Have you been dealing with depression, anxiety, OCD, or PTSD for what seems to be forever and aren’t feeling like you’re getting the help you need?
The treatment breakthrough you've been looking for may be possible with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy – or with a ketamine derivative called Spravato® (esketamine). For many who deal with chronic, treatment-resistant mental health issues, ketamine and Spravato promise to provide important clarity about your ongoing struggles while enhancing and deepening the healing potential of psychiatric medications and talk therapy.
How Does It Work?
Ketamine and Spravato have been described as helping people change the channel on unwanted thoughts and urges – whereas traditional psychiatric medications tend to simply turn down the volume. In addition to being highly effective, the results of ketamine and Spravato appear to have long-term effects, lasting more than a year for most people.
So, how do ketamine and Spravato work?
Ketamine is FDA-approved for use as an anesthetic. Because it also has psychoactive properties and can induce a trance-like state and distort perceptions, it has been used off-label to relieve emotional and physical pain. It is delivered as an injection into muscle tissue. In 2019, the FDA approved Spravato for use in patients with treatment-resistant depression. It is administered as a nasal spray under the supervision of a medical provider.
Both are taken in conjunction with oral antidepressants and psychotherapy as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for patients with difficult-to-treat mental health issues.