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Ketamine assisted therapy is available at Delos Psychiatry to help you combat depression. To consult our psychiatrists, call us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 2501 Walnut St. Suite 204 Boulder, CO 80302.
Ketamine is a dissociative drug that was once primarily used as an anesthetic in operating rooms and on battlefields that has since become a promising treatment for depression. There are two primary types of ketamine used to treat depression.
The first is racemic ketamine which is usually administered as an infusion into the bloodstream. The second is ketamine which is administered as a nasal spray. Both types of ketamine affect the receptors in the brain and interact with them differently.
The delivery method used for the administration of ketamine as well as the type of ketamine influence the effectiveness and which patients will benefit most from which form is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Ketamine-assisted therapy is an innovative new treatment for major depression. Suicide rates in the United States have climbed roughly 30% from 2000 to 2020 and cases of major depression are rampant.
Ketamine-assisted therapy is an option for individuals who haven’t responded to other forms of treatment. Ketamine is capable of rapidly reducing life-threatening acts and thoughts and the risk of suicide, and anxiety disorders, as well as relieving other symptoms of depression if a patient responds to it.
This treatment has also been effective in treating individuals with depression and anxiety. Many treatments for depression and suicidal thoughts take weeks or months to be effective, and it is not uncommon for patients to require trying multiple approaches and different medications before gaining relief.
The rapid effectiveness and results demonstrated by ketamine-assisted therapy suggest it could be life-saving for those with cases of major depressive disorders and suicidal thoughts who can’t wait for the benefits on the timeline they arrive from more traditional therapeutic solutions.
In the early stages of ketamine usage, only the short-term effectiveness was documented. It is now understood that ketamine only works effectively for approximately a month’s time unless paired with other treatments. With ketamine-assisted therapy, patients can enjoy the long-term and life-changing benefits of therapy in harmony with the fast-acting effects of ketamine
Patients who respond well to ketamine-assisted therapy will experience immediate relief of major depressive symptoms and potentially suicidal thoughts. Depending on the patient, the ketamine will be administered either as a nasal spray or as an infusion into the bloodstream.
Ketamine is a powerful anesthetic and psychedelic so patients may experience nausea, high blood pressure, dissociation, or perceptual disturbances such as time appearing to slow down or speed up. Ketamine has side effects as does any drug but given its potentially life-saving implications, it is often deemed well worth pursuing as an option for those for whom traditional treatments were ineffective.
Ketamine-assisted therapy is a wise option for individuals who are living with depression and for whom previous treatment options have been unsuccessful. Ketamine-assisted therapy may also rapidly relieve suicidal thoughts, as well as additional symptoms of panic disorders. It is an option that may be considered if the patient is at immediate risk of potential self-harm given more traditional therapy and medication practices take longer to have an effect.
For patients in Boulder, CO, Delos offers two types of ketamine-assisted therapy. The first option is a pairing between a world-class therapist and a patient for ketamine-assisted therapy, allowing ketamine to be the first step in a life-altering process. The second is the prescription of ketamine for home use alongside longer-term treatment options. Delos prides itself on being at the forefront of medical advancement of depression and other mental health treatments. Contact us today so that we can help you combat depression and other issues. For more information, call us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 2501 Walnut St. Suite 204 Boulder, CO 80302. We serve patients from Boulder CO, Denver CO, Silverthorne CO, Longmont CO, Superior CO, Lafayette CO, Broomfield CO, Erie CO, and Niwot CO.
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