Important: This page provides general information, not medical or legal advice, a diagnosis, or a guarantee of services, coverage, cost, availability, or a particular privacy outcome. Policies and benefits can change. Consult a qualified professional for personal guidance and verify coverage and costs with the provider and health plan. Do not delay emergency help to check coverage.
Getting Started
Signs of Anxiety: When Worry Becomes Something More
Wondering whether what you're feeling is anxiety? That's a question for a clinician. Here's how to get an evaluation at Southern Highlands in Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties.
A lot of people land on pages like this one trying to answer a question about themselves: is this normal worry, or is it something more?
That question can’t be answered by a website, and it shouldn’t be. Whether what you’re experiencing is anxiety, something else, or a combination of things is for a licensed clinician to determine after actually talking with you. This page won’t try to diagnose you, and you should be skeptical of any page that does.
What this page can do is tell you exactly how to get that question answered by a person, near where you live, and what it will cost.
For general information about anxiety disorders written by clinicians, the National Institute of Mental Health publishes plain-language material at nimh.nih.gov.
You don’t need a diagnosis to make an appointment
This trips people up. You do not have to know what’s wrong, name it, or be sure it’s “bad enough” before you call.
You also don’t need a referral from a family doctor. You can call Southern Highlands directly at (304) 425-9541 and ask to schedule an evaluation.
If it’s easier, you can walk into a clinic during business hours and ask the front desk to get you scheduled.
What an evaluation actually involves
The first appointment is an assessment. A clinician asks about what brought you in, how long it’s been going on, how it’s affecting work and sleep and the people around you, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d like to be different.
There’s intake paperwork as well: contact information, insurance, medical history, consent forms. Showing up a little early makes that part easier.
At the end, the clinician talks with you about what services are available and what the next step is. Nothing gets decided about treatment before someone has met you.
What to bring:
- A photo ID
- Your insurance card, if you have one (WV Medicaid, Medicare, or private)
- A list of the medications you currently take
- Names and numbers for other providers you see
- Proof of household income if you don’t have insurance, so the sliding fee scale can be applied
If you’re not sure what applies to you, ask when you call.
What Southern Highlands provides
Southern Highlands is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) serving Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties. Anxiety is among the conditions treated through outpatient services, which include counseling and psychiatric services along with care coordination.
Naming which of those fits your situation is part of the assessment, not something you need to work out in advance.
Southern West Virginia and the cost of getting seen
Economic stress here is not abstract. Layoffs, fixed incomes, jobs that left and didn’t come back, a truck payment on a road that eats trucks. When money is tight, “go see somebody” can sound like an expense you can’t justify.
A few things worth knowing before you write it off:
- Southern Highlands participates in West Virginia Medicaid and Medicare and may participate with commercial plans; coverage and member responsibility vary by service and plan.
- If you don’t have insurance, there is a sliding fee scale based on household income.
- The front office can tell you over the phone what you’d need to bring for that. You don’t have to guess at the number.
Ask directly rather than assuming. People talk themselves out of care over a cost they never confirmed.
Distance, weather, and telehealth
The other barrier here is simply getting there. Long drives, mountain roads, winter, one vehicle shared between a household.
Telehealth is available. Appointments can be done by video, or by phone when the internet won’t cooperate, which removes the drive from the equation for a lot of people.
If travel is your main obstacle, say so when you call. It’s useful information for whoever is scheduling you.
Where the clinics are
- Mercer County — Princeton
- McDowell County — Welch
- Wyoming County — the Pineville, Mullens, and Rockview area
If a different location is easier for you to reach than the closest one, you can ask to be scheduled there instead.
The “pushing through” problem
There’s a culture in southern West Virginia of just dealing with things. “I’ve handled worse.” “Other people have it harder.” “I don’t have time to fall apart.”
That mindset keeps a lot of people from ever making the call.
Here’s the practical framing: scheduling an evaluation is not a diagnosis, and it doesn’t commit you to anything. You go in, you talk to somebody, you find out what’s available and what it costs. What you do after that is up to you.
If you need help right now
Don’t wait for an appointment if you’re in crisis.
- Southern Highlands crisis line: 1-800-615-0122, 24 hours a day
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org
- 911 if someone is in immediate physical danger
- You can also go to the Crisis Stabilization Unit
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral?
No. Call (304) 425-9541 and ask to schedule.
Do I have to know what’s wrong before I call?
No. Figuring that out is the point of the evaluation. You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or an explanation.
What if I can’t afford it?
Southern Highlands participates in West Virginia Medicaid and Medicare and may participate with commercial plans. Coverage, network status, authorization, and cost-sharing vary by service and plan. Qualifying uninsured patients can ask about the sliding fee scale.
Can I be seen without driving to a clinic?
Telehealth is available by video, and by phone when video isn’t practical. Ask about it when you schedule.
Can I make an appointment for a family member?
You can call (304) 425-9541 for information about how to get started, and the staff can tell you what is needed for the person you’re calling about.
How soon can I be seen?
Availability changes, so ask when you call. If the situation is urgent, say that on the phone rather than waiting.
If you’d like to request an evaluation related to anxiety, call Southern Highlands at (304) 425-9541. Clinics serve Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties, and you can contact the clinic directly. A health plan or particular service may apply referral, authorization, eligibility, or medical-necessity rules. Southern Highlands participates in West Virginia Medicaid and Medicare and may participate with commercial plans; coverage, network status, and cost-sharing vary. Qualifying uninsured patients can ask whether the sliding fee scale applies.
For general information about anxiety and mental health conditions, see the National Institute of Mental Health or SAMHSA.