazyTown'': Milford is perpetually nervous, especially when something important is happening.
147	* ''Series/TheMrPotatoHeadShow'': Happy Whip, a can of whipped cream with Mr. Potato Head arms attached, comes across this way. Whenever he gets emotional (typically afraid, though pride can have this effect as well), he sprays whipped cream everywhere. The main purpose of his appearances is for him to panic and trigger this.
148	%%* Miles from ''Series/MurphyBrown''.
149	* Doug ("Nervous Guy") Murphy from ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', nervous about... everything.
150	* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': Dr. Agnes Jurati is prone to freaking out in situations that would be mundane to other characters.
151	** In "Stardust City Rag", she panics at the mere ''idea'' of having to use the transporter console to beam up her crewmates. Her pulse and blood pressure are so elevated that they automatically activate the EMH, who asks her, "What is the nature of your psychiatric emergency?" She hyperventilates when Emil offers to give her a sedative.
152	** In "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1", when ''La Sirena'' is traversing a transwarp conduit, she's the only one hiding in her cabin saying "[[MadnessMantra Be over, be over, be over...]]" while everyone else is on the bridge enjoying the ride.
153	[[/folder]]
154
155	[[folder:Music]]
156	* "Basket Case" by Music/GreenDay is from the point of view of an extremely neurotic person.
157	* Music/FallOutBoy also has a lyric that refers to being a nervous wreck. "West Coast Smoker".
158	* The Northern Boys have those lyrics in ''Nobody Likes me'' "When I say hi, I get shut down
159	When I'm outside, I get stressed out When I got people around I'm anxious Nobody likes me, what the fuck now?." [[https://youtu.be/b7Bj1dBMYBE]]
160	* "Just Another Nervous Wreck" by Music/{{Supertramp}} is sung from the point of view of one.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Nature]]
164	* The Eurasian Blackbird (''Turdus merula'', not to be confused with American Blackbirds) is this in the bird world. It's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAX5dyu6kkw spouting its alarm calls]] and nervously shaking its tail and twitching its wings all the time because it's hyper-vigilant for predators, but it seems to be stuck in this mode out of habit - also acting like this when there are no predators. On the other hand, when they snap out of it they (the males in breeding season, anyway) are also known for some of Nature's most SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic.
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
168	* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'': It's fairly safe to say that Beaker fits this trope very well; being on the receiving end of your lab partner's wildly unpredictable experiments will do that to you.
169	** For that matter, Shakey Sanchez spends much of the Creator/VincentPrice episode in a near catatonic state after [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32BUx7_mi30 being repeatedly swallowed by Behemoth]].
170	** Then, of course, we have the Screaming Thing, who starts out his sketch "relaxed, calm, and tranquil," but by the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt3vzOMzQYU the number]][[note]]and during it, for that matter[[/note]], he's anything but.
171	* ''Series/SesameStreet'': Telly Monster is very much the most high-strung character on the show; when anything ''slightly'' out of the ordinary happens, he makes a big deal out of it.
172	* On ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', Tutter often tends to be somewhat more tightly wound than the other characters, often getting upset or worked up over minor things and having to be reminded by Bear to calm down and breathe, or to take quiet time. When he first learns that he's going to school, he ends up getting so worked up over it that Bear and his new teacher have to correct the false assumptions he's built up over it. When he actually gets to school, Bear has to remain outside the school building for quite a while before he becomes comfortable enough for Bear to leave.
173	* On ''Series/FraggleRock'', Boober is scared of everything and tends to only see the bad side of situations, he especially hates fun as to how it can be dangerous and thinks that laughing can spread germs, his friends also tend to get rather annoyed by how much of a worry wart he is.
174	* On ''Series/TheMrPotatoHeadShow'', Happy Whip is a can of whipped cream with Mr. Potato Head arms attached, comes across this way. Whenever he gets emotional (typically afraid, though pride can have this effect as well), he sprays whipped cream everywhere. The main purpose of his appearances is for him to panic and trigger this.
175	[[/folder]]
176
177	[[folder:Radio]]
178	* ''Series/DeadRingers:''
179	** The Vaccines Minister for the Johnston government starts out slightly on edge because he's actually doing his job ''well'', in a government that excels itself on bungling incompetence, and even worse, he has no idea how vaccines ''actually'' work. By the second time he appears, he's lost it completely and has a spectacular on-air breakdown. Also, he thinks the Covid vaccines have started talking to him...
