When your autonomic nervous system is stuck in overdrive, no amount of deep breathing or positive thinking will calm the storm. We combine ketamine therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, stellate ganglion block, and metabolic psychiatry to reset the biological systems driving your anxiety.
Anxiety isn’t a thinking problem — it’s a nervous system problem. Research shows that chronic anxiety involves sustained sympathetic nervous system activation, reduced vagal tone, and dysregulated HPA axis function. Your body is producing excessive norepinephrine, cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines. The physical symptoms — racing heart, tight chest, GI distress, insomnia — are not imagined. They’re measurable biological signals that your threat-detection system is stuck in the “on” position.
Benzodiazepines like Xanax and Klonopin suppress symptoms temporarily but create tolerance, dependence, and cognitive impairment. SSRIs may help some patients but take weeks to work and often cause unwanted side effects. Neither approach addresses the underlying nervous system dysregulation, metabolic dysfunction, or unresolved stress patterns driving your anxiety.
Research from Harvard’s metabolic psychiatry program shows that anxiety symptoms are frequently driven by blood sugar instability, thyroid dysfunction, magnesium deficiency, B vitamin depletion, chronic inflammation, and mitochondrial impairment. A 2024 secondary analysis of a stellate ganglion block RCT (Translational Psychiatry) demonstrated that anxiety symptoms were reduced by approximately 50% in 285 patients — by directly targeting sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity.
Most conventional depression treatment focuses narrowly on symptom suppression. While SSRIs can be helpful for some patients, they represent just one small piece of a much larger biological puzzle.
Ketamine therapy calms the overactive glutamate system and promotes rapid neuroplasticity. For eligible patients, stellate ganglion block provides direct sympathetic nervous system reset.
Comprehensive metabolic and autonomic assessment through Seaside Longevity.
Nervous system retraining and psychological integration.
Building an anti-anxiety lifestyle.
For patients with severe or treatment-resistant anxiety, we offer cutting-edge neuromodulation therapies that directly target the biological systems driving anxiety symptoms.
An ultrasound-guided injection of local anesthetic around the stellate ganglion — a key hub in the sympathetic nervous system.
By temporarily reducing sympathetic outflow, SGB can produce rapid and sustained reductions in:
Hyperarousal
Panic symptoms
Persistent fight-or-flight activation
Level 1B evidence for PTSD/anxiety
Randomized controlled trial published in JAMA (2019): significant symptom reduction vs. sham
Case series (n=285): ~50% average anxiety reduction
Largest retrospective study (n=327): 80%+ clinically meaningful response
A non-invasive, FDA-cleared neuromodulation device that delivers gentle electrical impulses to the vagus nerve through the skin of the neck or ear.
This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to:
Reduced heart rate
Lower cortisol levels
Improved stress resilience
Enhanced autonomic balance
Double-blind RCT (2020): significant reduction in sympathetic stress responses in PTSD patients
Study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience (2025): demonstrated progressive heart rate reduction over time
Pilot data in veterans: improved sleep quality and autonomic stability
Non-invasive audiovisual stimulation delivered at 40Hz to entrain the brain’s gamma oscillations.
Emerging neuroscience research suggests gamma entrainment may:
Enhance neuroplasticity
Increase BDNF expression
Improve emotional regulation
Reduce neural hyperexcitability associated with anxiety
A decade of research from MIT Picower Institute for Learning and Memory
Findings published in PLOS Biology (2025)
Animal studies show anxiety behavior reduction and increased hippocampal BDNF via the BDNF-TrkB pathway
Human clinical trials currently ongoing
Discuss your anxiety symptoms and determine which combination of therapies may be most effective for your situation.
Medical history, autonomic assessment, safety screening, and metabolic lab orders with Dr. Gillin.
Your plan may combine ketamine, SGB, tVNS, metabolic optimization, breathwork training, and psychotherapy integration.
Sessions conducted in our calm oceanfront setting. Integration support helps you build new nervous system patterns between sessions.
Regular symptom monitoring, HRV tracking, lab follow-up, and treatment plan adjustments.
A: Yes. Ketamine modulates the glutamate system, which plays a central role in anxiety. By promoting neuroplasticity and calming overactive neural circuits, ketamine can provide rapid relief from anxiety symptoms. It is particularly effective for patients who haven’t responded to traditional medications.
A: A stellate ganglion block (SGB) is an ultrasound-guided injection of local anesthetic near the stellate ganglion, a cluster of nerves in the neck that controls the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system. By temporarily blocking sympathetic outflow, SGB can rapidly reduce anxiety, hyperarousal, and panic symptoms. Research shows over 80% of patients experience clinically meaningful improvement.
A: tVNS is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared therapy that stimulates the vagus nerve through the skin. The vagus nerve is the main conduit of the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system. By activating it, tVNS helps reduce heart rate, lower cortisol, decrease inflammation, and promote a calmer physiological state. Research from Emory University demonstrates that tVNS reduces sympathetic stress responses in patients with anxiety and PTSD.
A: Metabolic factors like blood sugar instability, chronic inflammation, magnesium deficiency, thyroid dysfunction, and mitochondrial impairment can all trigger or worsen anxiety. Blood sugar crashes stimulate adrenaline release (mimicking panic attacks). Inflammation activates brain threat circuits. Magnesium deficiency increases neuronal excitability. We test for and address all of these through Seaside Longevity.
A: Absolutely. The gut-brain axis is a well-established bidirectional communication system. Gut dysbiosis, intestinal permeability, and microbial imbalances can drive systemic inflammation and alter neurotransmitter production (90% of serotonin is made in the gut). Our GI-MAP stool analysis through Seaside Longevity identifies specific gut health issues that may be contributing to your anxiety.
A: 40Hz gamma stimulation uses light and sound at a specific frequency to entrain the brain’s gamma rhythms. Research from MIT’s Picower Institute spanning over a decade shows this enhances neuroplasticity and brain health. Animal studies demonstrate improvements in anxiety-related behaviors and increased BDNF levels in brain regions associated with emotion regulation. This is an emerging therapy that we incorporate as part of our multimodal approach.
A: Treatment plans are individualized based on severity, underlying causes, and treatment response. Many patients begin with a series of ketamine sessions combined with SGB or tVNS and metabolic optimization. The goal is to create lasting nervous system change, not indefinite treatment.
A: Yes. We treat the full spectrum of anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, health anxiety, and anxiety related to PTSD or chronic illness. Our multimodal approach can be tailored to the specific anxiety presentation.
A: Costs vary based on the specific therapies included in your plan. Spravato may be covered by insurance. We’ll discuss pricing transparently during your free consultation and help you understand all options.
A: When clinically appropriate, we support gradual, medically supervised medication tapering as part of your treatment plan. This is always optional and done at your pace. Many patients are able to reduce or eliminate benzodiazepines and other anxiety medications as their nervous system function normalizes.
If anxiety is running your life, there are biological solutions beyond pills and willpower. Let’s find the right combination for you.
Free 15-minute call. No pressure. Compassionate, physician-led care.
