Anxietyland

by Gemma Correll

In the tradition of Allie Brosh and Roz Chast, award-winning popular cartoonist, writer, and illustrator Gemma Correll’s humorous and poignant graphic memoir about her lifelong struggle with severe anxiety.

Gemma brings readers into the surreal world of Anxietyland, an amusement park in her own mind. In essays packed with humor and pathos she captures the experience of mental illness—including severe anxiety, agoraphobia, depression, panic attacks, and disassociation—which can take her to a frightening and darkly funny world that “feels like a place apart from ‘real’ life.”

With humor that is both gentle and precise, and accompanied by her trademark illustrations, Gemma approaches mental illness in a uniquely imaginative and approachable way. And in the ultimate sleight of hand, she’s written a charming and moving book about anxiety that won’t make you feel anxious.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Comics, Psychology, Humor

Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Felicia]

Fantastic, fabulous, funny. Loved every second of this
graphic memoir.

[Lisa Vegan]

I loved this book. It was a quick and easy read and hard to put down. It might sound odd to say that a memoir about anxiety and depression was fun to read but it was great fun to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. it was entertaining and poignant and heartfelt and funny, often witty and wickedly amusing. I appreciated the Great Britain and Berkeley settings, was interested in the immigration story and her experiences with various therapies and was charmed by the dogs.

There are so many ways of experiencing anxiety and depression but most people have experienced both (some severely as this author has and some only transiently and/or mildly) but I think most will be able to identify with this woman’s experiences. I know that even though none of the particulars were the same as mine I felt recognition at her descriptions.

I enjoyed her artwork. It perfectly helps to tell the story and to enhance her writing. Great storytelling!

5 full stars

[Dave Schaafsma]

Anxietyland (2026) by Gemma Correll is in Allie Brosh territory, telling of her struggles with anxiety and depression, supported by a great partner and a couple pugs. Like Brosh, she manages to be both anguishly worrisome an relatably humorous at times. So it's self-help, or family and friend-help, too, so you can see how her partner is helping her navigate various crisis episodes. Corell is extremely successful as an artistAND struggling with mental health, as many are, and she shows how to live in some sense with anxiety, managing it as she lives her life.

I read this because I have a close family member with very high anxiety, figuring it out as a family with him, but in these times, the ever-present Age of Anxiety, it is one of the most common mental challenges, of course. W.H. Auden wrote a book titled this in 1947, so it in some ways it is a cultural concept of the past century. This book takes both an inviting and sort of light approach as well as usefully informational approach to a serious subject.

[Gemma Correll]

Full disclosure - I wrote this book.

I wrote it for myself - because it’s the book I wish I had read when I was struggling with my mental health. And I wrote it for you, dear reader, whether you’re struggling yourself, or you love somebody who is - or you simply want to read and understand a little more about anxiety, in its various guises.

[Goatllama]

For me, this needed some serious cutting. The "present day" bits were the most interesting, but they were few and far between the biographical rambling and theme-park thematics... there are some really good pages and jokes in here (the p-cup! my gosh! ... though this has one page too many, too, that kinda messes the timing...), and this is still a very fast read, but I'd rather they not have been so dang diluted.

Still. For those that haven't already been through this, I can see it being very helpful to have a lot of this stuff thrown in your face. And Correll neither beats around the bush nor minces words when it's important. And it is very important.

[Angie Miale]

A delightful graphic novel memoir about what it’s like to live with severe anxiety and its cousin, depression. Gemma suffered from anxiety even as a child in England in the 90’s, and this book follows her journey growing up to university and to moving to the US into adulthood. A talented artist and writer, this book goes deep into the mind palace of how the mind lies to you, everything she tried to fix things, a variety of medical professionals and medications, and finally, a touching moment where Gemma the adult draws herself talking to Gemma child.

This journey is really well done in the cartoon format, and it would be a good read for anyone who has any kind of mental illness. Even young ones can appreciate what it is like to find panic and to try to run away from our mental health problems. There are a few British-isms but it is very relatable to anyone,
Particularly those recovering people pleasers.

Thank you to gallery books for the finished copy!

[Ileana (The Tiniest Book Club)]

Gemma Correll, cartoonist superstar and queen of puns and pugs, has written a memoir!

It's about her mental health, coping with anxiety disorder and depression. And it is as funny, playful and thoughtful as her cartoons are.

I've known and loved Gemma's work for more than a decade now, collecting all the tote bags, pins, stickers and books I could get my paws on. Following her, her puggies and her journey on the interwebs has build one of those bizarre one-sided connections where you somehow feel like you have known a person for years but have in fact never met them and they don't even know you exist.

Gemma Correll's approachable, honest, not-taking-things-(including herself)-too-seriously artwork makes it very easy to feel a connection. In "Anxietyland", Gemma finds the words and the visuals to describe very complex matters: mental health is a pretty unamusing amusement park full of horrors.

As a regular visitor to Anxietyland and especially The Depression Obstacle Course, I can tell you that a book like this one was missing. It's fantastic!
Highly recommended <3!