180	** BBC's ''Match of the Day'' commentators start getting really worried when it looks like England might, for once, be actually about to win a championship tournament, so much so that Alan Shearer refuses to let Garry Lineker say anything about football in case they jinx it, and demands he, Garry, and Rio Ferdinand either talk about completely inane nonsense or just sit in utter silence for the rest of the week.
181	[[/folder]]
182
183	[[folder:Roleplay]]
184	* ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues'':
185	** Vivian has severe problems with anxiety, to the point that even her therapist is at a loss. She's known for her frequent panic attacks and habit of clamming up when talking to others. This is part of why she's good friends with Lenore, who's very relaxed and a calming influence.
186	** Ivy also has problems with anxiety, her highly neurotic personality causing her to assume the worst of others and [[HeroicBSOD "shut down"]] in stressful situations. It isn't helped at all by her having a [[SpeechImpediment noticeable stutter]] that gets worse the more nervous she is.
187	* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'':
188	** Kate Bishop. The fact that she was an 18-year-old stuck in the middle of a war certainly doesn't help.
189	** Sam Race also becomes a Nervous Wreck when he starts showing early signs of PTSD.
190	[[/folder]]
191
192	[[folder:Theatre]]
193	* ''Theatre/{{A Delicate Balance\|1967}}'': Harry and Edna show up unannounced at the home of their friends Tobias and Edna, and move in. They move in because, while they were at home, they suddenly became very frightened. The play makes perfectly clear that Harry and Edna have no idea what frightened them to the extent that they had to flee their house. Nothing happened.
194	-->'''Harry''': "There was nothing...but we were very scared."
195	* ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' has the [[MeaningfulName aptly-named]] Hysterium, neurotic slave to Senex and reluctant accomplice in Pseudolus's schemes. Even the song "I'm Calm" reflects his status as a near-basket case.
196	* Harpagon from ''Theatre/TheMiser'', who's almost perpetually high-strung and paranoid about his money.
197	* Malvolio in ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' is reduced to this by the end of the play thanks to the [[CrossesTheLineTwice inhumanly cruel]] [[MindScrew practical joke]] the other characters played on him. Granted, Malvolio personifies the AssholeVictim trope, but even ''the characters'' acknowledge they may have gone too far at the end.
198	[[/folder]]
199
200	[[folder:Video Games]]
201	* ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'': Minor Badnik Humpty is shown to be rather high-strung and twitchy, being shocked by the player character's early appearance and prone to falling.
202	* Lani-Loli in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime'' is a downright worrywart who's always shown with a nervous expression on his face and prone to screaming when things go south. Then again, considering the fact that he's one of the [[GuardianOfTheMultiverse Quantum Masks]] responsible for the safety of TheMultiverse, who could blame him?
203	* The Justice Minister in ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'' is always seen as an absolute neurotic mess. [[spoiler:It's not just a character trait - the source of his immense stress is quite recent, and once you address it, he immediately becomes noticeably calmer. For the record, he was manipulated by a ghost into signing an innocent man's death warrant, and he told no one about this because he thought no one would believe him, which his wife disagreed with and so left him.]]
204	* Bob Kerman, one of the main characters of ''VideoGame/KerbalSpaceProgram'', is usually portrayed as this. Hanging out with [[FearlessFool Jeb]] would do that to a guy.
205	* ''VideoGame/MasterDetectiveArchivesRainCode'' has the protagonist, Yuma Kokohead, an AmnesiacHero who is constantly nervous and breaks down emotionally with ease. He is also unable to stand up for himself when a sense of defeat overcomes him. [[spoiler:The same can't be said for his true self as Number One of the World Detective Organization, who is TheStoic.]]
206	* ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' has a security guard who panics and becomes a brief nervous wreck when he sees Neo again, because [[IThoughtYouWereDead "I killed you! I killed you!" He remembers Smith killing Neo because Smith body surfed him to do it.]]
207	* ''Every single [[WhiteCollarWorker Elsen]]'' in ''VideoGame/{{OFF}}'' is one of these, to the point taking them two inches out of their comfort zone will trigger [[OneWingedAngel some nasty transformations]] and get them to assault you.
