Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD
will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
have PTSD in a given year.
in the past twenty years are estimated to have PTSD
The National Institute of Mental Health defines Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. While mostly associated with wartime trauma, PTSD can arrive after exposure after any traumatic event. Anyone can develop PTSD, including children, teens, and adults, who have been through a physical or sexual assault, abuse, accidents, disasters, war or combat, the sudden death of a loved one, or other serious events.
It is normal to feel on edge, have upsetting memories, or have trouble sleeping after these types of events, but if symptoms last more than a few months, it may be PTSD. While PTSD is usually diagnosed a few months after an incident, it can be years before before symptoms surface and truly affect a patient.
Click here to visit the Department of Veterans Affairs to learn more about PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/index.asp
Symptoms
Some symptoms of PTSD are:
- Vivid dreams, nightmares, or flashbacks about the incident
- Hypersensitivity to other people, places, or situations related to the event
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Blaming yourself for the event or survivor’s guilt
- Unexplainable irritability or anger
How Ketamine Can Help
NeuConnections offers ketamine infusion therapy for patients who have been diagnosed with PTSD and who have not found relief from their current treatment regimen. SSRI’s have a success rate with around 42% of patients no longer experiencing PTSD symptoms, but require the medication to be taken daily. Symptoms can return if the medication stops being taken. Recent studies(1.) have shown that up to 66% of patients receiving ketamine infusions over the course of two weeks responded positively and experienced a 30% reduction in symptoms in a remarkable two weeks. It was determined that “intravenous ketamine has tremendous potential as a treatment for PTSD.”
Ketamine is a NMDA receptor antagonist, meaning it blocks glutamate receptors. Glutamate regulates psychological conditions like depression and anxiety and transmits pain signals. When the receptors are blocked, a chemical reaction occurs and more glutamate is produced which researchers believe relives pain and improves mental health conditions by balancing the mood regulation chemicals in the brain. Additionally, ketamine triggers neurogenesis, which is the creation of new neurons in the brain, and reactivation of neurons that may have been laying dormant. This activation creates new and stronger connections between those neurons, stimulating growth and connections of neural pathways. As these pathways develop, your brain becomes more resilient and adaptable to the stressors in life. What SSRI’s take months or years to do, intravenous ketamine can do in hours or days.
Our treatment protocol for PTSD is as follows: 2 infusions per week, over the course of 4 weeks. Within this time frame, our team will work with you to monitor the efficacy of the treatment, provide you with support, and collaborate with your primary mental health provider to assist you in meeting your goals.
Following your initial treatment, our mental health specialist will follow up with you and your primary mental health provider to monitor your depressive symptoms and determine your need for maintenance infusions.
To schedule a free consultation with the experts at NeuConnections to learn about ketamine for PTSD, call the office, click the Schedule Free Consultation button below, or Begin Intake at the top of the page.
Study: 1. https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/
NeuConnections is a Veteran and First Responder run business.
Ask us about our discounts for those who have served,
and those who continue to do so.
