Anxiety can touch every part of life. For some people it is constant worry that never quiets down. For others it shows up as panic attacks, racing thoughts, a tight chest, restless nights, or a sense of dread that makes ordinary days feel exhausting. Over time, anxiety can wear on relationships, work, physical health, and your sense of who you are.
At Psychiatric Pathways in Bloomington, Minnesota, we treat anxiety with care that addresses both the mind and the body. Led by Brenna Christie, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, our clinic combines psychiatric medication management and ketamine therapy to help adults across the Twin Cities feel calmer, clearer, and more in control. For patients whose anxiety occurs alongside treatment-resistant depression, we also offer Spravato.
Whether you are seeking help for the first time or have tried several medications without enough relief, we will help you understand your options and build a plan that fits you.
Understanding Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in the country. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 19.1% of U.S. adults, nearly one in five, have an anxiety disorder in a given year. Many people in Minnesota live with symptoms for years before getting care that truly helps.
Anxiety is more than ordinary stress. It is a brain-based condition in which fear centers such as the amygdala become overactive, keeping the body on alert even when there is no real danger. It can take several forms:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Ongoing worry about everyday life that feels difficult to control.
- Panic Disorder: Sudden waves of intense fear with a racing heart, chest tightness, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: Strong fear of judgment, embarrassment, or being watched in social situations.
- Related conditions: OCD and PTSD also involve significant anxiety and often overlap with the disorders above.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety affects both the mind and body, and it looks different for everyone. Common symptoms include:
- Mental and emotional: Persistent worry, overthinking, racing thoughts, irritability, trouble concentrating, and a sense of dread.
- Physical: Muscle tension, headaches, rapid heartbeat, chest tightness, dizziness, fatigue, digestive discomfort, and difficulty sleeping.
- Behavioral: Avoiding situations, people, or responsibilities that trigger anxiety, and pulling back from things you once enjoyed.
Recognizing these patterns is an important first step. With the right treatment, anxiety can become far more manageable.
Anxiety Treatment in Minnesota Led by Brenna Christie, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC
Brenna Christie is dual board-certified as both a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with 13 years in practice. She trained at the University of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and is a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists and Practitioners (ASKP3).
Her background in both primary care and psychiatry means she looks at the full picture, including sleep, physical health, and medical conditions that can mimic or worsen anxiety. Her practice focuses on adults whose symptoms have not improved with traditional treatment alone.
At Psychiatric Pathways, care is built on:
- Shared decisions: Every treatment choice is made with you, so you stay in control of your care.
- Coordinated care: We work alongside your therapist or primary care provider so your plan stays aligned.
- A calm, respectful setting: We take time to listen, explain your options clearly, and move at a pace that feels right for you.
Psychiatric Treatment for Anxiety
Talk therapy builds coping skills. Psychiatric treatment for anxiety adds a medical evaluation, a clear diagnosis, careful medication choices, and close follow-up to calm the stress response at its source. Many people do best with both.
What to Expect From Your Evaluation
Your care begins with a one-on-one visit at our Bloomington clinic:
- Diagnostic intake: We review your symptoms, when they started, and how they affect work, relationships, and daily life.
- Medical and treatment history: We look at past medications, family history, and physical health factors such as thyroid problems, sleep issues, or caffeine and stimulant use that can drive anxiety.
- Personalized treatment plan: We build a plan that may include medication, lifestyle changes, advanced treatments, and coordination with therapy.
Medication Management for Anxiety
Medication can help the brain handle stress signals more effectively and lower day-to-day anxiety. Options may include:
- SSRIs and SNRIs: The first-line medications for most anxiety disorders. Several, including escitalopram, sertraline, and venlafaxine, are FDA-approved for specific anxiety disorders.
- Buspirone and hydroxyzine: Non-habit-forming options that can ease ongoing worry and physical tension.
- Short-term options: Some fast-acting medications may be used cautiously and briefly during severe flare-ups, while longer-term treatment takes effect.
First-line medications usually take four to eight weeks to reach full effect. We monitor your progress, adjust doses, and manage side effects so you get the most relief with the least discomfort. If low mood comes with your anxiety, our psychiatry for depression care can address both at the same time.
Ketamine Treatment for Anxiety
Standard medications and therapy help many people, but some continue to struggle after trying several approaches. For these individuals, ketamine treatment for anxiety offers a different option that works through a separate pathway in the brain.
How Ketamine Works
Ketamine has been used safely in medical settings for decades as an anesthetic. At much lower doses, it has shown promise for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Unlike traditional antidepressants, which mainly target serotonin, ketamine acts on the brain’s glutamate system. This is thought to strengthen communication between brain cells and support new neural connections that chronic stress can weaken.