208	* Aloth from ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' and ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternityIIDeadfire''. [[CowardlyLion He's no slouch in combat]], but no matter how many powerful foes he defeats, he's constantly advising against picking fights with even vastly inferior foes, and is a neurotic NeatFreak to boot. Most of this stems from his obsessive need to [[BeneathNotice avoid attention]], a trait that makes all too much sense when you learn about his backstory. Not only did Aloth have an abusive childhood [[spoiler: He's an Awakened, meaning the [[{{Reincarnation}} personality of one of his past lives]] has [[SplitPersonality emerged in the present]], which he desperately tries to suppress as it makes him a pariah in his home country.]]
209	* In ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'', Cassandra is afraid of telling her husband Osman about her anxiety issues because she thinks that might distract him from his job, when [[MarriedToTheJob that's what's been causing them in the first place.]] [[spoiler:When the Chemist's potion for her anxiety wears off, they advice her to open up to Osman about it so he can help her calm down.]]
210	* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOutbreak'' is already about how an average group of citizens would react to a ZombieApocalypse, and true to form, not all of them take it well. Jim Chapman, a mere 24-year-old subway worker, is reduced to a whimpering mess in his ad-libs, cursing at whatever monsters are in hearing range and fearing for his life.
211	* In ''VideoGame/TheSims3'', any Sim with the Neurotic trait is this.
212	* Implied with Marina from ''VideoGame/Splatoon2''. Even ignoring her TaremeEyes, she near constantly looks on the edge of freaking out. She's also a ShrinkingViolet, especially in the Japanese version.
213	* Alphys from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' is this, mostly due to [[spoiler:her failed experiments with DETERMINATION.]]
214	* Hal "Otacon" Emmerich, in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', was in a state of panic and mortal dread for most of the game, using a [[InvisibilityCloak stealth camo device]] to hide from danger, [[PottyFailure pissing himself]] when confronted by the Cyborg Ninja, and suffering from no small amount of guilt when he learns that he had been tricked into building a walking nuclear tank. In later games in the series, he gains some confidence, although he still has his moments. [[spoiler:His nervousness can also be chalked up to a less-than-ideal childhood: as revealed in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', he had been raped by his stepmother, and when his father found out, he committed suicide and tried to also kill his stepsister. Said father was also revealed in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' to have tried to coax him into being the pilot of a prototype mecha that, due to some critical design flaws, could only be operated by ChildSoldiers.]]
215	* The submarine crews in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'' are clearly unfit for their jobs, as they're audibly paranoid about the dripping noises and the pressure around them.
216	* One of your starting pilots in ''VideoGame/MechCommander 2'' is {{Call Sign}}ed Twitch, and as the name implies he is a jittery, stammering, and extremely anxious fellow who tends to over-react to problems. He also happens to be an amazing pilot for BeamSpam-type Mechs, so many players bring him along regardless and simply tolerate his neurotic radio chatter.
217	* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' gives us Bernadetta von Varley, an extremely skittish girl who [[{{Hikikomori}} almost never leaves her dorm room if she can help it]] and whose usual response whenever someone tries to engage her in conversation is either to beg them not to kill her or to accuse them of trying to humiliate her. Her B-Support with [[PlayerCharacter Byleth]] reveals that the cause for her anxiety is [[spoiler:her father's attempts to train her to be a "good, submissive wife" so he could marry her off to a wealthy and powerful family. [[AbusiveParents Said training involved such lovely techniques as forbidding her from making friends and tying her to a chair and demanding she remain silent]]]].
218	* Alcryst from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage''. His EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him ready to open fire on Alear and company, until he realizes who they are, which prompts him to run, jump really high in the air...and then deeply apologize on the ground for almost trying to hurt them. Compared to his more courageous brother Diamant, Alcryst suffers from low self-esteem issues that he can't help demeaning himself while trying to overcome his nervous behavior, which is more exemplified by the allusion of ExhaustedEyebags. [[spoiler: The Fell Xenolouge turns the tables on this, because its version of Alcryst is egotistical and looks down upon his brother, whereas Diamant is quite timid.]]
219	* ''Videogame/PizzaTower:'' Peppino Spaghetti is perpetually and visibly nervous even at the very beginning of the game, reaching peaks of near-screaming panic during any CollapsingLair segments. The restaurant business is already stressful without having some villain trying to blow yours up with a laser, and the pressure gets to him ''very'' badly.
220	[[/folder]]
221
222
223	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
224	* Touko Fukawa in ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' and Kazuichi Souda in ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair''. Both are later revealed to have severe bullying issues, abusive parents, and [[spoiler:mass-murdering levels of misanthropy]].
