Ketamine Therapy: What To Expect -

Ketamine therapy is an “off-label” pharmacological treatment for various psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD. Ketamine can provide rapid relief of symptoms for many, even people with treatment-resistant issues. While ketamine therapy is not a healing agent, it can often be the required catalyst which facilitates the transformation of self-healing and sustained wellness over protracted periods of time.

Ketamine Therapy Sessions

Once ketamine therapy has been determined to be appropriate to attempt treatment for your condition, we can make a booking for your first two-hour therapy session with a psychiatrist or therapist. A close friend or family member can also accompany you for the first time or any future therapy session you attend.

The ketamine is then administered orally, sublingually, intranasally, intramuscularly, or intravenously. This is done with you either sitting in a recliner or laying down on a couch so you can relax while experiencing the effects of the treatment. You can then either close your eyes or wear a pair of eyeshades, while classical or ambient music plays in the background to provide a safe environment where you can relax.

Effects Of Ketamine Therapy

Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic which creates antidepressant, psychedelic, and anxiolytic effects, which combine to decrease inner tension levels. The experience of ketamine treatment often includes a feeling of mind reset or a pause of anxious or obsessive thoughts which can typically last anywhere between half an hour and an hour and a half. Ketamine therapy may also cause a positive change of emotions such as improved self-esteem and reduction of emotional isolation.

You will most likely feel some beneficial psychiatric effects during your treatment as well as immediately afterwards, with some patients still feeling mild effects anywhere up to 2 days later. Your experiences with ketamine therapy will be uniquely yours, and each of your individual sessions will also be different.

That being said, many patients report having a truly transformative experience and some significant feelings of spiritual and existential growth.

Ketamine Side Effects

Ketamine treatment is well tolerated by most patients for short-term treatment; some may experience common side effects like occasional nausea or vomiting. Thankfully, these can be minimized through the use of ondansetron or by fasting for 6 hours before treatment.

Because ketamine is a dissociative, it has been known to exacerbate psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia in patients who already suffer from these illnesses. Recreational use of ketamine has also been known to induce lower urinary tract symptoms, but so far, there have been no reported cases after ketamine therapy. If you want to know more about how ketamine may help you, get in touch with our team today to discuss.