NPR: Ketamine Gains Traction As A Treatment For Depression

“If there was even 1% chance that this worked, it would have been worth it to me. My life was hanging in the balance.”

Paul, 36, had tried every treatment for anxiety and depression available to him – SSRIs, benzodiazepines, even electroconvulsive therapy. But nothing made him feel truly better, and he had reached the point of considering suicide to escape the constant mental and physical suffering.

In a recent NPR article, Paul recalls how he was referred to a psychiatry professor at the University of California who believes that Ketamine is a more powerful and reliable treatment than the many pills usually prescribed in his profession.

Ketamine has a long history of effective and safe use in the medical world. It’s been used as an emergency room anesthetic for decades – even for children. But its usefulness in the world of mental health was only recognized in recent years. A few doctors across the U.S. have pressed ahead and begun offering it to their most difficult cases – with exceptional results.

Doctors have seen firsthand the dramatic improvements that intravenous Ketamine treatments can cause in cases of life-threatening depression, and they want to help their patients who need help now.

In the article, Paul’s treatment experience is described: “He feels an altered sense of reality for an hour or two after getting the drug. The effect on depression and anxiety, though, lasts more than a month.” Of course the experience differs with each patient. While they all experience a sense of euphoria and peace, the duration of the effects varies.

As with any medication regiment, Ketamine treatment can be enhanced by combining it with various kinds of therapy.

At Loving Life Therapy, we offer a Ketamine/Therapy combination, as well as the option to try guided meditation during or after your treatment. Antidepressant medication (including Ketamine) lifts the depressive fog that clouds people’s minds, and creates a perfect opportunity to learn new habits and skills. These can be used to keep your mind and your mood on track, even if the drugs are stopped.

Unlike the “pure business model” clinics mentioned in the article, our combined staff of physical and mental health experts have come together to offer a possible solution to people suffering from depression that seems untreatable.

Many clinics are run by either physicians or psychiatrists, but our practice employs both. A firm understanding of both the physical aspects of drug treatment and the mental aspects of depressive traits means our patients are thoroughly, professionally cared for.

And we understand that this treatment is costly, and that many insurance providers will not cover it because it is so new.

That is why the cost of our treatment is approximately 1/3 what you will find anywhere else. In order for this effective process to spread, become more popular, and help more people, we need to establish its benefits – and we plan to do that by helping as many people as we can get out from under the depression that is smothering them.

We have already had a handful of patients come to us and experience a complete 180 in the span of a week. Our staff is incredibly excited about the response we’ve seen, and hope that the numbers keep growing. If you or anyone you know is suffering from extreme depression, please call or schedule online for more information.

The chance to experience a normal, depression-free life is worth it.

“I remember I was in my bathroom and I literally fell to my knees crying because I had no anxiety, I had no depression. And to be removed from that world of suffering, even for a brief moment, is so remarkable.”

– Paul

To learn more about Ketamine, please contact our office or get our free Ketamine PDF information packet.