225	* Yuri from ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' It's implied Yuri has some kind of anxiety issues, based on her [[ShrinkingViolet shyness]], her tendency to overthink things and second-guess herself, and her [[NoSocialSkills fear of coming off bad socially]], in part due to her odd interests. [[spoiler: During her SanitySlippage, she mentions she keeps feeling like something bad is going to happen, even while confessing to the player. Some of the things she describes (loud breathing, pounding heart, etc.) both describe the feelings of obsessive love and an anxiety episode as well. This is one of many factors that could have contributed to her suicide.]]
226	* Hanako of ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'' has severe anxiety issues and regularly has panic attacks. Her teacher knows to simply let her run out of class if she needs to.
227	* Quite a few characters qualify for this in the ''VideoGame/AceAttorney'' series. Some standout examples include Ron [=DeLite=], who constantly works himself up and can barely finish his sentences a lot of the time, Jinxie Tenma, who is overly paranoid about youkai and sees them just about everywhere she goes, and Simon Keyes, who upon first meeting Edgeworth, nearly faints ([[spoiler:though his nervousness is a cover for his nature as a misanthropic puppetmaster]]).
228	[[/folder]]
229
230	[[folder:Web Animation]]
231	* ''WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus'':
232	** As the newbie of the titular show, [[TheHero Pomni]] is constantly frightened of her new surroundings and having to deal with a group of strangers and Caine. [[spoiler:It only gets worse when she has to deal with [[DigitalAbomination an "Abstracted" Kaufmo]] and finds out that the exit is only an unfinished level.]]
233	** [[ChessMotifs Kinger]] is constantly shaking, has a ThousandYardStare from bloodshot eyes, and cowers in fright when Bubble gets near him. Being the one who's had to put up with Caine's games the longest probably has something to do with it.
234	** [[spoiler:Having this kind of personality seems to be self-destructive in this virtual world: after the "Abstracted" [[SadClown Kaufmo]] (who is first seen in his RoomFullOfCrazy where the word "exit" is written everywhere) is dealt with, Zooble stated that they thought Kinger would have been the next of the current inhabitants to "Abstract" because of this, and Pomni was on the edge of it when she saw the computer in one of the "exit" offices.]]
235	* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': Paper Boy has a constant stutter and can't handle confrontation without his voice going up a few octaves.
236	* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': Flaky. In "Without a Hitch" she got so scared of Flippy killing her, she '''stabbed him in the [[EyeScream eye]].'''
237	* ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'': Chapter Master Azrael of the Dark Angels qualifies due to sheer paranoia. He can't talk to anyone without belting out accusations left and right, constantly stumbling over his own words as he tries not to spill any secrets, and snapping at everyone that surrounds him from sheer stress. He is constantly on the edge of a screaming nervous breakdown as a result.
238	* Jaiden of ''WebAnimation/JaidenAnimations'' has repeatedly stated that she has social anxiety and is unable to have a normal conversation without going on a tangent. She also panics over anything that scares or inconveniences her. This personality of hers translates into all of her thumbnails, as all of them (bar the cases where she's excited or netural) feature her displaying a nervous expression to some capacity.
239	* Corn (Quetzalcoatl) from ''WebAnimation/NoEvil''. He's a perpetually nervous wreck who has trouble interacting with everyone else and is easily spooked. Kitty is the only one who doesn't spook him.
240	* Bulbasaur from ''WebAnimation/{{Starters}}''. Throughout the series, he is shown to have a constantly anxious and jumpy personality, and is rather cautious to do things. This is especially evident in ''Lavender Town: The Untold Story'', including an instance where he jumped out of a window to escape [[spoiler:Hypno, whom he thought was dangerous. He was wrong.]]
241	* Calliope Mori, of the English branch of WebAnimation/{{hololive}}, is very nervous and self-conscious, particularly when doing solo streams or while sober, stemming from a fear of disappointing others. One of the few times she sheds her anxiety is in her music, [[GracefulInTheirElement with her raps showing her at her most confident]].
242	* ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'': Sylvie is so anxious that when confronted with [[DumbMuscle Indus]] after switching sides, he manages to work himself into such a fit of paranoia on the idea that Indus is [[ObfuscatingStupidity only playing dumb]] that he ends up spending 40 seconds trapped in his own head [[InnerThoughtsOutsiderPuzzlement while Indus, Molly and Giovanni look on in concern]].
