Anxiety and panic

Your chest is tight. Your mind writes disaster scripts at 2 a.m. You cancel plans because leaving the house feels like too much. Anxiety is not a character flaw. It is a nervous system stuck on high alert — and it is one of the main reasons people in Lexington look for care.

We start by mapping what sets it off: crowds, work reviews, social settings, a racing heart that you read as danger. Then we use CBT skills you can practice the same week, mindfulness to come back to the present, and medication when the volume is too high to learn anything new.

Depression and feeling flat

You get through the day and remember almost none of it. Things you used to care about feel far away. Some people call it depression. Some just say they are tired of being tired. Either way, you do not have to wait until it is unbearable to ask for help.

Care may include behavioral steps that sound small on paper (light, movement, one standing appointment) plus CBT, and medication when biology is clearly part of the picture. We also look for seasonal patterns, medical contributors, and whether substances are quietly making the low mood lower.

ADHD - teens and adults

You lose time. You start five things and finish one. School or work calls you unmotivated when you are actually overwhelmed. ADHD in teenagers and adults is not a failure to try harder. It is a difference in attention, impulse, and working memory — and it is treatable.

We look at history (not just a questionnaire), sleep, anxiety that can mimic ADHD, and whether medicine, skills, or both make sense. Parents of teens are included when the teen agrees. Adults often need a plan that workswith a real job, not a perfect routine from a book.

Trauma that is still in the body

The event may be years old. Your body did not get the memo. Loud sounds, certain rooms, or a tone of voice can still flip the switch. Trauma care here is paced. We do not force a full retelling on day one.

We work on sleep, startle, shame, and the relationships that got warped around the injury — including childhood harm, betrayal, and emotional abuse. Skills first. Medicine when nightmares, panic, or depression keep the door locked.

Drinking, using, or feeling hooked

Maybe it started as a way to sleep or take the edge off. Now it has its own schedule. You can want to cut back and still not know how to do Tuesday night differently. We treat substance use and mental health together, because they rarely travel alone.

This is not a lecture. It is a practical plan: what “better” means to you, what support you have, whether medicine for cravings or mood is appropriate, and how to handle the week after a slip without throwing the whole effort out.

Teens who are struggling

A  teenager who used to talk is now a closed door. Grades slipped. Anger is bigger. Friends changed. Or they said something that scared you. We see teens ages 13–17 for anxiety, mood, ADHD, school problems, identity questions, substance use, and the aftershocks of trauma.

Parents are partners, with privacy explained up front so nobody is surprised. The teen still gets a real say. That balance is how trust is built.