Ketamine And Depression: How It May Help You
Mental health treatment is always a bit of a moving target. While there are many widely accepted treatment methods and medications that work well for many patients, some patients don't respond to traditional therapies and treatments. As a result, the industry is always researching and testing new treatment options. One of the most recent and successful treatment options discovered is ketamine infusion therapy for depression. Here's what you need to know about this treatment option if you're struggling with hard-to-treat depression symptoms.
What Exactly Is Ketamine?
Ketamine's traditional pharmaceutical use is for anesthesia. It is a proven medication that has been widely used as anesthesia for many years. Unfortunately, it also gained ground as a recreationally abused medication used in party circles because it can act as a hallucinogen as well.
However, recent therapies have proven that ketamine's medical use goes well beyond simple anesthesia. This medication, when administered in small doses through infusion, has proven to be effective at treating depression symptoms. In fact, it's become an emergency room go-to for managing suicidal patients because it has proven successful at calming suicidal thoughts.
What Is The Difference In Ketamine Versus Anti-Depressants?
While the research hasn't specifically unveiled why ketamine works for depression treatment, the medical community has confirmed that ketamine works differently in the brain than traditional anti-depressant medications. That different reaction may be why ketamine proves successful for those whom traditional anti-depressants have failed.
One key difference with ketamine is the fact that it reacts quickly. When you receive ketamine infusion therapy, the effects are often felt within an hour. Any side effects of the medication have shown to be brief as well.
How Is Ketamine Infusion Therapy Administered?
In most cases, ketamine therapy is administered as a series of treatments over the course of a week or so. The treatment's effects can last for several weeks, so you won't need repeated treatment for some time afterward.
Because ketamine is traditionally an anesthetic, though, it is important that you seek ketamine therapy through a medical professional. Ketamine therapy clinics specialize in the dosing and administration of this medication in a way that will help you manage your symptoms without hazardous or dangerous side effects that may come from trying to medicate yourself and accidentally taking too much.
The more you understand about ketamine infusion therapy and its benefits for treating depression, the easier it is to see why it is becoming more widespread. Talk with your doctor today about whether this type of therapy may be right for your needs.