243	-->'''Sylvie:''' He's trying to lull me into a false sense of security! Well, joke's on him - I've never been secure in my life!
244	[[/folder]]
245
246	[[folder:Webcomics]]
247	* Camel in ''Webcomic/AgentsOfTheRealm'' because of something that happened between chapters 2.5 and 4.5. She's so freaking out that she at first mistakes Folami's marriage proposal for an attempt to kick her out of Agents.
248	* Rick from ''Webcomic/BasicInstructions'' is afraid of so many things that, ironically enough, he's lost all fear of fear, and settles for being terrified of everything else. Scott dubs him a "Renaissance coward". At one point he gets promoted and specifies that he kept quiet in the hope that his boss wouldn't realise he was having a panic attack.
249	-->'''Rick:''' There are super tasters, who taste more intensely than other people, and super smellers, who smell more intensely than other people. I am a super fearer.\
250	'''Scott:''' I fear for your sanity.\
251	'''Rick:''' Yes, but you're not doing it nearly as well as I would.
252	* Zeno from ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' shows himself to be like this shortly after moving into the cabin.
253	* Princess Monika of the Quilted Kingdom in ''Webcomic/CursedPrincessClub''. She had been kidnapped as a little girl by an evil wizard and [[ForcedTransformation turned into a crow]] for the duration of her captivity. Even after getting rescued and mostly cured of the curse, she still turns into a crow whenever she gets anxious -- which, thanks to the trauma of the kidnapping and her more general ShrinkingViolet personality, happens a lot even as a young woman.
254	* Mannie Sue in ''ComicBook/DruidCity''. Generally anxious about any prevalent subject in her life, including social interaction, relationships, dealing with family grief, and sexual dysfunction.
255	* Dies-Horribly in ''[[Webcomic/{{Goblins}} Goblins: Life Through Their Eyes]]'' is always on edge. This is justified because most goblins in his clan are named due to prophecy, meaning MeaningfulName is a given.
256	* Max from ''Webcomic/GuardianGhost'', who was already an anxious mess before the series started, and now has to deal with sleep deprivation and stress on top of it.
257	* Tirzah from ''Webcomic/InhumanRelations'' does not handle adversity well. [[http://inhumanrelations.com/comic/something-wrong/ Or most anything else, for that matter]].
258	%%* Dr. Riley Zinc from ''Webcomic/ALoonaticsTale''.
259	%%* Jack Delitt from ''Webcomic/{{Newheimburg}}'' has this issue in spades.
260	* ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'': King is one of the strongest heroes there is, and villains know it. All he has to do is show up and give them a DeathGlare and they end up folding, assuming they haven't already done so just by hearing the approaching thuds of the King Engine. [[spoiler:He actually has no combat ability whatsoever, his reputation coming entirely from being Saitama's battles. He's in way over his head and knows it, being just as terrified of being found out as he is of getting killed. Even the King Engine is just the reverberations of his panicky heartbeat.]]
261	* Lippie from ''Webcomic/OutOfPlacers''. she's described as having a "near-constant low-level anxious tremble" going on, and even sudden loud noises are enough to make her panic.
262	%%* Nervous Broad from ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth''.
263	* ''Webcomic/{{Sparklecare}}'': Dr. Suffuzz is constantly trembling and stuttering, and always has a distressed look on his face. The reason for this is currently unknown.
264	* Siv Västerström from ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' usually gives the distinct impression she's barely holding back the urge to either cry or tear her hair out. Or, [[TheEeyore sigh meaningfully in frustration]].
265	* Suzanne from ''Webcomic/SurprisingOcteal'' is extremely jumpy and skittish and prone to over-analyzing social situations. Notably though, she lacks a lot of the other traits frequently associated with this trope. She's at least decent in conversations, nothing particularly bad happened in her past, and she seems to be almost terminally brave in dangerous situations. She's just really panicky once a conversation gets complicated.
266	* ''Webcomic/Trevor2020'': Terry is the least composed member of the medical team after [[spoiler: Trevor’s]] initial attack, huddling on the floor, screaming that they are all going to die.
267	* ''Webcomic/{{Zoophobia}}'': Cameron lives in a land of talking animals and other mythical creatures, which wouldn't be a problem if she didn't have diagnosed [[TitleDrop zoophobia]]. Her student Jack isn't much better, since he was literally BornUnlucky on account of [[{{Satan}} his uncle]].
