Ketamine therapy is an innovative treatment for depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, and chronic pain. It is a dissociative anesthetic and has been used for decades within the hospital setting to treat pain in situations such as physical trauma, fractures, abdominal, arm, back, and leg pain. Historically it has been used on the battlefield to reduce pain and induce dissociation among wounded soldiers. Since the early 2000s, psychiatrists and researchers have been exploring the beneficial impact of ketamine on depression and other psychological disorders.

Ketamine Therapy in Phoenix is Designed for Depression and Other Mental Health Disorders

Due to its rapid relief and fast-acting effects on the brain, ketamine can rapidly reduce thoughts and feelings of suicide. It has also been shown to quickly relieve symptoms of depression. In contrast, other antidepressants, such as SSRIs, can take weeks to months to feel the subjective benefit. SSRIs and other antidepressants are still the first lines of treatment for individuals struggling with depression and mood disorders. However, ketamine is a promising treatment for those who experience treatment resistant depression and refractory depression or for those who have severe and debilitating depression that needs immediate relief.

In addition to treating depression, ketamine also has been used to treat the following mental health conditions:

How Ketamine Impacts the Brain

Ketamine has an anti-depressant effect on the brain in several ways:

  • By targeting the NMDA receptors in the brain, ketamine binds to these receptors, which increases the amount of glutamate (a neurotransmitter) in between neurons.
  • Ketamine helps the brain develop new neuropathways that help neurons communicate with one another.
  • Ketamine changes the way the brain experiences inflammation—which can be a cause of mood disorders.

The most reached form of ketamine is delivered intravenously. However, the FDA just approved a nasal form of ketamine. The administration of ketamine treatments impacts the brain differently, and research is currently underway to learn more about the benefits, side effects, and differences in administration.

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Is Ketamine Safe?

Ketamine treatment for psychological disorders is administered in much smaller doses than when ketamine is used medically as an aesthetic.

Ketamine can have addictive properties, so if you struggle with substance use disorders, it is important to share this with your provider to explore the risks and benefits and prevent misuse. However, research has indicated that ketamine can support your recovery from substance use disorders by reducing cravings and prolonging periods of abstinence from alcohol and other drugs.

Side effects of ketamine usually resolve within 24 hours of dosage. They include:

  • Dissociation (an out-of-body experience)
  • Perceptual alterations (experience of altered time, blurred vision, hallucinations, strong sensory awareness of sounds and textures).
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • High blood pressure

Ketamine Treatment Regimen

While there are no standard guidelines about how many Ketamine infusions to administer, most research studies offer eight treatments. After this, you will work with your doctor to determine taper, cessation, or continued treatment. Providers recommend combining your ketamine therapy with psychotherapy. Ketamine helps to create new neuropathways in the brain, and psychotherapy helps to reinforce these new pathways by supporting behavior change.

What to Expect During Ketamine Therapy

Health care providers will generally create personalized ketamine therapy programs for each patient, as no two needs are precisely the same. However, there are a few things you can expect during the treatment process.

First, your doctors will determine the right amount of ketamine. Some conditions require higher doses of ketamine than others. For example, treatment-resistant depression will likely require higher initial doses. However, you can generally expect low-dose ketamine (regardless of the condition treated), as higher doses can cause psychedelic side effects.

Once your proper treatment has been decided, you’ll attend an appointment during which an IV line will be placed in your arm so the ketamine can be administered. Medical professionals, including an anesthesiologist, will monitor you during the whole ketamine therapy. Your original planned dose may be increased or decreased based on how well you respond to the medication.

Your appointment will likely take an hour or less, depending on your response to the therapy and what you’re using the ketamine to treat. Your plan may include ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, which means you’ll speak with a trained counselor during or after your treatment.

You should have someone to drive you home after your ketamine therapy has concluded, especially if it’s your first dose. Everyone responds to the treatment differently, and you may not be in the right state to drive yourself home.

If you have side effects (psychedelic or otherwise), you should expect to stay at the treatment center for additional time so medical professionals can monitor you. How much extra time you remain in clinical settings depends on the reaction or side effect and how quickly you recover. It’s essential to understand most people don’t have serious side effects after receiving a ketamine IV infusion. When side effects of ketamine do occur, they’re usually mild and short-lived.

Summary of Key Benefits of Ketamine Therapy

Intramuscular injection of ketamine hydrochloride is quickly becoming one of the most promising alternative therapies for numerous mental health conditions, including major depressive disorder. If you’re considering ketamine therapy for your severe depression symptoms or other mental health problems, understanding the key benefits of doing so can help you make the most informed choice.

A few of the most significant benefits of ketamine therapy include:

  • Improved neuroplasticity: Ketamine therapies help patients improve their mood and thought patterns by helping neurons communicate along new pathways inside the brain’s neural network.
  • Improved synaptic connections: Since ketamine therapy activates the mTOR pathway, it helps heal damaged synapses within the brain.
  • Decreased pain: A ketamine infusion helps block excessive pain signals, promoting a better quality of life for those living with chronic pain disorders. As a result, ketamine therapy also decreases the need for narcotic pain medications, which carry a high risk of substance abuse.

Fast results: Unlike medications like SSRIs that can take weeks or even months to improve symptoms, ketamine therapy can provide results as soon as after the third injection and last significantly longer than alternatives.

Are You Ready to Reap the Benefits of Ketamine Therapy?

At Camelback Recovery, we offer ketamine therapy as well as psychotherapy. If you’re tired of frequent doctor visits, traditional pain medications and antidepressants that don’t work for you, contact us or call 602-466-9880 today to speak with a specialist at our Phoenix treatment center who can support you in finding the right treatment for your situation.