<p>Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that has been found to be effective in treating a wide range of mental health symptoms.
 
 You’re probably more familiar with antidepressants since they’ve been the mainstay of mental health treatment for the last three decades. Traditional antidepressants work by managing serotonin levels in the brain, but many patients aren’t helped by their antidepressants. In fact, the drugs may be a barrier to regaining mental health via other therapeutic options. 
 For instance, the STAR*D study uncovered that most antidepressant users received no demonstrable benefits in treating their depression. Worse, antidepressants may increase the chance that other therapeutic approaches are less effective.
 
 But ketamine works differently than most antidepressants and, according to many clinical trials, is more effective than antidepressants in treating resistant depression. The consensus of these trials is that 70% of patients receiving a ketamine infusion for depression experienced a decrease in their symptoms.
 
 That’s a marked and impressive difference between antidepressant use and ketamine treatments!
 Although Ketamine can be habit-forming if used incorrectly, when administered in a clinical setting, it has significantly less potential to develop dependence.
 
 Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that allows the patient to disconnect their consciousness from their idea of who they are. This allows a more objective view of oneself from outside the narrative our ego builds and that we use to define our identity. In this state, the patient is able to see how their beliefs, behaviors and patterns of both thought and action cause them distress.</p>

Provider Insights

What is Ketamine?

<p>Ketamine has been shown to improve the symptoms of the following conditions: AnxietyEnd-of-Life AnxietyTreatment-Resistant DepressionBipolar DepressionPost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
 Ketamine for depression and bipolar depression Ketamine infusion works quickly by elevating a hormone called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This vital brain hormone assists in the creation of new connections between neurons; new connections that can supersede those damaged by the effects of chronic depression.
 
 As mentioned above, there are many ketamine clinical trials that focus on the effect of ketamine infusion on patients with treatment-resistant depression. These studies found that 70% of those receiving ketamine infusion for depression experience a decrease in their symptoms.
 
 There has never been a medication for treating depression with this level of effectiveness!
 
 Not only is it more effective, but ketamine infusion does not require re-treatment. Decreasing re-treatment means more value for your therapy dollar. 
 Ketamine for Anxiety Rumination is the predominant symptom of both anxiety and depression. Rumination is constant attention to one’s distress, worry for the future, or potential negative outcomes. Ketamine has been shown to regulate the structures of the brain that get caught in the loop of rumination, thus leading to relief. Traditional anxiety medications can often be sedating, addictive and bring a host of side effects. &nbsp; In contrast, ketamine has no lingering side effects and appears to cause a decrease in inflammation, which can promote overall improvement in mental health. While there isn’t as much clinical study of treating anxiety with ketamine, what we have observed seems promising and could lead to results. Ketamine for PTSD/Trauma Trauma PTSD can be a debilitating diagnosis with patterns of thought that make integration into society anywhere from difficult to impossible. These patients often struggle with depression, anxiety and even suicidal ideation. Many current therapies utilize antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and talk therapy, all of which have disappointing track records. Ketamine’s action on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) can often relieve these troubling patterns of thought after just one treatment. BDNF is a vital brain hormone that assists in the creation of new connections between neurons. Studies have shown that PTSD patients are have lower levels of BDNF. But Ketamine has been shown to increase the presence of BDNF and decrease inflammation. When ketamine infusion is combined with psychotherapy, patients have found longer-lasting relief than through traditional treatments. Ketamine for Suicidal Thoughts and Ideation Suicide is an epidemic. It is the third leading cause of death for ages 10-34 and the 10th leading cause of death in the United States overall. If you’ve struggled with suicidal thoughts or ideation, then you know how hopeless it can feel and how dangerous it can be. Ketamine has been shown to be effective in alleviating suicidal ideation and, with proper treatment, can do for long periods of time. Studies&nbsp;have found a standard intravenous dose of ketamine resulted in a quick decrease in depression and suicidal thoughts in some subjects. Part of this improvement correlated with an improvement in problem-solving and thinking more clearly.&nbsp; This improvement occurred even if the subject didn’t show a comparable improvement in their depression symptoms. In short, the findings of this&nbsp;study&nbsp;indicate that ketamine is rapid, safe in the short term and has persistent benefits for acute care in suicidal patients. This is wonderful news we’re ready to share with our patients. Ketamine for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Those who suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can often feel trapped by their own compulsions with no means of escape and the current first-line pharmacological treatment, Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), are simply not up to the task of treating OCD. SRIs often leave OCD sufferers with incomplete symptom relief and a two- to three-month lag time before they see improvement. But studies have shown that ketamine can assist with this disorder as well. This&nbsp;study&nbsp;found that some OCD patients with constant intrusive thoughts found relief after one intravenous ketamine treatment. What’s more, relief lasted for a week or more. We’re confident we can assist you in relief from your OCD symptoms at our clinic.</p>

Integrative Psychiatry of Oklahoma

What is Ketamine?

What does Ketamine treat?