Ketamine is a drug that has been around for decades. It was used in the battlefields of Vietnam for anesthesia purposes. It can also help chronic pain that is difficult to treat, but over the past few years it has shown promise for severe depression that hasn't responded to other treatment. While ketamine is not yet prescribed on a routine basis for severe depression, ketamine therapy can be administered by a trained professional when you are struggling with depression symptoms that leave you depleted. It is a powerful drug, and one that has the capacity to knock you out. Ketamine psychiatric therapy has to be done under observation to keep you safe while providing you with the relief you seek from major depression.

Ketamine Psychiatric Therapy to Improve Depression

At this time, the Federal Drug Administration has not approved ketamine as a treatment for major depression. It is used to treat depression off label. In small doses, ketamine can reduce pain and decrease reliance on opiates for pain control. It is being used on an experimental basis by psychiatrist trying to help patients who are not getting any better and struggling with deep depression. It is administered either by a nasal mist or IV, and some patients have reported a marked decrease in depressive symptoms in as little as a few hours. Treatment is provided once a week under careful supervision.

Determining the Right Dose of Ketamine Therapy

Ketamine is a hallucinogenic in higher doses, and there is a fine line between enough ketamine to help depression and too much that it causes distortions in sights and sounds. When you are using ketamine psychiatric therapy to deal with major depression, you need to be aware of the potential side effects of a dose that is too high. This is why the medication is administered under supervision and you are carefully monitored for symptoms.

Current antidepressant medications can take a few weeks to begin to feel the effects of the medication. With ketamine psychiatric therapy, the effects can be felt within a few hours. Unfortunately, the drug is abused on the street, and approval as a prescription medication you can get from your pharmacist is a long way off. For those who have severe depression that hasn't responded to current treatment options, ketamine psychiatric therapy is worth a try. You can work with your psychiatrist to find a ketamine provider in your area in an effort to break free from the depression that controls you.