[CeCe Jordan]

I think everyone needs to read this. Those with anxiety and those without. The illustrations are beautiful and the story explains perfectly what living with anxiety is like and how people cope with it.

[Leah]

This book detailed and illustrated the feeling(s) of anxiety in a way that I haven't been able to verbalize in my 37 years on this planet. Even though I have been through my own "Anxietyland," and gone through the motions of seeking help and speaking to others, it somehow still made me feel validated and less alone when it comes to the spiraling void that anxiety and depression is.

I challenge anyone who has had to deal with any amount of anxiety, whether debilitating or mild, to read this book.

Thank you Gemma Correll for the courage and the perseverance/drive to write and publish this book.

[Kim]

I’m really impressed that Gemma could make reading about anxiety a particularly good time.
I empathized with so much here but especially not doing the CBT homework (yikes on bikes that shits scary) and being the best at therapy (because who doesn’t aspire to be the best at everything and even if we don’t our anxiety damn sure won’t allow for second best).
Here’s to doing the scary thing.

[Taylor]

Gemma Correll's Anxietyland, is a very enjoyable, but not perfect, graphic memoir about Gemma Correll's struggle with anxiety. As someone who also struggles a lot with anxiety, I found Anxietyland to be very relatable. The graphic novel aspect of the book made Anxietyland a very fun book to read. However, I felt like it also made it so that Correll didn't go as much into detail about the personal journey that she went through when it comes to her struggling with anxiety as she could have. Despite my frustrations with Anxietyland at times, I would definitely recommend reading this book!

My rating/score: 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads' rating system / 8 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.

[Sabrina Nelson]

I’m in awe of how Gemma captured how multifaceted anxiety and depression can be. It’s important to remember that she is sharing what *her* personal experiences with both are, but even if your anxiety and depression aren’t triggered by the same things mentioned in this book (or feel as “severe”), I feel that you will relate to something. I personally related to “The Depression Obstacle Course.” It was a bit rude for her to call me out for laying down on the couch (reading her book), avoiding taking a shower, feeling like I weigh a gazillion pounds, eating junk food, and not wearing pants. However, it did encourage me to get up and get ready after I finished reading. I hope other people enjoy this read as much as I did.

[Jolanta (knygupė)]

3-*
Komiksiniai autorės nerimo, depresijos, panikos priepolių memuarai.
Man kliuvo komplikuotas teksto išdėstymas ir gal per daug pasikartojimo.

[Anna]

May is Mental Health Awareness month and I’ve spent it paging through this brilliantly crafted graphic memoir by Gemma Correll. Using cartoons and an amusement park analogy, she makes this refreshingly honest personal journey accessible to everyone.

My daughter is a mental health professional working as a therapist with expertise in counseling adolescents and young adults with severe anxiety, OCD, and depression. She is doing important work. It’s long past time to take the discussion of mental health and its treatment out of the shadows. Gemma Correll’s brave memoir does just that.

[Elizabeth A]

You'd think that a a graphic memoir about a lifelong struggle with severe anxiety and depression would not be funny. You'd be wrong. The author recounts her experiences with compassion, honesty and humor. No punches were pulled. I knew I'd like the illustration style as I follow the author on IG, and I appreciated the vulnerability of this one.

Rating for Gemma Correll books
The Worrier's Guide to Life - 2
Anxietyland - 4

[Joanne]

Anxietyland is an ambitious, thoughtfully constructed memoir in graphic novel form, chronicling Gemma Correll’s lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression. At 444 pages, it’s undeniably a substantial read. Even though I enjoyed spending time with her, I did find it longer than it needed to be. But others may disagree. I read it in two sittings-that could be why I found it a tad overlong. But still absolutely light and easy to read, with fast-turning pages.

What makes the book worthwhile is Correll’s willingness to make such deeply personal experiences so accessible. By honestly sharing her own fears, symptoms, and setbacks, she gently encourages readers to face uncertainty rather than continually feeding their anxiety. I suspect many people will find comfort in seeing their own thoughts reflected on these pages.

And I was especially happy to see the pugs return. Nobody draws cuter pugs than Gemma Correll. That’s the truth.

[Matt Graupman]

Through the years, I’ve struggled with my own mental health issues (mostly ADHD misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder and depression) but, thankfully, my experiences with anxiety weren’t nearly as debilitating as Gemma Correll’s. Plagued from childhood by intrusive thoughts, crippling panic attacks, and the persistent impulse to perform elaborate prayers and rituals to stave off disaster, “Anxietyland” is Correll’s raw and unflinching account of literal decades spent exploring therapy, medication, and a dozen other strategies in an effort to control her anxiety. You’d think that her cutesy cartoon style wouldn’t work well with such a serious topic but you’d be wrong; her distinctive, easily identifiable style only reinforces just how personal these comics are for her. “Anxietyland” is a dense (sometimes repetitive) book but it also felt very reassuring, like a gentle hug to a neurodivergent reader like me; my only real complaint is I wish Correll had devoted more of this books’ 400+ pages to the treatment part of her journey (Correll HATES that term), not just the symptoms and outrageous episodes of panic she experienced. This is a great memoir, though, and I think it would be a valuable resource for any anxious - or neurotypical - reader.

