What is Ketamine Therapy?

When someone has depression, the brain’s circuitry changes, including how neurons communicate with one another. According to the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, Ketamine seems to allow for a regrowth of synapses (connections between neurons). The drug targets a different system in the brain than typical antidepressants, and that may be why Ketamine works so well, even for patients who have not had success with other standard antidepressants.

In recent years, the utilization of Ketamine has emerged as a newer approach to treating mental health conditions. These compounds offer individuals distinctive insights, emotions, or experiences that may shed light on the underlying reasons for their current state. While typically classified as psychedelic, Ketamine operates through a distinct biochemical pathway that facilitates a gentle lifting of users' negative emotional states.

As Ketamine's advantages become increasingly evident in reputable psychiatric journals, Hendricks Therapy offers Ketamine therapy at our Plainfield location. Our approach to administering Ketamine treatment is unique compared to traditional methods. In addition to improved negative emotional states, our patients benefit from Ketamine's effectiveness, convenience, affordability, time efficiency, and monitoring. Watch our videos as psychiatrist Phil Borders, M.D. explains Ketamine therapy and how it works.

History

In 1962, Ketamine was created and subsequently approved by the FDA in 1970 as an anesthetic. During the Vietnam War, first responders administering treatment to wounded soldiers noticed its antidepressant and anti-suicidal properties.

This observation prompted Yale School of Medicine researchers to conduct the first randomized control trial on Ketamine's efficacy in 2000. Since then, the use of Ketamine for depression has grown significantly, culminating in the FDA's approval of a variant known as (S)ketamine for treatment-resistant depression in 2019 called Spravato.

Why Choose Ketamine Therapy?

Affordability: We do our best to keep the cost of this treatment low for our patients. Our Ketamine Therapy is about half the cost of other Ketamine treatment centers.

Convenience: There is no need to have someone stay during your appointment once they bring you to our office. After your treatment, we will assess your ability to safely leave the office and pay $30 toward your Uber ride home. It is not recommended that you drive after the appointment.

Efficacy: Ketermine therapy has proven successful and is highly effective for depression, suicidality, anxiety, and PTSD.

Safety: We will monitor your vitals during the therapy session, including your blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and level of dissociation. You will be in the care of Psychiatrists and Nurse Practitioners.

Time Efficiency: Appointments usually last about 75 minutes – if all safety parameters are met.

Ketamine vs Conventional Therapies

Ketamine is not a replacement for medication or psychotherapy but instead serves to complement them. Its antidepressant effects manifest within hours to days, in contrast to conventional antidepressants, which can take weeks to show an effect. While traditional antidepressants increase levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, Ketamine functions in part by enhancing nerve cell communication through the glutamate/NMDA system.

Of particular interest is Ketamine's ability to repair neuronal damage and inflammation associated with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental illnesses. This neuroplasticity can also occur through healthy thinking and behaviors. Research is finding that the days and weeks after receiving ketamine treatment are an opportune time for neuronal repair through psychotherapy, positive thinking, and behavioral modifications.

KETAMINE THERAPY

NEUROPLASTICITY

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPRAVATO AND KETAMINE

BIOAVAILABILITY

WHY WE USE INTRAMUSCULAR IN ADDITION TO SPRAVATO

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/ketamine-for-depression