Understanding Ketamine Treatment for Depression and How It Works

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a drug used safely over decades with its initial application as a general anesthetic in medical and surgery. Researchers have found out in recent years that ketamine is an effective antidepressant especially in individuals who are not responsive to the conventional methods of treatment. In some people, ketamine can make a depressive symptom disappear faster compared to the action of standard antidepressants that require several weeks.

Ketamine Offers an Alternative

Ketamine is an excellent alternative to people who live with treatment-resistant depression. A lot of people fail to respond to various antidepressants and treatment methods. Ketamine use in depression treatment is unlike the conventional drugs, and thus can be used as an alternative to other treatment agents when all other treatments prove ineffective. It has become a significant revolution in contemporary mental health care due to its fast-acting nature.

What is Ketamine Used For?

Ketamine is mostly employed in the treatment of the major depression disorder, depression resistant to treatment, and occasionally the severe suicidal thoughts under strict medical care in the mental health provision environment. Ketamine can also be used in the management of pain and anesthesia outside of the field of psychiatry. In depression, it is used in well-RV dosages to ensure that they produce the greatest benefit and minimum harm.

How Psychiatrists Approach Ketamine Treatment

Psychiatrists are careful and individualistic in the process of ketamine therapy. The patients are carefully evaluated prior to the beginning of treatment by assessing mental health history, present symptoms, medications, and general medical condition. Monitoring of sessions is carried out and safety, comfort, and effectiveness in responding to treatment is ensured.

How Does Ketamine Treat Depression?

Ketamine is used to treat depression because it affects the glutamate system in the brain unlike other antidepressants. It assists in increasing new synapses and enhances communication between neurons that control the mood. This could be the reason why certain individuals should feel a faster improvement in mood, less hopelessness, and may not feel the depressive thoughts in hours or days instead of weeks.

Side Effects of Ketamine

Ketamine is classified as a side effect like any medical treatment. Short term effects usually include dizziness, nausea, high blood pressure, dissociation or slight confusion either during or soon after treatment. Such consequences normally sort out fast in the presence of medical care. The long-term side effects are under examination, and that is why the application of ketamine treatment should always be carried out and observed by the professionals.

Treatment Options

A complex treatment of depression includes ketamine in most cases. Most of the providers use a combination of ketamine, psychotherapy, medication management, and lifestyle support to achieve optimal results. Treatment schemes differ based on the needs of the patient, level of symptoms, and reaction to treatment. Follow-up care should be provided to ensure progress and make amendments to treatment.

Ketamine therapy is possibly worth considering in case depression has not responded in response to conventional therapies. Palm Coast Treatment Solutions is a skilled mental health provider firm providing evidence-based mental health services based on your needs. Today, make a call (386) 284-4151 and talk with a professional and get to know more about the existing treatment options.