“If you don’t have anxiety,” stand-up comedian Aparna Nancherla riffs onstage, “the way I would describe it is there’s, like, an edgy improv group in your brain and it just needs a one-word suggestion to spin, like, countless scenarios that no one’s comfortable with.”
Nancherla’s candor about this life experience is how she landed in “Anxiety Club,” a new documentary on the streaming platform Jolt. The film dives into the topic of anxiety, taking an up-close and often uncomfortable look at how it manifests, what it feels like in the body and the brain and ways to cope — all from the point of view of working comedians. It follows Nancherla as well as Tiffany Jenkins, Mark Normand, Joe List, Marc Maron, Baron Vaughn and Eva Victor both on and off the stage as they navigate writing and performing comedy, dating and marriage, caring for young children and counseling friends who also have anxiety.
Anxiety affects more than 300 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization. Filmmaker Wendy Lobel says she’s struggled with anxiety most of her adult life and wanted to make a movie about the topic that would disarm viewers with humor to help promote understanding and healing.
“I think for people to be able to engage with this subject — whether they have anxiety or love someone with it — it’s easier when it’s packaged through comedy,” Lobel says.
Despite popular perception, comedians don’t necessarily suffer more from anxiety than the general population, says clinical psychologist Ildiko Tabori, who specializes in the treatment of comedians. But they are uniquely qualified to communicate the anxious experience, she says.
“Comedians are spokespeople for society,” Tabori says. “They are essentially our reality check, conveying real-world experiences, with a funny bent, and putting it on a stage where you can connect with them.”
In the film, Tabori adds, “These comedians will show that you can continue to function, even with your anxiety. You can continue to perform, you can live your life. And you can use it to your benefit as opposed to having it hold you hostage from doing the things that you want to achieve in life.”
We spoke to four of the comedians in the film who offered personal anecdotes and advice for coping with anxiety.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
