anxiety through sopranos memes and gifs blog post cover image

The Story of My Anxiety, Illustrated Through Sopranos Memes and Gifs

If you asked me to tell you the story of The Sopranos, I’d say “A guy walks into a psychiatrist’s office, and the rest is history.” To be fair, it’s a bit more complicated, but The Sopranos does begin with a mobster going to therapy after fainting during a panic attack. (Ironically, if you’re like me, The Sopranos itself is a form of therapy). Maybe you’ve had similar experiences with anxiety yourself, though it affects every person differently. And as for me? Here’s the story of my anxiety, as illustrated through Sopranos memes

"I'm afraid I'm gonna lose my family, like I lost the ducks."

Tony Soprano telling Dr. Melfi he's afraid he's going to lose his family.
S1, E1, "Pilot"

That’s me when I can’t get in touch with family or friends. 

"Don't expect happiness. You won't get it, people let you down, and I'm not naming any names, but in the end, you die in your own arms."

livia is telling aj that he shouldn't rely on anybody and he will die in his own arms.

-Livia, S2, E7, “D-Girl”

That’s what my anxiety likes to tell me when I’m feeling extra vulnerable.

"Oh, I can't stay in this house, honeybunch. Not while that facia bruta's here."

-Livia, S1, E13, “I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano

That’s me trying to escape anxiety’s ugly grip.

“What next does the man upstairs have in store for me?”

-Junior, S2, E3, “Toodle-F*cking-Oo” 

Oh, that’s just me waiting for the other shoe to drop (or for the piano over your head to fall, if you’d prefer using Carmela’s example).

"See? You don't fool me, asshole. I know what you're planning!"

-Janice, S3, E5, “Another Toothpick” 

I guess if you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop, perhaps it won’t be as shocking when it finally does. But always waiting in anticipation for it isn’t very fun, either.

"Get Out!!!"

janice soprano is yelling at ralph cifaretto to get out of her house.

-Janice, S4, E3, “Christopher

That’s me yelling at my anxiety when it’s decided it wants to stay the night, and maybe even hang out the next day, too!

"Christopher here? Is he supposed to be?"

adriana sees tony on the phone in crazy horse and worries he's talking about her.

-Tony & Adriana, Season 4, Episode 5, “Pie-O-My

That’s me when I’m convinced someone’s mad at me or upset with me over something when they’re acting a little different from usual.

"Who Am I? Where am I going?"

-Tony, S6, E2, “Join The Club

Next, here I am talking to myself when anxiety leads me into an existential funk (this most often occurs at night).

“Can you believe this? After all this, she wants to go back on that ride. She cried for three nights after.”

Janice Soprano and her family are at the festival of St. Elzear

-Janice, S6, E9, “The Ride

Oh, that’s just the rational side of me talking about how I sometimes consciously or subconsciously revert back to old habits or unhealthy coping mechanisms despite knowing all about why I shouldn’t.

paulie walnuts is yelling at another guy in jail to not turn the television channel to another program.

-Paulie Walnuts, S4, E1, “For All Debts Public & Private”

So, how does one cope with all that agita? Well, as alluded to, one of my favorite activities for coping with existential anxiety is watching The Sopranos. Even though there are thousands of shows and movies I have yet to see that are right at my fingertips, I think I’ll go for another Sopranos rewatch. 

But it usually turns out okay in the end...right?

Tony Soprano is smoking a cigar while sitting on a farm with the grass and lake behind him.
S5, E10, "Cold Cuts"

Right?

Svetlana talking to Tony Soprano
S4, E10, "The Strong, Silent Type"

Finally, that’s Svetlana telling me to get over my first world problems.

Anyway, what are you gonna do? You’ve got to joyfully participate in the suffering of the world and take time to smell the gorilla sh*t. If that sounds like it has an Eastern flavor, it’s because Tony’s lived in New Jersey his whole life, remember?

Let's connect!

Want to support Sopranos Blueprint?

Buy Me a Coffee

Scroll to Top