How Ketamine Therapy is an Effective Depression Treatment

In cases where other treatment options are not working or faster relief from depression is needed, a psychiatrist may recommend that a patient try ketamine therapy. When used under the proper, medically supervised conditions this treatment option can bring about long-lasting positive results.

What is ketamine therapy?

Initially developed in the 60s, ketamine was not originally intended to treat depression. Its first uses were as an anesthetic for animals and later humans. More recent research has shown that ketamine can help those with extreme depression. One of the most important ways it does this is by quickly reducing suicidal thoughts, making it especially useful in an emergency or extreme depressive episode.

While a psychiatrist will likely suggest that other treatment options are tried first, ketamine is also an option for patients that are experiencing day-to-day or frequent depression. For many patients, it can provide relief when other medications do not. Research indicates that ketamine can have lasting impacts on the brain that ease depression in the long term.

Is ketamine treatment an effective option? 

One thing that makes ketamine powerful in treating debilitating depression is that it is fast acting. Most other treatment options take weeks to make a difference, but for patients in extreme distress, waiting is not an option. Interestingly, some of the first people to recognize the ability of the drug to treat depression were first responders, who used it in emergencies to calm people at risk of harming themselves. 

According to Yale Medicine, a study showed that 70 percent of those who followed a ketamine therapy treatment plan found long-lasting relief from depression symptoms. Importantly, these were patients for whom other treatment options had not worked. One of the reasons people working in psychiatrist roles are so excited about ketamine therapy is that the results last beyond when the drug takes effect on the body, making it unique among antidepressants. 

What happens during ketamine treatments? 

Anyone using ketamine to treat depression should be aware that the FDA-approved version of ketamine is a nasal-spray form of the drug called esketamine. Ketamine is a drug that can be abused, and it is important to follow a medically-approved plan to see positive results. When it is being used as a prescribed treatment by a psychiatrist, ketamine therapy generally involves a treatment plan in which doses are administered under the supervision of medical professionals for a series of weeks.

During treatments, patients will experience side effects, which can include feeling strangely detached from the mind and body. The patient must work with a psychiatrist to make sure she or he fully knows what to expect and how to stay safe during treatment.