More than three million Americans report suffering from clinical depression each year — and according to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 16 million Americans experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2016. That number makes up almost seven percent of all adults in the country.

• Ketamine is emerging as a potential new drug for depression — the first of its kind in 35 years.
• Johnson & Johnson is actively pursuing a nasal formulation of the drug. Researchers plan to present the results of an advanced clinical trial of the formula next month at the American Psychiatric Association meeting.
• An early glimpse at some of the results suggests that the formula is safe and linked with sustained improvements in depressive symptoms over a year.

“After the first couple of treatments it didn't seem to work, but after I hit my fourth one, everything started to change.”

What Did He Just Say!?

“I’m not so despondent about life anymore.”

“I ran this week.”

“I did Easter for the first time in years. I even cooked!”

“I don’t know what changed, but I smile now…and I laugh.”

“I haven’t heard him sing in years.”

“She asked me to make an appointment for her to get her hair dyed. She hasn’t dyed her hair since Christmas 2015.”

Ketamine Infusion Therapy will not only provide a temporary healing touch to a patient suffering from symptoms of depression, but can also work as a sustainable support system along with other therapies to help a patient come out of the state of depression entirely.

Identifying the way in which ketamine rapidly alleviates treatment resistant depression could pave way for new generation of treatments.

Regardless of the growing mounds of evidence in support of ketamine as an antidepressant, still a negative stigma exists. To some, ketamine will never be more than a club drug, or a horse tranquilizer. But to the tens of thousands of Americans whose lives have changed or been saved thanks to ketamine infusions, this drug is an absolute miracle.

Julie, who says she has suffered with clinical depression almost her entire life, recently underwent two ketamine infusion treatments to treat her condition. She joins The Doctors to share her experience with the controversial new treatment.

Cleveland Clinic’s  Medical Innovation Summit concluded on Oct. 26 with the annual list of emerging medical technologies that could transform healthcare in the coming year. Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression listed as number 7!