Everyone worries from time to time. But, people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are under constant stress and anxiety, living in a state of worry that can take a big toll on their health and well-being. If you suffer from PTSD, you’re not alone. In fact, this condition affects about 3.5% of American adults every year.
If you suffer from PTSD symptoms, the providers at Scottsdale Ketamine Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, may be able to help you with ketamine therapy. This FDA-approved treatment — which is delivered through an infusion of the anesthetic ketamine — can help repair damaged nerve connections and help promote normal nerve signalling.
PTSD: Causes and symptoms
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition in which a person lives in a heightened state of anxiety due to exposure to a traumatic event. The event can be something that involved you, something that you witnessed, or something that you heard about secondhand. The symptoms of PTSD are often intrusive and may invade your thoughts during the day and during your sleep at night.
In addition to having witnessed or experienced a traumatic event directly or indirectly, people with PTSD often have other characteristics, such as the following:
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories of the event on a regular basis
- Dreams of nightmares about the event
- Stress reactions to cues or triggers associated with the event
- Avoidance of activities or triggers that can cause memories
- Feelings of looming danger or fear
- Problems concentrating
- Memory problems
Researchers aren’t sure why PTSD affects some people following a traumatic incident and not others. What they do know is that people with PTSD tend to have higher levels of certain stress hormones or chemicals in their bodies. They also know that the condition can especially affect the cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain that plays a big role in memory and thought processes.
Ketamine and PTSD
Ketamine is an anesthetic, and it’s given by way of an infusion through an IV. And while ketamine has been used for decades solely for aesthetic purposes, researchers have recently discovered its benefits in treating depression and PTSD.
Ketamine targets glutamate, a brain chemical that helps regulate mood. Studies show that ketamine can promote normal nerve signalling in the brain, a process that’s disrupted in people who suffer from PTSD. Ketamine can also help repair damaged nerve connections and even grow new ones to replace connections that have broken down due to the effects of chronic stress.
Ketamine also goes to work quickly, sometimes within hours or a few days. However, its effects also tend to wear off in a few weeks, which is why ketamine therapy usually involves a series of treatments spaced out over several weeks. Furthermore, ketamine treatments are often combined with cognitive behavioral therapy to help patients adopt new, positive thought processes.
If you suffer from PTSD, ketamine therapy may be able to help you. To learn more about this breakthrough treatment and to see if it may be able to help you, book an appointment online or over the phone with Scottsdale Ketamine Clinic today.
