Ketamine, a derivative of phencyclidine, is an anesthetic drug that was developed in 1962 and has been widely used in a variety of settings. Ketamine acts as an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and targets glutamate, which is an excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter.

Ketamine has been used to induce and maintain general anesthesia for more than 30 years and is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. Ketamine is an anesthetic that has a remarkably safe track record in clinical settings. Ketamine is commonly used to treat Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), sometimes referred to as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD).

Over the past two decades, researchers have consistently found that low doses of ketamine, administered intravenously (ketamine infusions), produce a rapid anti-depressant effect.

“It feels like floating”, “I felt like I was in the ocean”, “It felt warm and cozy”, “It was absolutely beautiful”, “It felt like there were infinite possibilities”, “I was in space with doors that led to whatever I could imagine”. The list goes on. Almost unanimously our patients at NeuConnections describe a level of peace they have seldom felt before and that cannot be easily achieved outside the deepest states of meditation. When compared to traditional psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, MDMA), ketamine offers a supremely controllable and clear space to navigate your mind. Seldom disorienting or scary, the calming, dissociative space ketamine provides is the ultimate journey to clear your mind. 

Dissociation is what we call “the space” when a the dosage of the medication has been dialed in allowing complete relaxation and the patient feels most comfortable letting go of the stresses of the world around them. This is where most healing takes place and we take the upmost care in facilitating this experience for each and every one of our patient’s sessions. 

When a person is “dissociated” imagine that a separation of the emotional mind and the analytical mind is occurring. Imagine medical usage of ketamine that happens around the world, daily. A child with a broken arm or the injured soldier who has now been sedated and put at ease by a large dose of ketamine, they are conscious, free of pain, and comforted knowing that they are being cared for despite their injuries. This is what so many people find therapeutic when experiencing ketamine. It allows them to view their trauma and what is holding them back objectively without reliving the emotions surrounding that trauma. When “dissociated” from the emotion of the trauma, it allows them to reframe their thoughts around it and move forward without those heavy emotions following them.

The dissociative state can be overwhelming if someone is not properly prepared, but we are available every step of the way to ensure your comfort as we ease you into a space of supreme relaxation free from the burdens of the world around you. We will never “throw someone in” without proper preparation and most people wish they could exist in “the space” longer to continue to explore their mind and work towards their future.

Scientists are still exploring the exact mechanism by which depression is relieved, but research suggests that by blocking the NMDA receptors, ketamine prompts the brain to increase the production of synaptic signaling proteins in the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is the region of the brain thought to play a critical role in a person’s ability to regulate his/her mood.

Ketamine appears to promote the growth of new synapses in the prefrontal cortex, resulting in greater connectivity in the brain, while also switching certain connections on and off. This cascade of events is thought to be the reason for the rapid anti-depressant effect.

The duration of symptomatic relief patients experience following ketamine infusion therapy varies depending on many factors.

When patients do experience relief, it may be the first time in decades that they have felt healthy and “normal”.

Patients who have received ketamine infusion therapy for depression have reported significant improvements in their mood and abilities to function anywhere from weeks to months to indefinitely. With some clients, feeling a single session or “booster” or a “mini-series” of sessions is what they need to get back on track or help them prepare for upcoming stressors. 

Some of our clients come back once a month, some average is every three months, and some never need to come back. However, most of our clients that come back look forward to working with us, often to simply relax and see what insights can be gleaned from the experience. 

To achieve lasting results you will need to implement everything you have learned leading to this point. Ketamine infusions may be the “booster fuel” to get you out of a rut, but you need to “do the work” and address the root causes that will ensure lasting results. 

Integration is the implementation of insights gained during your ketamine sessions and is essential in achieving lasting results.

So much can happen in one session. The highest of highs, lows that reveal your strength, realizations and epiphanies, visiting something that had been hovering over you to then deciding it doesn’t matter anymore, metaphorically “beating up your depression”. So much can happen and often it is difficult to interpret. Processing this with our specialized team is essential in ensuring you can continue to learn and grow in this space and outside of this clinic. 

After your session, you will have to take care of yourself and start implementing change. Take time for your mental health, go for a hike, clean the desk, listen to calming music, find forgotten joys, journal about your infusions and about all the wins you are having. Your brain is now more elastic and is ready for positive influences to pour in while you give yourself space to manage challenges.

To further help our clients, we have partnered with the amazing organization: Being True To You to help facilitate lasting change. They offer integration of the ketamine experience with certified coaches, many of whom have been down similar roads of confronting their struggles and moving beyond them. The coaches that collaborate with us are all experts in how to navigate the ketamine space and their guidance in implementing positive transformation is essential in achieving lasting results. What makes us unique is that you will receive coaching at the clinic, between your sessions, and as needed.

Most recent research shows that some possible, short-term side effects may include headache, anxiety, dissociation, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. During the treatment your vision will become blurry but return to normal once administration of the medication has ceased. Most of side effects are remedied in the clinic or subside by the next morning.