Both feature characters who are in their late 20s or early 30s, struggling to find gainful employment despite making a lot of effort (though they have quite different personalities) and are subsequently stressed, depressed and feeling hopeless from struggling to keep up with their peers. Both show how judgemental, unempathetic, cruel and uncompassionate some people in society are to a character who's struggling.

The similarity is that they're centred on abuse of children. Breathless is on difficulties and recovery post-trauma, A Girl at My Door is focused on a girl currently going through it.