Anxiety Specialist

Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee

Richard Jackson, MD

Integrative Medicine & Ketamine Therapy Clinic located in Johnson City, TN

More than 30% of adults in the United States experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their lives. Board-certified psychiatrist Richard Jackson, MD, provides innovative anxiety treatment with ketamine therapy at the Ketamine Treatment Center in Johnson City, Tennessee. If you or a loved one has severe anxiety symptoms that persist despite conventional treatment, call the office or book an appointment online today.

Anxiety Q & A

What is anxiety?

Everyone feels anxious at times, like before taking an exam or attending an important meeting. While occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, excessive worry or fear that doesn’t go away may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are more common than any other type of mental health condition. An anxiety disorder can interfere with many aspects of your life, including work, school, and personal relationships, but effective treatment is available at the Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee.

What are the symptoms of anxiety disorders?

There are many types of anxiety disorders, each with its own specific symptoms.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder causes severe worry about a wide range of things such as work, social interactions, and your health. Common symptoms include feeling restless or wound-up, irritability, and muscle tension. The feelings of worry may be difficult to control.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder involves recurrent episodes of extreme fear that come on suddenly and usually peak within minutes, called panic attacks. A panic attack may cause sweating, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, trembling, and a sense of impending doom.

Social anxiety disorder

Previously called social phobia, this anxiety disorder involves fear of social or performance situations. You may worry about being judged or humiliated by others or have fear of experiencing anxiety symptoms in public. Oftentimes, this fear causes people to avoid social situations.

Other mental health conditions

Several other mental health conditions involve anxiety symptoms without falling under the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders. These include depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How does ketamine treat anxiety?

At the Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee, Dr. Jackson provides breakthrough anxiety treatments such as ketamine infusion therapy and Spravato® nasal spray.

Traditional treatments for anxiety include medications like antidepressants and benzodiazepines and psychotherapy. However, 30-40% of people with anxiety disorders don’t get adequate relief, even after trying 3-4 different medications. Medications also cause an array of difficult side-effects that many people can’t tolerate.

Studies show that ketamine provides rapid relief in people with anxiety, with participants reporting reduced symptoms within one hour. After a series of treatments, the anti-anxiety effects of ketamine often last for several weeks to months. Some people experience longer periods of remission.

To learn how ketamine can reduce or eliminate your anxiety symptoms, call the Ketamine Treatment Center of East Tennessee, or book an appointment online today.