268	[[/folder]]
269
270	[[folder:Web Original]]
271	%%* Edward Borman in ''WebVideo/TheMercuryMen''. Justified, given the situation he's in.
272	* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic is very prone to panic and stressing out over nothing.
273	* This ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' [[https://notalwaysright.com/ballooning-out-of-control/81001/ post]] has a woman who fits the description. Her first response to a woman handing her a balloon is to assume she's trying to kill her baby, that the balloon's going to strangle the baby, and tell the manager on her.
274	* Anxiety from WebVideo/{{Jreg}}'s ''The Mental Illnesses''. Justified since, well, he's the AnthropomorphicPersonification of an anxiety disorder.
275	[[/folder]]
276
277	[[folder:Western Animation]]
278	%%* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': The Earl of Lemongrab. Whether his character and situation are hilarious, or terribly depressing, is debatable.%%How is he an example?
279	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'':
280	** The neurotic Dr. Scratchansniff whose interactions with the Warners always lead to him getting utterly frustrated. Like most cartoon psychiatrists, he needs one more than he needs to be one.
281	** Buttons, although given [[BadlyBatteredBabysitter his situation]], it's perfectly understandable.
282	* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': In [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE40IfYoureSoSmartWhyArentYouRich "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?"]], Edward Nygma's employer Daniel Mockridge fires him when he asks for royalties for the highly successful game he created. This causes Nygma to [[StartOfDarkness become the Riddler]] and seek vengeance. Batman and Robin save Mockridge's life, but the final scene shows it to be a miserable life as he cowers in bed clutching a shotgun, clearly terrified that the Riddler could come back at any moment.
283	%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'': Mr. Deetz, due to some flanderization from the movie.
284	%%-->'''Charles''': Dogs make me nervous. ''Crowds'' make me nervous. [[ShapedLikeItself Being nervous makes me nervous!]]
285	* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': Linda's sister Gayle is rather neurotic and sensitive. At least one episode implies she's on anxiety medication of some kind.
286	* ''WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines'': One of the subordinates of Dastardly's squad, Zilly, is a stuttering and trembling mess when there is a mission, so most of the time, and he always tries, in vain, to desert, unless: 1) he is hypnotised, 2) he is emotionally manipulated by Dick to help or 3) there is the promise of a huge reward and his greed outweighs his fear.
287	* The animated version of ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'''s Loud Howard, borrowing a trait from Nervous Ted to make him at least a tad more rounded.
288	* ''WesternAnimation/DinosaurTrain'':
289	** Angela ''Avisaurus'' is quite skittish about almost everything, and easily startled by the Dinosaur Train's whistle.
290	** In her debut, Cindy ''Cimolestes'' is constantly stammering and tries to hide from everyone because she's scared that dinosaurs might stomp on her.
291	%%* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': Double D, mostly caused by the fact he has to deal with his best friends' antics.%%How is he an example?
292	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Villainous\|CartoonNetwork}}'': Dr. Flug is a MadScientist who works for EldritchAbomination Black Hat, [[TheDreaded the most evil being in the entire]] [[SharedUniverse Cartoon Network universe,]] so it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing and isn't an absolutely brilliant scientist. However, more often than not, he's absolutely wringing his hands with anxiety, and he makes such frequent trips to the cardiologist because the stress of his job gives him such severe heart problems that everyone in the department knows him.
293	* ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'': Scared Stiff is one of Prime Evil's primary minions, and one who true to his name is nervous of both ally and enemy. Ironically, he was the very first enemy introduced, attacking the ghostbusters with a bandwagon and cackling maniacally, until Kong Sr. put a stop to it (both the wagon and the cackle) and he realised he was not unbeatable at which point he came down to be a stiff punching-bag for ol'Prime Awful.
294	* ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'': PJ is very uptight, panicky, pessimistic, fearful, and will often be shown trembling or freezing with anxiety. Considering that [[WesternAnimation/{{Pete}} his father]] thinks the proper way to raise him is to [[AbusiveParents insult and belittle him and to dominate him through intimidation and power]], this is understandable. [[CharacterDevelopment He gets significantly better by the end of the second movie.]]
295	* ''WesternAnimation/HarleyQuinn2019'': We get to see what Commissioner Gordon would really be like if he had to spend years dealing with supervillains tearing up Gotham.
