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Ketamine for Depression and Anxiety

Anxiety and depressive disorders are both extremely common in our society, leading to the development of many experimental drugs and treatments designed to address these rampant mental health crises.

However, many patients who take mainstream antidepressants find little to no improvement after weeks or even months of the treatment. This can worsen the feelings of inadequacy and loneliness prompted by anxiety and depression, thereby worsening the symptoms of a condition that is already difficult to live with.

Fortunately, ketamine IV therapy may provide welcome relief for patients with treatment-resistant mental health disorders. Keep reading for further details about the research behind using ketamine for depression and anxiety.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine was originally developed in the 1960s for use as a milder, less disruptive anesthetic than PCP, which was being used at the time. The discovery in 2000 of the highly promising effect of using the drug for depression prompted a whole new wave of research into common mental health conditions.

Nowadays, research is being done into numerous other conditions ketamine might help treat, including OCD, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Meanwhile, the drug continues to show immense promise in soothing the symptoms of treatment-resistant anxiety and depressive disorders.

How Ketamine IV Therapy Helps Treat Anxiety and Depression

Some 19% of adults in the United States have reported struggling with anxiety, and over 8% have reported symptoms of depressive disorders. Unfortunately, many people diagnosed with anxiety and depression experience little to no relief from standard treatments, most of which focus on increasing levels of certain chemicals in the brain to help balance the patient’s mood.

Ketamine IV therapy, on the other hand, actually works to repair damaged synapses in the brain and balance out your glutamate levels. An abnormality in glutamates is a defining factor for both depressed and anxious people, which could indicate why research has shown such promising results when testing the validity of using ketamine for anxiety and depression.

Most patients undergoing ketamine IV therapy will receive six total treatments over the course of several weeks. This generally involves three doses of the drug in the first week, two in the second, and then one session per week for three more weeks. Patients report feeling significant relief from their symptoms mere hours after their first session, in stark contrast to mainstream antidepressants which generally take weeks to show any signs of improvement.

A Fast-Acting Treatment with Lasting Benefits

Living with anxiety and depression can be isolating and exhausting, and the two conditions often go hand in hand.

If you’ve tried other treatments without success, talk to your primary care physician or mental health provider about ketamine for depression and anxiety.

When you’re ready to take the next step, reach out to the Burick Center to learn more about whether Ketamine treatments are the right choice for you.