ABOUT THE FILM

ANXIETY CLUB provides an intimate and humorous look at anxiety through the eyes and minds of some of the most brilliant comedians working today. Tiffany Jenkins, Joe List, Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn and Eva Victor offer candid reflections on their relationship with anxiety through exclusive interviews, standup performances, sketch videos, therapy and everyday life. 

With rare access to private therapy sessions, the film follows comedian Tiffany Jenkins (a content creator with over 9 million followers) as she undergoes the often grueling experience of exposure therapy, capturing the profound changes her treatment brings about. World-renowned meditation teacher and author Tara Brach, PhD leads one of the comedians through a guided meditation to help him get closer to the root of his anxiety. And others find support from the psychologist-in-residence at The Laugh Factory or from mentors in the comedy community.

All of the comedians in ANXIETY CLUB have created standup or sketch material about their mental health that is not only funny but uniquely relatable and disarming to audiences. With comedy, vulnerability, and honesty, these comedians provide remarkable insight into anxiety - the most prevalent mental health disorder affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide.

DIRECTOR’S INSPIRATION

I’ve struggled with anxiety for years and am familiar with the uncomfortable symptoms that can accompany an anxiety disorder, as well as the available treatments and tools. But the seed for ANXIETY CLUB was planted in 2013 when I produced Worried Sick about teens with anxiety for Nickelodeon’s Nick News with Linda Ellerbee. I witnessed how the subjects’ worries and fears were not only mentally torturous but also tangibly holding them back in life. I also saw how the proper treatment helped in profound ways.

Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder, surpassing depression, yet the majority of those suffering don’t get treated because of the stigma that persists. Left untreated, anxiety can manifest with severe consequences.  I realized that there are countless anxious people out there of all ages who live compromised by their disorder because they don’t know any other way. 

ANXIETY CLUB was born out of my desire to help others who are suffering from an anxiety disorder. As someone familiar with anxiety, I felt I was in a unique position to tackle this subject. My deepest hope is that this movie will help and entertain viewers by allowing them to face their struggles with humor, compassion, and the realization that healing is possible.