Anxiety Club is a documentary that pulls anxiety out of the shadows and into the open through humor, honesty, and personal narratives. Directed by Wendy Lobel, the film follows a group of brilliant, self-revealing comedians who use stand-up and storytelling to unpack their mental health struggles. The film’s mission is to reduce isolation, challenge stigma, and show that anxiety is extremely personal and yet widely shared. It creates an environment where vulnerability and humor coexist, offering audiences a sense of being understood.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Tiffany Jenkins, whose openness anchors some of the documentary’s most powerful moments. Known for her raw, self-aware humor and massive online following, she has built a platform around radical honesty about mental health, addiction, and recovery. Her willingness to be “seen in the mess,” not just the resolution, is part of what makes her so impactful.
As she shared, she has “always been open and honest about mental health,” and when approached about the film, her instinct was, “why the heck not, if it’s gonna help someone else out there.” She says the responses in her comment section are what inspire her to continue her mental health advocacy. Seeing people share their own stories gives her the courage to keep going, reinforcing that transparency reaches people in a way that curated narratives often do not.
The film follows Jenkins during exposure therapy sessions, offering an unfiltered look at the therapeutic process, an opportunity that psychology graduate students rarely have access to. These sessions often involve structured exercises that ask her to face specific fears, such as drinking from her child’s water bottle or allowing her children to play outside without her supervision. Exposure therapy is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (Foa, 2001). It works by gradually and intentionally facing feared situations rather than avoiding them. Over time, the brain and nervous system learn that discomfort is tolerable and not dangerous (Singh, 2023).
“It’s not easy work. You are going to feel ridiculous. It’s not cute, it’s intense, it’s painful.” The process requires repetition, willingness, and the ability to stay with discomfort, but the payoff is profound. “It’s the greatest gift to your future self; the reward is a peaceful life,” Jenkins says.
Jenkins’ experience filming exposure therapy for Anxiety Club was deeply personal and unexpectedly transformative. She was given a list of clinicians and chose to work with Natalie Noel, LMHC, forming a therapeutic relationship that allowed her to push through resistance while feeling supported. The cameras were carefully hidden, and the producers followed everything from the next room so the work felt real and uninterrupted. Throughout the process, Lobel consistently checked in with Jenkins, making sure she felt comfortable and in control. Jenkins described feeling very cared for. It was clear from the beginning that the mission of the film was not to create drama or sensationalize mental health but to provide an honest portrayal and instill hope.
Although she was aware of being filmed, she shared that she “focused on the process, at times forgetting that the sessions were recorded.” Many sessions did not make it into the final cut, and Jenkins indicated that the process was incredibly powerful.
