Ketamine therapy is a treatment approach that uses low doses of ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic medication, to manage various mental health conditions, such as treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . Ketamine is approved for use at high doses as an anesthetic in the operating room, but lower dose “sub-anesthetic” ketamine injections are used “off-label” to treat depression, pain, and other mental health/substance use disorders. Ketamine therapy is thought to have rapid-acting antidepressant effects, and it is used when other treatments have not been effective.

Here are some key points about ketamine therapy:

• Ketamine works by blocking the activity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a receptor in the brain that is involved in the regulation of mood, cognition, and pain perception.
• Ketamine therapy is usually administered in one or a few in-clinic ketamine dosing sessions under clinician supervision integrated with preparatory and integration counseling.
• Ketamine causes what doctors call a “dissociative experience” and what most anyone else would call a “trip.” That’s how it became a club drug, called K, Special K, Super K, and Vitamin K among others.
• Medically supervised ketamine infusion therapy has been found to reactivate existing connections and to grow new ones, helping the brain to “shake loose” negative thoughts and shift out of depression.
• Ketamine therapy is not a first-option treatment for depression, and it is generally used only when other, more longstanding treatments havent been effective.

Ketamine therapy is used to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, end-of-life distress, chronic pain, drug/alcohol problems, and more. Patients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, end-of-life distress, chronic pain, drug/alcohol problems, and other conditions may be eligible for psychedelic-assisted therapy with ketamine. However, it is important to remember that ketamine therapy is not for everyone, and it should be discussed with a primary care doctor, mental health provider, and any other health care professionals who care for the patient.