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?

An Infusion? Yikes.

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.