Depression is a debilitating mental health disorder that can engulf a person’s life, making even the simplest of tasks seem insurmountable. However, for many sufferers, a ray of hope has appeared in the form of ketamine therapy.
Depression is a condition that can consume your life, creating a foggy cloud that seems impossible to escape from. For those who have battled the disorder for months or even years, any glimmer of hope is worth exploring.
Meet Lily, a resident of Utah, who suffered from severe depression. She was deeply distressed about her health and future, given her state of being. The worst part was her inability to help herself.
Despite trying various treatments and incorporating healthy habits into her routine, nothing seemed to make a difference. In her own words, Lily said, “I felt like nothing I could do on my own would lift me out of the low functioning and reclusive state I was in.”
The turning point for Lily came when she discovered ketamine therapy. In her experience, she said, “I feel a renewed sense of self and I’m able to show up at school and work with a ton of energy and excitement that before seemed impossible.”
Ketamine therapy involves the controlled use of ketamine, a drug initially developed as an anesthetic, in a medical setting. When used appropriately, it can provide a safe and effective treatment for depression.
Each patient’s ketamine therapy starts with a consultation with licensed medical providers. They explain the process and determine if the treatment is the right fit.
Once the consultation is complete, patients receive their treatments in a private room. A controlled dose of ketamine is administered intramuscularly.
Lily described her experience with the therapy as safe and relaxing. “Each treatment allowed my nervous system to really, fully relax for the first time in months. During each session I would enter a very safe feeling, a dream-like headspace where my body and all its tensions, anxieties, and general suffering would completely dissipate,” she said.
At Anew Therapy, where Lily received her treatment, patients on average have seen a 66% reduction of depression symptoms after three to six weeks. Moreover, 80% of their patients reported at least a 50% improvement within three to six weeks of starting treatment.
Several studies back up the effectiveness of ketamine therapy. A study by Massachusetts General Brigham published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that about 55% of those who received ketamine treatments saw improvement in their depression symptoms.
Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found similar results. According to their research, 50% of patients saw marked improvements after six weeks of treatments. That number increased to about 72% after ten infusions.
Unlike traditional SSRI class of medications, ketamine doesn’t directly influence the level of a neurotransmitter serotonin or its receptors in the brain. Instead, ketamine impacts receptors for the neurotransmitters NMDA, glutamate, and GABA. Dr. Gerard Sanacora from Yale Medicine explained that ketamine actually “regenerate synaptic connections between brain cells damaged by stress and depression.”
