For six years now, life has been really good for James. He has a great job as the creative director of an advertising firm in New York City. He enjoys spending time with his wife and kids.

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

The first placebo-controlled study of ketamine’s effect on social anxiety disorder has provides more evidence that the anesthetic could be helpful in severe cases.

“Many patients with anxiety continue to have impairing symptoms despite the first-line talk therapy (cognitive behavioral therapy) and first-line medications (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors),” said study authors Jerome H. Taylor of the University of Pennsylvania and Michael H. Bloch of Yale University.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): The Bedrock of Depression Treatment & How Ketamine Infusions Can Help When SSRIs Aren’t Working!

Millions of people are affected by mental health disorders every year. Depression is among the greatest of these illnesses, and men are more likely than women to not seek treatment.  The “stigma” of our masculinity being threatened keeps thousands of men from seeking help. The thought of becoming vulnerable to something they cannot control, or looking weak in the eyes of their family and friends can allow this serious illness to spiral out of control. 

https://www.mma-today.com/

Ketamine Gets ALLL the Reactions

With all of the chatter about ketamine and its treatment of refractory depression, as well as chronic migraines, comes excitement, curiosity, doubts, and criticism - from both patients and healthcare providers alike. "It's really fascinating," says one doc, while another quips, "but it doesn't last long enough!" It's been deemed "the most exciting development in mental health" by some, while others express legitimate concerns about the long term effects of ketamine use. "Do they really send people down the k-hole!?," someone asked me last week. (The answer is NO. The dose administered is subanesthetic and subdissociative. Read more here. )

When anything or anyone new and different arrives on the scene, isn't this the way humans typically respond? That which challenges the status quo usually evokes discomfort and fear. 

In recent years, there has been growing interest in ketamine infusion therapy as a promising treatment for various mental health conditions. From refractory depression to chronic pain, ketamine has shown remarkable potential in providing relief where other treatments have fallen short. But what exactly are ketamine infusions, and how safe and effective are they?

In a previous blog entry, we wrote about the ketamine infusion experience. Let me expand on that today, as I focus on recovery from ketamine infusion therapy. 

When you hear the word ‘infusion,’ what comes to mind? A hospital gown? Needles? Doctors and nurses hovering over you in a cold hospital room? Sometimes your associations with certain words can deter you altogether from considering new experiences – especially if those associations elicit fear. 

When All Else Fails, Stare at Your Phone...Right!? 

You know that if you would quit smoking, start exercising three days a week, make plans with a friend, keep a gratitude journal, and start eating healthier, you’d be happier, right? You also should “Breathe, and let it go” and know that “Dark days don’t linger for long,” like those Instagram posts tagged #happiness read.

But Then You Feel Worse

There you are, lying in bed, scrolling aimlessly through your phone and wishing you did not need to go to the bathroom because you don’t even have the energy to sit up. You slept 8.5 hours last night, like most nights, yet you don’t feel rested. In fact, you’re exhausted, and there’s zero desire inside of you to get up for class, for work, for breakfast. The new antidepressant your doctor started you on five weeks ago hasn’t made a difference, and you are so sick of changing medications.

Additional reading: SSRIs vs Ketamine Infusions: Everything You Need To Know

So, you continue to scroll through Facebook, looking at pictures of couples smiling, one friend’s weight loss before/after shots, another’s motivational quote for the day, and a shared Bible verse on the importance of having faith. ‘Faith in what!?,’ you ask aloud, and force yourself to roll out of bed, feeling worse about your pathetic life than you did an hour ago.