Many treatments are available for anxiety, depression, substance abuse problems and chronic pain disorders. But not all of them are equally effective. Over the past two decades, ketamine therapy has emerged as one of the most consistently effective treatments for individuals who have had little to no success with other treatment options.
Before now, high doses of ketamine were used as a sedative in surgery theaters. Today, smaller doses of ketamine infusions are used to manage discomfort, depression, and other psychological health and substance abuse conditions.
This article is an insight into ketamine therapy. It will explain how ketamine therapy works and who will benefit from ketamine therapy. Let’s get started with the definition of ketamine.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a psychedelic anesthetic used therapeutically to induce and sustain anesthesia. It is a drug mainly used to sedate patients before they undergo surgery, but today, many utilize it in treating acute depression, anxiety, and some brain disorders.
Ketamine is among the healthiest anesthetics because, unlike opioids and propofol, it does not affect breathing or pulse rate.
What is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine therapy is a treatment that involves the infusion of ketamine to treat mental disorders such as anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and treatment-resistant depression.
If ketamine therapy works for a patient, it can quickly lessen the risk of suicide and alleviate other severe depression signs.
Pasithea has a set of well-trained physicians and psychiatrists experienced in using ketamine to treat mental problems.
How Ketamine Therapy Works
Studies are still underway about how ketamine therapy works, but experience shows that ketamine works by stimulating the brain’s synthesis of glutamate. After glutamate synthesis, the brain becomes more adaptable, creates new pathways, and mends the broken ones.
These processes and new brain connections help depressed and suicidal people to develop more uplifting attitudes and actions. Ketamine therapy is better when compared to antidepressants that only function while they are present in the body.
Who Will Benefit From Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine-based treatment is for individuals with disorders such as anxiety, severe pain, depression, PTSD, substance abuse concerns, and other issues.
When You Cannot Have Ketamine Therapy
While many people can carry the effects of ketamine injections well, a few things can make it impossible for you to attempt to take ketamine therapy.
For instance, you won’t be allowed to have ketamine infusions if you have high blood pressure that isn’t already well-managed or schizophrenia.
Psychiatrists and doctors at Pasithea will examine you for these ailments to ensure that you are ready for the infusion before commencing treatment.
Additional Information on Ketamine Therapy
- People often react to intravenous ketamine after one to three doses. Additional treatments are unlikely to be helpful if a patient shows no improvement after the third dose.
- Administering ketamine up to three times with a clear improvement indicates that the person will benefit from a few more doses.
Bottom Line
Ketamine infusion has been a medical breakthrough in the treatment of chronic pain and mental disorders that have been resistant to conventional treatments.
It’s not always a one-time treatment, but it works faster than other treatments and it has proven effective. This success is what has made ketamine beneficial for many people who are suffering from various mental illnesses and those with chronic pains.