[Jennifer Spiegel]

I do like a graphic novel/memoir--maybe once or twice/year. This one called to me! Hey, I'm kinda anxious! Hey, I'm a stress case! Hey, I love my pets! I should read this!

I liked it a lot. I learned, though, that it's unlikely I suffer from clinical anxiety. I'm just, um, rather high-strung . . . . Good news!

Nonetheless, I could appreciate this author's plight. It's not easy. And I'm a fan of artists/writers putting it all out there.

[Sam]

What an incredible comic that really addresses the heart of depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia. I commend the author for being brave enough to create this in the first place and share her struggles with the world. Excellent read!

[Noelle]

Relatable, humorous. I’ve enjoyed her comics online for years. In the book, I wish she had spent more time talking about what has helped.

Read on my iPad from the library.

[finn]

elk stukje erkenning dat ik niet gek en alleen ben met mijn angst is zo helpend. zeker met copings mechanism humor

[Julie]

Not rating bc while it's a 5 star book for those who need it, I had difficulty reading it. It made ME anxious and uncomfortable, so while I think it's great for those who may not understand anxiety and depression, I'm not sure it was helpful (or particularly enjoyable) for me.

[Nina]

Autobiografisches Graphic Novel über das Leben mit Angststörung (und Depressionen).

Hat meine Mama mir in die Hand gedrückt, upsi, war sehr schnell und „lustig“ zu lesen 🙂‍↕️

[Judy]

This graphic novel was eye-opening for me.

Explained so much about anxiety and I saw myself in many places - especially concerning childhood.

Resonating! 🤯

It’s just my generation didn’t have words for it (I’m in my sixties).

Glad I read.

PS: it’s a chunker!

[Kim Lockhart]

This is a really good graphic novel. Both helpful and to the point.

The author zeroes in on every symptom and the issues that result from them. A lot of people are going to feel less alone as they see themselves in this story. I love that the pugs feature throughout. It would not be the same without them. I also love that the author includes all the empty platitudes, and well-meaning but unhelpful (and sometimes unsolicited) advice she has received. If you wouldn't say it to someone with cancer or a broken leg, it probably won't help with mental health, either. Norman Vincent Peale and whoever started that prosperity gospel nonsense leading to "The Secret" were full of it.

I actually had to take breaks because I was so worried for Gemma in her own story.

The phrase that made me have to get up and go clean something for a minute was this, offered up by either a patient or a counselor, but either way, dead wrong: "By choosing to accept the things that are out of our control, only then can we stop suffering." Uh, oh hell no. I know what this is trying to say, but imagine saying this out loud to an abused child, as one example. This is why I hate trite affirmations.

My first exposure to someone whose anxiety sounded a lot like what Gemma is describing, was when a friend told me that he felt like he had to concentrate the whole trip, for hours, to keep the airplane in the air. He felt like if he let up for a second, it would surely crash. He wouldn't even accept the snack they gave out or anything from the beverage cart, nothing that might distract him.

I think there are a lot of people like my old friend and like Gemma, who were not helped, even when they sought help, because the anxiety caused them to mask their symptoms, or the signs were missed, or because anxiety drains a person so thoroughly, they just stopped trying.

Most of the book covers how anxiety disorders present, and the difficulty in getting properly diagnosed and treated. The very end of the book explains how the goal isn't a cure, per se, but learning how to live with anxiety. The right therapist finally helped. Anxiety isn't something we battle, eradicate, or mask, but rather something we manage. Most of the advice we hear in this arena is bogus or even harmful. We need to emphasize what is useful and actually helpful. It makes so much sense when you discover what actually helps.

I hope that this book reaches the people who need it most, and the people in their lives who love them.

[Geethu]

I've marked pages in here to discuss with my therapist. Felt like I'm speaking to myself most times. Excellent books, with the right amount of humour and not making it all too serious.

[Tracy Kaneshiro]

Quite possibly the best book about anxiety that I have ever read. So thankful to Gemma Correll for putting this out into the world. Love love love.

[isha kantaria]

much needed. funny and insightful and most importantly, relatable.

[Thom]

Graphic novel / memoire about living with anxiety, and to a lesser extent, depression. Gemma grew up in Britain, so be prepared for some brit words.

The author / artist is a talented writer and has the support of fabulous friends. This book does a great job of showing the sorts of things she deals with, personifying them as lurking clouds and monsters. While not a book of solutions, there are positive thoughts here, and good ideas. Anxietyland is not a place to wander around solo.

Can't recall exactly where I heard about this, but very glad I put it on hold at the local library. Read over a few days, and it was time well spent. Recommended!

[Caitlyn]

It's been a while since I've dived into a graphic memoir or novel, so this was a nice palette refresher between longform texts. I found Correll's illustrations of her anxiety spot on, like she was able to illustrate on paper what I have only been able to think in my head. The visualizations were incredibly validating.