296	* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': What Olga Pataki actually is. Underneath her [[PuritySue "perfect girl"]] [[StepfordSmiler façade]], there's a girl who has next to no self-worth and is severely stifled under her parents' super-high expectations of her, and who breaks down in tears at the mere ''thought'' of failing at something.
297	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Jellystone}}'': Yakky Doodle, as revealed in "Squish or Miss." When Cindy decides to [[ItMakesSenseInContext remove Yakky's fear juice]] to make her brave, the amount of fear juice extracted easily fills at least five of Cindy's "fear suckers," all of which are as big as Cindy herself.
298	%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': Stumpy is completely neurotic.%%How?
299	* ''WesternAnimation/LetsGoLuna'': Leo is constantly neurotic and fearful of life's scary and messy things.
300	* ''WesternAnimation/TheMrMenShow'': Mr. Nervous. He frequently lapses into daydreams, sort of blown-out-of-proportion scenarios involving whatever is going on around him at the time. Whether it be a short two-minute ride outside a store or a spider crawling out of his musical instrument. He will then usually flee for his life, screaming and shouting "Oh no no no!" or "This is the end!"
301	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''
302	** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicFluttershy Fluttershy]] has intense social anxiety that frequently manifests as panic attacks and paralyzing nervousness in anything resembling a public situation or in any kind of danger. However, she largely grows past these issues in later seasons.
303	** [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicRainbowDash Rainbow Dash]] normally presents [[NervesOfSteel the exact opposite of this]]. However, in a few cases it's shown that her cocky façade is just that, and when she is no longer able to put up that façade she collapses into a ball of nerves.
304	%%** Twilight Sparkle in "Lesson Zero" and "It's About Time".
305	%%** Rarity in "Suited for Success" and the BadFuture of "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils".
306	* ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'': Wirt frequently hints at a DarkAndTroubledPast, which turns out to consist of [[spoiler:[[SociallyAwkwardHero typical high school social anxiety]]]].
307	* ''WesternAnimation/PBAndJOtter'': Munchy Beaver. Oh man, Munchy Beaver. In one episode, he's just getting over getting the measles. Peanut, Baby Butter, and Jelly find a frog that looks like it has measles, decide to call it Measles and try to give it to him, but he incorrectly thinks that they want to give him the measles. In another episode, when two of his friends are arguing, he declares out loud, "I hate conflict." When he gets very nervous or worried, [[FurryReminder he tends to eat large amounts of wood]].
308	-->'''Munchy:''' I'm so nervous. I'm so nervous. I have to go munch some wood.
309	* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': [[Characters/PhineasAndFerbCandaceFlynn Candace Flynn]] is this ''even'' for "nervous teenager" standards. One song even [[LampshadeHanging acknowledges]] that no other guy but Jeremy could stand her neuroses.
310	* ''WesternAnimation/PlutoThePup'': The classic short ''WesternAnimation/PlutosJudgementDay'' has devilish cats presenting Pluto's past victims to a KangarooCourt in order to convict him to a death sentence. The second witness is a cat prone to manic outbursts whenever a dog barks, caterwauling and demolishing whatever's in reach until his handler can get him under control again.
311	%%* ''WesternAnimation/RawToonage'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Bonkers}}'': Jitters A. Dog.
312	* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Sean is anxious pretty much all the time, especially in regard to space travel (which is ironic, since he wants to become an astronaut when he grows up). He shares this trait with his mom Dr. Rafferty.
313	* ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'': In "The Truth Hurts", the head of the school newspaper who is replaced is a Nervous Wreck who is constantly jittery and gets extremely nervous about the idea of anything being published in the school newspaper that would make things like fruit on the bottom yogurt as opposed to being like plain yogurt, as he likes it.
314	* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'': Filburt gets nervous frequently when thinking of facing people, which often end up with the poor turtle entering his shell, and in the worst of cases, getting a rash.
315	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': Chuckie and his father Chas. The former seems to be scared of practically everything, while the latter [[spoiler: is still mourning the tragic loss of his wife]].
316	%%* ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'': Shaggy and Scooby are usually this.
317	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Tweek is a big example. He is constantly panicking about just about everything he can think of and has a constant twitch. His parents think he just has ADD and try to medicate it with coffee. [[spoiler:Coffee that they have been spiking with meth. He has no idea about that, however.]]
