ABOUT THE FILM

ANXIETY CLUB provides an intimate and humorous look at anxiety through the eyes and minds of some of today’s most brilliant comedians, including Tiffany Jenkins, Joe List, Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn and Eva Victor. Through exclusive interviews, stand-up performances, sketch videos, therapy and everyday life, they share their personal relationships with anxiety. 

With rare access to private therapy sessions, the film follows Tiffany Jenkins—a comedian and author with millions of followers—as she undergoes the often grueling process of exposure therapy, capturing the transformative impact of her treatment. World-renowned meditation teacher and author Tara Brach, PhD, guides one comedian through meditation to help him transcend his fears and anxieties, while others find support from The Laugh Factory’s psychologist-in-residence and mentors in the comedy community.

Each comedian in ANXIETY CLUB has created stand-up or sketch material about their mental health that is not only funny but uniquely relatable and disarming to audiences. By blending vulnerability with humor, these comedians offer powerful insight into anxiety, the world’s most prevalent mental health condition, affecting more than 300 million people globally.

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.