If you have depression, it can be difficult to find treatments that restore your quality of life and help you feel like yourself. Often, medications and other treatments can be ineffective, which can lead to further frustration.
For patients who have depression that is resistant to treatment, ketamine infusions may provide an alternative solution that can help restore your quality of life. At Ahwatukee Ketamine Clinic and Drip Lounge in Phoenix, AZ, we use ketamine to treat depression in many of our patients.
Depression is more than simply feeling down for a few days. This condition is considered a serious mood disorder that can disrupt day-to-day life and change your thoughts, habits, and routines such as sleeping, eating, and going to work.
Individuals with a depressive disorder may experience persistent feelings of emptiness, heaviness, or worthlessness. They may display irritability, experience higher levels of fatigue, have difficulty concentrating, and have difficulty performing simple, everyday tasks.
When depression starts interfering with your daily life, causing you to stop being interested in things that generally bring you joy, or you start performing poorly at work, it is time to seek help. Depression is typically diagnosed by a doctor who will help to rule out other conditions that may have some of the same symptoms as depression.
Ketamine is a medication that has been widely used for many years to induce and maintain anesthesia during surgical operations. However, its uses have been expanded to include treatments for major depressive disorder and other mental health and chronic pain conditions.
Most antidepressants help by increasing levels of serotonin or norepinephrine in the brain. This can take several weeks to begin to take effect and doesn’t always resolve the problem. Ketamine works by modulating glutamate transmission. When this happens, it can trigger a chain of events that causes pathways of communication within the brain to grow and regenerate. This can lead to both fast-acting and long-lasting relief of depression.
Many different types of depression can affect an individual’s daily life. In addition to offering ketamine for major depressive disorder, we can also treat:
The severity of your depression along with how long you have been suffering from this condition can affect the number of ketamine treatments that will be beneficial. Often, those who have more severe or long-lasting depression will require more sessions to receive the full benefits of ketamine therapy.
Your doctor may choose a different depression treatment protocol based on the symptoms that you are experiencing and other factors. Some patients may need a round of treatments followed by maintenance treatments for the greatest efficacy.
When it comes to depression relief with ketamine, it is important to remember that everyone responds differently to this treatment. You will be working closely with your provider to ensure that you have the right treatment plan that will be adjusted as needed with close monitoring of your symptoms.
Before your depression treatment, you should have a detailed consultation to evaluate your health, discuss your medical history, and determine whether there are any contraindications for ketamine treatment in your situation. Once you have set up a ketamine treatment plan with your provider, you will want to arrange transportation after your treatment, as you will be unable to drive.
Ketamine therapy for depression is administered with an IV. The drip can take up to an hour to finish, so you will be placed in a comfortable position as the medication is administered. During the process, you will be continuously monitored for your safety. You may experience changes to your perceptions such as seeing vivid colors, feelings of floating, or sensations of disconnect.
Everyone has a different experience after receiving ketamine for depression. You may feel dizzy, euphoric, or even nauseated. You may also feel a rapid antidepressant effect.
Many of these effects fade quickly, but the long-term effects of ketamine therapy can be transformative for some. These effects can include a reduction in depressive symptoms, improved mood, reduced irritability, a change in perspective toward life, and an overall improved quality of life.
One of the benefits of ketamine treatment is the rapidity of results for many of our patients. While other treatments can take many days to have an effect, ketamine treatments can often provide relief within a day or even hours.
Ketamine has also shown promise in the brain’s ability to change and adapt over time. Through the growth of neurons, it can help to reverse harmful changes in the brain and make it more resilient to stress. Finally, ketamine can provide combination treatments for those who are suffering from other mental health disorders, such as PTSD or anxiety, alongside their depression.
If you are experiencing treatment-resistant depression, we would be happy to meet with you and discuss your case at Ahwatukee Ketamine Clinic and Drip Lounge. Contact us for services in Phoenix, AZ, by filling out an online form or by calling (480) 847-5550.
Depression can manifest itself in many ways with different factors that cause it. It can last for varying lengths of time. Some causative factors can…
We were all saddened to hear of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was loved by many and admired for his talent as an actor. His autopsy…
Advertising for at home ketamine is very prominent. Is this a good option for you? Let’s look at routes of ketamine administration. At home ketamine…
The World Health Organization states that 3.8% of the world’s population experiences depression. Depression is a debilitating mental health condition that can be complex to…
The National Center for PTSD states that about 6% of the U.S. population will have post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives. PTSD…
Ketamine therapy has recently emerged as a groundbreaking treatment option for various health conditions. It is often used as an alternative to traditional depression medications…