How Ketamine Works to Heal a Depressed Brain

In recent years, Ketamine has emerged as one of the most successful remedies for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Established as an FDA-approved anesthetic in the 1970s, Ketamine also gained favor as a recreational drug before clinicians adapted it in controlled settings to great effect for treating people who have not responded to traditional forms of antidepressant drugs and treatments.

How Ketamine Works to Heal Depression

Ketamine works on the glutamate system in the brain. Glutamate is used by neurons to communicate. With proper dosing, Ketamine can “retrain” neural pathways to alleviate depression. When people are depressed over a long period of time, their neurons can lose their ability to communicate and Ketamine can help restore these connections.

Ketamine can be administered in intramuscular form  (IM) or IV form. Studies for both forms of treatment have shown them to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation with few or no side effects.

KAP, or Ketamine assisted psychotherapy, combines talk-therapy with Ketamine in a highly controlled environment. We are one of the relatively few practices that can offer this highly specialized form of therapy.

Most IV treatments begin with twice-weekly infusions in a controlled, clinical setting over a three-week period. After an initial treatment period, patients usually taper down to a one infusion every two to four weeks.

One of the most encouraging things about Ketamine is that it has worked for countless patients when other treatment forms have failed. With an estimated 4 million Americans who have treatment resistant depression, Ketamine is making inroads as a safe and highly effective option.

Seek a Qualified, Board-Certified Practitioner for your Ketamine Treatment

While Ketamine is highly effective, it is also a potent drug that must be administered in a controlled setting by a qualified practitioner. As a board-certified Psychiatrist, Dr. Lifschutz and his team is a qualified expert who can provide the exact form of Ketamine therapy for your specific symptoms and concerns.

We invite you to call our office to discuss whether Ketamine treatment is the right option for you.