10 Incredible TV Shows That Are Tough To Get Through Because They’re So Anxiety-Inducing

Certain television shows have featured compelling characters, strong storylines, and wonderful writing, but are just so anxiety-inducing that they can be difficult to get through. Television shows such as these are a testament to the media’s power to make audiences feel uncomfortable by confronting them with the dark realities of lived existence, the cringe-inducing power of comedy, and the horrific distressing nature of tragedy. While shows like this can be difficult to get through, they are also rewarding for the same reason, they push the boundaries of what audiences consume and lead to thought-provoking internal questions about one’s anxiety.

Some anxiety-inducing television series lean more heavily into the comedic side of anxiety, such as The Curse and Peep Show. These programs create tension-filled situations as a means to make the viewer laugh and present something insightful about why uncomfortable or cringy situations make audiences feel so anxious. There are also distressing dramas like Breaking Bad or The American’s whose anxiety-inducing nature comes from the devastating consequences of the main character’s actions. These types of dramas were tough to get through because the stakes were so high, and the narrative was so compelling.

10 The Curse (2023)

The Curse was equal parts anxiety-inducing and cringe-filled awkwardness

The Curse was an expert satirical exploration of marginalized communities, the exploitative nature of reality TV, and the crumbling of a toxic relationship. With equal parts excellent writing and anxiety-inducing cringe, the depiction of the newly married couple Whitney and Asher, played by Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder, was tough to get through as their painful dynamic and Asher’s cycle of repression of pain became unbearably pitiful throughout the series ten episodes. The Curse was a unique show that didn’t fit into any one genre, and while consistently hilarious, also brought up so much anxiety it was difficult to watch.

9 Peep Show (2003 – 2015)

Peep Show took the sitcom trope of mismatched housemates to its anxiety-inducing extreme

The British sitcom Peep Show was co-created by future Succession creator Jesse Armstrong and followed the lives of two London housemates named Mark Corrigan and Jeremy Usborne. Peep Show featured a unique point-of-view perspective and voiceover narration from the minds of its two leads who constantly find themselves creating anxiety-inducing problems with devasting effects. From Mark almost jilting his fiancé at the alter to Jeremy eating a dog to save face, Peep Show was chock full of hilarious moments that were so uncomfortable they were difficult to get through.

8 Black Mirror (2011 – Present)

Black Mirror changed from episode to episode but it’s anxiety-inducing nature remained a constant

The anthology nature of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror meant audiences never knew what they were going to endure from one episode to the next. With a pilot episode involving the United Kingdom Prime Minister being blackmailed into being intimate with a pig to characters being forced to reckon with the darkest implications of modern technology, Black Mirror provided enough science fiction spectacle to keep viewers enthralled, while the anxiety-inducing nature of its themes kept their hearts pumping. Black Mirror was never for the faint of heart and whenever a new series was released, audiences understood anxiety was incoming.

7 Succession (2018 – 2013)

Succession had so many anxiety-inducing characters that kept viewers’ hearts racing

The HBO series Succession was packed with cringe-worthy scenes as the dysfunctional mega-rich Roy family fought for control of their global media company Waystar Royco. From Roman texting a picture of his privates to his father Logan to Kendall’s anxiety-filled rap performance, Succession was one of the best shows to come out in recent years, however, it was anxiety-inducing it was tough to get through. With incredible performances, strong writing, and a compelling narrative, Succession was well worth a viewer’s time and attention, but they should be prepared to feel incredibly anxious throughout watching.

6 Twin Peaks (1990 – 1991, 2017)

Twin Peaks mixed drama, horror, and soap opera with an anxiety-inducing atmostphere

David Lynch and Mark Frost’s Twin Peaks influenced countless subsequent television shows and laid the groundwork for the future of serialized television through its ongoing mystery, dreamlike atmosphere, and melding of multiple genres. With a compelling ensemble cast led by Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks was not afraid to lean into anxiety-inducing territory and embraced aspects of horror, surrealism, and the supernatural. The third season subtitled The Return, made 25 years after the second, especially embraced the anxious nature of the series and delivered experimental episodes that were so anxiety-inducing they were tough to get through.

5 Severance (2022 – Present)

Severance delivered on the anxiety-inducing nature of a work-life balance

The psychological thriller Severance takes the idea of a work-life balance to the extreme as employees split their consciousness into work memories and non-work memories. This led to probing philosophical questions about the nature of the self and was so anxiety-inducing in its horrific consequences that it made the incredible series tough to get through. With a fantastic lead performance by Adam Scott as Mark Scoutt, Severance expertly captured the detached nature of the corporate world through a thought-provoking, slowly-building, anxiety-filled narrative.

4 Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

Breaking Bad kept the tension high throughout and was a constant source of anxiety

The story of the mild-mannered chemistry teacher Walter White turned drug kingpin Heisenberg, Breaking Bad was one of the best shows of the 21st century that was filled with anxiety-inducing tension throughout. Following Walter’s narrative and consistently feeling his ill deeds were just on the verge of being discovered was painfully distressing. Watching as Jesse Pinkman’s world crumbled around him through ever more unfortunate consequences was sorrowfully troubling. Breaking Bad had countless anxiety-inducing moments as the stakes were always so high and tension was intense. Breaking Bad was a tough series to get through but also wildly entertaining and rewarding.

3 The Americans (2013 – 2018)

The Americans high-stakes narrative was always anxiety-inducing

Set during the Cold War, The Americans depicted two Soviet spies posing as a married American couple whose children were not even aware of their true identities. With action-packed tension, compelling characters, and fantastic writing, The Americans was an incredible show that was tough to get through due to the anxiety-inducing nature of its narrative. The constant threat that Elizabeth and Philip Jennings would be caught by their FBI agent neighbor Stan Beeman was almost too much to take and the juggling of identities, multiple false persona, and shocking consequences made The Americans a major source of anxiety.

2 The Bear (2022 – Present)

The Bear replicated workplace stress with anxiety-inducing accuracy

Anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant industry would have felt their heart racing when watching The Bear. The story of a promising young chef attempting to manage his deceased brother’s chaotic sandwich shop, The Bear was a high-octane comedy-drama that was constantly filled with exhausting and tense sequences to produce anxiety in even the chilliest of viewers. From screaming matches to gunshots, The Bear had many stressful moments, but nothing can top the Season 2 Christmas dinner sequence as every member of the family dealt with a personal crisis amid their intense feuding.

1 The Handmaid’s Tale (2017 – Present)

The Handmaid’s Tale presented an anxiety-inducing dystopia like no other

The female-oppressed dystopian society of Gilead presented in The Handmaid’s Tale was enough to cause intense anxiety by itself. However, the incredible story of June Osborne told throughout The Handmaid’s Tale was full of so many difficult, heartbreaking, and soul-destroying moments that the series became so anxiety-inducing that it was tough to get through. Separated from her daughter following the implication of a totalitarian state, every time June was about to gain some semblance of positivity in her life it was ripped away with devastating consequences. The Handmaid’s Tale in its sheer intensity delivered anxiety like no other show.