Ketamine is not FDA-approved for anxiety disorders, so its use for anxiety is considered off-label. We recommend it only after a thorough evaluation confirms it is medically appropriate for you.
How Ketamine May Help Anxiety
Many patients describe feeling mentally quieter and less overwhelmed after treatment. Some report fewer panic symptoms, greater emotional clarity, and an easier time engaging in therapy and healthy coping strategies. While traditional medications can take weeks, some people notice changes within hours or days of a session. Research on ketamine for generalized anxiety and social anxiety is still growing, and individual results vary.
What to Expect During Treatment
Treatment starts with a comprehensive consultation to review your history, symptoms, and goals. IV ketamine infusions are given slowly over about 40 to 60 minutes in a calm, medically monitored setting. You remain awake and may feel deep relaxation, a floating sensation, or mild dissociation. These effects are temporary and closely supervised.
Most patients begin with an initial series of treatments over several weeks, and some benefit from maintenance sessions later. We also offer ketamine injection therapy as an alternative for some patients.
Is Ketamine Therapy Safe?
When administered in a professional medical setting, ketamine has a well-established safety profile. Some patients experience temporary nausea, dizziness, elevated blood pressure, or dissociation during treatment, and our team monitors you throughout. Ketamine is not right for everyone. Certain medical conditions, active substance use, or psychiatric concerns may require additional evaluation, which is why every patient starts with a thorough consultation.
Spravato Treatment for Anxiety That Occurs With Depression
Anxiety and depression frequently occur together, and when depression does not respond to standard antidepressants, anxiety can feel even harder to manage. Spravato (esketamine) is an FDA-approved nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression and for depression with suicidal thoughts. It works on the same glutamate pathways as ketamine.
Spravato is not approved to treat anxiety disorders on their own. However, it may be an appropriate option for patients whose anxiety occurs alongside treatment-resistant depression. Spravato is administered in our office under direct supervision, with monitoring for at least two hours after each dose. Because it is FDA-approved, it is often covered by insurance, including Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Medica, UMR, Humana, and Aetna. Learn more about our Spravato treatment center.
How These Treatments Work Together
| Treatment | How It Helps | Often Used When |
| Psychiatric medication management | Steadies the stress response, eases worry and panic, improves sleep | Starting treatment or building a long-term foundation |
| Ketamine therapy | Works on glutamate pathways to help interrupt fear and worry cycles | Anxiety has not responded enough to standard medications |
| Spravato | FDA-approved esketamine for treatment-resistant depression | Anxiety occurs alongside depression that has not improved |
Because we offer all three in one place, your care can evolve as your needs change without starting over with a new provider.
Conditions That Often Occur Alongside Anxiety
Anxiety rarely shows up alone. Many people also experience depression, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or sleep problems. Our approach treats the full picture rather than isolated symptoms, and Psychiatric Pathways also provides care for treatment-resistant depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and suicidal ideation.
Anxiety Care for Adults Across Minnesota
Our clinic is located at 3601 Minnesota Dr #510 in Bloomington, serving adults throughout the Twin Cities, including Minneapolis, Edina, Richfield, Eden Prairie, and surrounding communities. Many follow-up visits for medication management can also be held via telehealth. We are in-network with several major insurance plans and accept HSA and FSA payments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Treatment
When should I see a psychiatric provider for anxiety?
Consider a psychiatric evaluation if anxiety causes ongoing physical symptoms, interferes with work or relationships, or has not improved enough with therapy alone.
What is the difference between anxiety therapy and psychiatric treatment?
Anxiety therapy focuses on coping skills and behavioral tools through talk sessions. Psychiatric treatment adds medical diagnosis and medication management to address the biological side of anxiety. Many people benefit from both.
How long does anxiety medication take to work?
First-line medications such as SSRIs and SNRIs usually take four to eight weeks of daily use to reach their full effect.
How is ketamine different from traditional anxiety medications?
Most anxiety medications work on serotonin or norepinephrine. Ketamine targets the brain’s glutamate system instead, and some patients notice relief within hours or days. Its use for anxiety is off-label and is recommended only after a careful evaluation.
Can Spravato treat anxiety?
Spravato is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression, not anxiety disorders on their own. It may be recommended when anxiety occurs alongside depression that has not improved with other treatments.
Can I keep seeing my current therapist?
Yes. Psychiatric Pathways focuses on diagnosis, medication, and advanced treatments, and we are happy to coordinate with your therapist so your care stays aligned.
Take the First Step Toward Relief
Living with anxiety can make it hard to imagine feeling calm again, but relief is possible, even if past treatments have fallen short.
At Psychiatric Pathways, Brenna Christie and our team are here to help you quiet the noise, steady your nervous system, and feel more like yourself. Call (952) 592-5421 or schedule your complimentary consultation today.