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.

She described moments of resistance, “that is not even the problem, why would I do that,” and also moments of breakthrough. One exercise required her to let her children play outside without her supervision, which she felt was “dangerous and neglectful.” She was reassured that there would still be adults present, specifically members of the film crew, and that everyone involved was there to support her and her children. Despite the discomfort, she pushed through, reminding herself that “nothing changes when nothing changes.”

At one point, to address a recurring compulsive fear, her therapist asked her to write a letter describing her child choking on a hot dog. Jenkins called it “the hardest thing I had to do,” and she was instructed to read and reread it until she habituated to the distressing content and it began to lose its power.

“Now I don’t even blink when my kids eat a hot dog; this is what normal people live like,” she says. Jenkins describes the contrast vividly, explaining that everyday tasks such as going to the grocery store no longer feel like “going into a haunted house.”

During filming, Jenkins was also diagnosed with OCD, deepening her understanding of her patterns and reinforcing that healing is not a one-time fix but an ongoing process. “None of us know what we are doing; there is no shame in going to experts.”

“This movie changed my life and changed my children’s lives,” she said.

After her divorce, she found herself doing things she once avoided, such as taking her children on trips alone. Her children began having sleepovers and playing tackle football, expanding their world as she expanded hers. She takes care of herself so she can be attentive to her children, modeling that asking for help and going to therapy are okay.

She reflects on having been “the most stressed kid in the neighborhood,” worrying about things other kids did not, such as her parents dying or getting hurt. Today, there is more awareness and a greater willingness to notice when something feels off and intervene earlier, she notes.

Humor becomes an outlet for cutting through defenses and pain in a way lectures cannot. “When people are laughing, they are listening,” she explains.

Comedy becomes a vehicle for difficult conversations, giving voice to stories that might otherwise feel too heavy to share. Through Anxiety Club, Jenkins shows what it looks like to face fear head-on and keep going anyway. She is also clear that the work is not necessarily linear. There is always room for tune-ups, and returning to therapy or seeking out help is part of maintaining that progress. “There’s no shame in that.”

Anxiety Club helps people feel seen, less alone, and more willing to get support. It’s funny, disarming, and truly relatable. The live tour has already kicked off in New York City at Comedy Cellar and in L.A. at the Laugh Factory. The film is now available via its May 1 digital release across major platforms and continues to reach audiences through campus and community screenings. A portion of proceeds supports Comedy Gives Back and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

As Jenkins puts it, anxiety is debilitating and universal, but “there is a way out—for those who are willing to take it.”