Before we discuss why ketamine infusion therapy is so effective, first let’s take a step back and look at what it is. Ketamine is an FDA-approved drug that has been used by the medical community in the United States since the 1970s. It is commonly used as an aesthetic drug during surgical procedures and as therapy for complex regional pain syndrome and other chronic pain disorders. There are little to no side effects associated with this substance when it is administered under the supervision of a medical professional, such as when given as an IV infusion at a ketamine therapy clinic.
The New Miracle Drug for Depression
The National Institute of Health report that at least 10-20% of patients suffering from depression also meet the criteria for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Ketamine has been made a strong contender recently as a valid option for the treatment of TRD.
Untreated depression and TRD can eventually lead to high risk of drug and alcohol abuse, hospitalization, and even attempted suicide. But, there is hope; ketamine is proving to be very effective in easing the symptoms of depression.
“A new treatment called ketamine has recently made waves all over the internet. Hailed as a ‘miracle drug’ and the first major antidepressant breakthrough in three decades, ketamine has improved the lives of many patients whose depression had dominated their lives for years,” says Jenny Chen in a recent article published by Yale Medicine.
How it Works
The use of intravenous (IV) ketamine infusion to manage depression is showing great results.
Ketamine is administered via an IV infusion in a low and slow dose. A typical IV treatment session takes between 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete and is administered in a controlled setting under medical supervision. The exact science of how the drug works can get a bit complicated, but a simplified explanation is that ketamine interacts with receptors and chemicals in the brain, causing an often immediate antidepressant effect. This positive effect has even been seen in people with severe treatment-resistant depression.
However, no one should expect a single treatment to be a cure-all; rather, a complete treatment plan should be developed under the supervision of a trained and licensed ketamine infusion clinician. Your ketamine practitioner will most likely schedule up to 6 therapy sessions, each spread out over several days or weeks. A follow-up (or booster) session may be needed 6 to 12 weeks after the final treatment to ensure continued results.
Fast-Acting Treatment = Time-Proven Results
One of the major benefits of this type of treatment is time. Ketamine, when administered as an IV infusion, shows almost instantaneous results. This lies in direct contrast to traditional antidepressant medications, which can take days or weeks to build up in your bloodstream before showing significant results.
This is especially beneficial in people with suicidal thoughts, as the ketamine IV can help people get over a major depressive incident, often, much more quickly and much more thoroughly than traditional treatment medications. In conjunction with the ketamine therapy sessions, some clients may combine their ketamine treatments with psychotherapy sessions; this is known as ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Another benefit of ketamine infusion therapy is that it’s done in a discrete office setting. There are no prescriptions that need to be filled at the pharmacy and no nosy neighbors or visitors accidentally seeing your pill stash in your medicine cabinet. You can book your infusions at your convenience to work around your busy schedule.
Another concern when given a prescription for 30+ day’s worth of pills is the possible danger of overdosing, whether intentionally or accidentally. Oppositely, when administered in a medical clinic, overdosing is not a possibility, and you’ll never need to worry about taking a pill at a certain time every day, for instance.
IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy Clinics
If you’re suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, or PTSD, and you haven’t gotten good results with traditional treatment methods, reach out to your healthcare provider to discuss the possibility of ketamine infusion therapy. It just may be the perfect treatment option for you.
Reach out to us at [email protected] or call us at 833-867-2329 to schedule your first consultation today!
