---
title: "Anxiety"
---

## Where this page fits in anxiety care.

Most anxiety is well-treated by standard care: therapy (particularly cognitive behavioral therapy and other evidence-based approaches), medications including SSRIs and SNRIs, lifestyle interventions, and time. For most patients with anxiety disorders, this approach produces meaningful improvement.

This page isn't for patients newly diagnosed with anxiety or whose anxiety has not yet been thoroughly treated through standard means. If you're early in your anxiety journey, your most useful next step is connecting with a psychiatrist or therapist who specializes in anxiety, not an interventional pain practice.

This page is for patients whose anxiety meets specific criteria:

- An established anxiety diagnosis (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or other specific condition)
- Ongoing care with a mental health professional
- Multiple attempts at standard treatment without adequate response
- Severity that significantly affects quality of life despite ongoing care

For this specific group of patients, ketamine infusion therapy may be a meaningful adjunct treatment alongside the broader mental health care you're already receiving.

## What this page is — and isn't

PHI is not a psychiatry practice. We don't manage ongoing anxiety care, prescribe psychiatric medications for anxiety, or provide psychotherapy. What we offer is one specific physician-administered medical intervention with accumulating evidence for severe anxiety conditions that haven't responded to standard treatment.

## How ketamine may help treatment-resistant anxiety

Ketamine works through a different mechanism than standard anxiety medications. While most anxiety medications act on serotonin or related neurotransmitter systems, ketamine acts on the NMDA receptor and glutamate signaling. This different mechanism may help patients whose anxiety has not adequately responded to standard medications.

The clinical evidence for ketamine specifically in anxiety is less robust than for depression or PTSD, but is accumulating. Studies have shown meaningful symptom reduction in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and certain other anxiety conditions when ketamine is used in defined treatment protocols.

We are honest with patients: ketamine is not a first-line anxiety treatment, and the evidence base is still developing. For appropriate patients whose anxiety has not responded to multiple standard treatments, ketamine may be a worthwhile addition to their care. For patients earlier in their anxiety journey, focusing on standard evidence-based treatment is typically more appropriate.

## When to consider ketamine for anxiety

You may be a candidate for ketamine infusion therapy if specific clinical criteria are met. Candidacy depends on diagnosis, treatment history, medical status, and ongoing mental health care.

The candidacy assessment happens during an in-person consultation with [Dr. Lalani](https://painandhealing.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/dr-lalani-headshot-scaled.jpg) or [Dr. Samimi](https://painandhealing.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/dr-samimi-scaled.jpg). We coordinate directly with your psychiatrist or therapist as part of that evaluation. A candidacy decision is collaborative, not unilateral.

## How PHI approaches ketamine for anxiety

The first step is comprehensive evaluation.

For appropriate candidates, treatment involves physician-administered IV infusions in a clinic setting. Each infusion typically takes 40 to 60 minutes. You're awake throughout, in a private setting, with continuous monitoring of vital signs.

We deliver a defined treatment series rather than open-ended dosing. The number of infusions and their spacing vary patient to patient. Some patients receive maintenance infusions periodically afterward.

Throughout your treatment series, we coordinate with your mental health team. We communicate with your psychiatrist or therapist as appropriate and integrate ketamine with your broader anxiety care.

For more detail on the procedure itself, see our Ketamine Infusion Therapy treatment page.

## Why PHI for treatment-resistant anxiety

PHI's approach to ketamine for anxiety reflects our broader commitment to physician-administered care, clinical coordination, and the safety infrastructure of a real medical practice.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: How is the evidence for ketamine in anxiety different from depression?**

Stronger for depression, less mature for anxiety. Ketamine has multiple high-quality randomized trials specifically for treatment-resistant depression. Evidence for anxiety conditions is accumulating but not yet at the same level. For patients whose anxiety has resisted standard treatment, the available evidence is encouraging; for patients earlier in their treatment journey, standard approaches are typically more appropriate.

**Q: Will ketamine cure my anxiety?**

"Cure" is rarely the right word for chronic anxiety conditions. For appropriate candidates, ketamine may produce meaningful symptom reduction that combines with your other treatments to improve overall quality of life. For some patients, the response is dramatic. For others, the response is more modest. We're honest about realistic expectations.

**Q: Is ketamine addictive?**

Recreational ketamine carries addiction risk. Medical ketamine in defined treatment series with subanesthetic dosing has not been associated with significant addiction risk in clinical use. The setting matters: a defined medical protocol is meaningfully different from unsupervised use.

**Q: How long do effects last?**

This varies. A series of infusions is used because effects from a single infusion are typically temporary, but cumulative effect builds across the series. After the initial series, some patients experience sustained benefit for months. Some receive periodic maintenance infusions.

**Q: What does the infusion feel like?**

Most patients describe feeling relaxed and somewhat detached from worries during the infusion. Some experience visual phenomena or altered perception. Most find the experience tolerable; some find it uncomfortable, in which case dosing can be adjusted.

**Q: Can I drive home after my infusion?**

No. Ketamine's effects typically resolve within 1 to 2 hours after the infusion, but you'll need transportation home. Don't plan to drive that day.

**Q: How does PHI screen for whether ketamine is appropriate?**

We require established anxiety diagnosis, ongoing mental health care, history of multiple standard treatment attempts, and absence of medical contraindications. We don't accept patients seeking ketamine without these elements in place. This screening is part of our commitment to using ketamine appropriately rather than offering it broadly.

**Q: What if I'm in crisis right now?**

If you're experiencing acute crisis, contact your psychiatrist, mental health team, or call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7). PHI is not equipped for acute crisis intervention and is not the right resource in those moments.

**Q: Do you take insurance?**

PHI is a cash-pay practice. Ketamine infusion is typically not covered by insurance. All pricing is disclosed at consultation.

**Q: How quickly can I be seen?**

Contact our concierge team and we'll coordinate your consultation and plan of care. Call (310) 856-9488 to discuss timing.

**Q: Do you accept international patients?**

Yes. PHI regularly treats patients from outside Los Angeles, including Las Vegas, Palm Springs, London, and other international locations. Ketamine treatment series can be coordinated to fit travel schedules. We see international patients from across the world: Asia, Dubai, London, Paris, Italy, Saudi Arabia, to name a few.

## Treatments we offer for anxiety

PHI offers physician-administered ketamine infusion therapy for severe, treatment-resistant anxiety conditions, alongside complementary wellness protocols where appropriate. We work alongside your mental health team rather than replacing the broader care you need.

> Ketamine's dose-related effects on anxiety symptoms in patients with treatment refractory anxiety disorders. Peer-reviewed via PubMed.
— [Glue P, et al. ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28196579/)

> Effects of ketamine in patients with treatment-refractory generalized anxiety and social anxiety disorders: Exploratory double-blind psychoactive-controlled replication study. Peer-reviewed via PubMed.
— [Glue P, et al.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32441196/)

> Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Anxiety Disorders.
— [American Psychiatric Association](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890423974)

## Schedule your anxiety consultation

A 60-minute consultation will evaluate whether ketamine infusion therapy is appropriate for your specific anxiety situation, walk through the protocol, and coordinate with your mental health team. Call (310) 856-9488 or book online now.


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