318	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': Mrs. Puff is shown to be rather neurotic, probably the result of too many test drives with [[DrivesLikeCrazy SpongeBob]].
319	* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'': "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS2E05AnEmbarrassmentOfDooplers An Embarrassment of Dooplers]]": The Doopler emissary is extremely paranoid and self-conscious, and is easily sent into a spiral of panic by the thought of being rude or a bad guest. Given that his species involuntarily duplicates when stressed, this is a bit of an issue.
320	-->'''Freeman:''' There's no need to feel embarrassed!\
321	'''Emissary:''' Thank you, you're very kind-- wait! That's what someone says when there ''is'' a reason to be embarrassed!\
322	'''Freeman:''' Okay, I'm just not gonna say anything. We can just be silent.\
323	'''Emissary:''' ... she's giving us the silent treatment! THAT'S EVEN WORSE!"
324	* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Rhodonite is a [[FusionDance fusion]] between two different gem types (a [[RedShirtArmy Ruby]] and [[BeautifulSlaveGirl Pearl]]) which is forbidden in gem society and as a result, she is constantly frightened, wary of strangers and is frequently prone to nervous fits. Considering that homeworld has robots designed to [[FateWorseThanDeath shatter]] gems that they occasionally send into the Off-Colors hiding places, [[ProperlyParanoid her fear is]] [[FearIsTheAppropriateResponse well justified.]]
325	* ''WesternAnimation/StressedEric'': Eric Feeble gets nervous about so many things that they drive the plots in most episodes. He's so neurotic that it [[TheyKilledKennyAgain causes his death in most episodes]].
326	* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': In one cartoon, Spike the bulldog can't sleep because of the titular cat and mouse's antics. Spike blames Tom for this and informs him that he's a nervous wreck and illustrates his point by pulling on his own tongue, which, in zany cartoon fashion, causes his ears to flap up and hit each other. He then orders Tom to keep quiet or he will skin the cat alive. Naturally, HilarityEnsues as Jerry tries to make as much noise as he can, while Tom struggles to keep things quiet.
327	* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'': Skywarp {{exaggerate\|dTrope}}s this. Here, the Seekers are clones of [[TheStarscream Starscream]], each with one aspect of his personality, and Skywarp has his {{Dirty Coward}}ice. Thus, ''the only emotional and mental state he can process is utter fear''. No wonder fans see him as TheWoobie.
328	* ''WesternAnimation/WorkItOutWombats'': Malik cares a bit ''too'' much about everything and has a tendency to overthink.
329	* ''WesternAnimation/TheYumYums'': Goodie Grape Mouse is constantly worried and frequently says "Oh me, oh my!"
330	[[/folder]]
331
332	[[folder:Real Life]]
333	* Anxiety disorders:
334	** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalized_anxiety_disorder Generalized anxiety disorder]] and its various subtypes/variations.
335	** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive%E2%80%93compulsive_disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder]] is, contrary to stereotypes of it as just a general need for order, a form of this. Sufferers deal with disturbing intrusive thoughts that turn them into this trope, with the compulsions being rituals that provide a temporary sense of relief.
336	** Some UsefulNotes/PersonalityDisorders cause this.
337	*** Individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder tend to have [[HairTriggerTemper very strong emotions]], including anxiety, coupled with paranoia and fear of emotional abandonment. It’s comorbid with Anxiety Disorders.
338	** Some people with PTSD are this to some measure. Because of their trauma, they are constantly "on guard" and wary of something bad happening to them. Additionally, they may be easily startled and have a HairTriggerTemper. Most PTSD isn't like this all the time, which is why it's so jarring to observers when an external stimulus causes the sufferer to re-experience the trauma. Lack of understanding of this condition is why Vietnam veterans had such trouble reintegrating into civilian life -- even their own families feared the unpredictable and extreme reactions. Due to combat training, veterans' defense mechanisms under this duress can be more dangerous than civilians'.
339	** Abused children have the same issues/responses as veterans.
340	* Captive cheetahs can end up suffering from severe anxiety if they are kept alone. For this reason, lonely cheetahs in zoos are often raised with a dog, [[LivingEmotionalCrutch who provides the cheetah with emotional support]]. This is because cheetahs are very frail and poor fighters and live in an environment full of tougher and more numerous predators, and in captivity, they can't put their nervous energy into hunting.
341	[[/folder]]

Context Main / NervousWreck