Anxiety psychiatrist in Kansas and Missouri

Kinds of anxiety

Everyone feels anxious sometimes. It becomes a disorder when the worry or fear is out of proportion, hard to switch off, and starts shaping your choices. Generalized anxiety is constant worry about many things, often with muscle tension, fatigue, and poor sleep. Panic disorder brings sudden surges of fear with a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, or a sense of doom, followed by dread of the next attack.

Social anxiety centers on fear of judgment or embarrassment. Health anxiety keeps attention locked on body sensations and illness. Specific phobias attach intense fear to one thing, like flying or needles. In children, anxiety can look like stomachaches, clinginess, school refusal, or meltdowns before transitions.

Effective treatments

Cognitive behavioral therapy has strong evidence across anxiety disorders. SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line medications for long-term treatment. Lifestyle factors such as regular sleep, exercise, and cutting back on caffeine and alcohol also make a measurable difference for many people.

What visits often focus on

Panic and fear of the next attack; constant scanning, dread, or "what if" loops; social anxiety and self-esteem; anxiety alongside depression, ADHD, or OCD traits; and knowing the coping skills but still not being able to use them when it counts.

The goal is not the longest medication list. It is enough support that life works again.

How Dr. Brown works with anxiety

Medication is considered carefully, aiming for the least that keeps you well. Visits also include psychodynamic therapy and practical work on sleep, movement, and daily routine.

Many people have read the books or done CBT and still freeze when it counts. That gap is a normal reason to see a psychiatrist, not a failure. The work starts with figuring out what is keeping the anxiety going.

The first visit

The first appointment is a video evaluation of about 90–100 minutes, covering what the anxiety looks like day to day, sleep, substance use, medical issues, past treatment, and your goals.

Joining from home

For people whose anxiety makes driving, waiting rooms, or new places hard, a video visit from home removes a barrier to starting. You need to be physically in Kansas or Missouri, in a private space, during the visit.

Is it only medication?

No. Visits combine medication management, when it helps, with ongoing psychodynamic therapy and practical support for sleep and routine.

Can a panic attack hurt me?

Panic attacks feel frightening, but they are not dangerous in themselves. New chest pain or shortness of breath should still be checked by a medical provider.