By Natalie Pascale, LPCC
Some of our clients struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues turn to licensed providers to assist with ketamine therapy for relief of their symptoms. This is often in supplementation to regularly prescribed medication.
In this blog, we’ll explore what ketamine is, how it works in the brain, and when safely prescribed and administered by a licensed provider, in conjunction with Ketamine Integration Therapy, how ketamine can provide an opportunity for lasting and meaningful positive change.
What is Ketamine?
The synthetic dissociative compound ketamine has been used in human and veterinary medicine for decades. In 1962 it was derived from phencyclidine in order to create a safer anesthetic, with fewer negative respiratory and hallucinogenic impacts. In 1970 the FDA approved the use of ketamine on humans.
At larger doses, ketamine has been used within the medical field to induce and maintain anesthesia. The low risk of respiratory depression during anesthesia has contributed to ketamine’s wide use during surgery. At lower doses, ketamine has also been employed as an analgesic, or pain reliever. It has been a particularly useful alternative to opioids.
Ketamine’s antidepressant effects became acknowledged by the medical community in the late 1990s. In 2019 the FDA approved the use of ketamine in the treatment of depression, namely treatment resistant depression and major depressive disorder. Since then, low doses of ketamine are widely administered as a rapid-acting antidepressant. Additionally, research shows that ketamine may be effective in treating anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and substance abuse.
How Does it Work?
Ketamine is unique due to the rapidity with which it has the potential to ignite lasting change. Almost immediately after dosage, ketamine’s antidepressant impacts can be felt. However, the mechanism of action, although increasingly studied, is as complex as the state and cause of depression itself.
Ketamine often gets grouped into other psychedelics utilized in the treatment of various mental illnesses, as the term psychedelic simply refers to any “mind-manifesting” compound or experience that brings about altered perceptions of oneself. From a psychological perspective, ketamine may induce non-ordinary state experiences such as ego dissolution, mystical experiences, “oneness”, and a disruption in normal consciousness. This can be particularly helpful if negative thinking patterns are a primary contributor to one’ mental health struggles.
The Neuroscience of Ketamine Therapy
In general, Ketamine activates certain neurotransmitter receptors and pathways, which trigger rapid growth of new neurological connections. Some researchers believe that prolonged exposure to stress causes neurons to die off, resulting in depression, but Katmine causes them to re-grow within hours, relieving the depressive symptoms. Studies show that ketamine disconnects many synapses within minutes, and the affected neurons reattach new synapses over the following few hours or days.
Ketamine is a part of a class of pharmaceutical drugs called arylcyclohexylamines. Arylcyclohexylamines were originally developed as anesthetics and are unique for not entirely extinguishing consciousness, but instead appear to “disassociate” mind from body, hence the term “dissociative anesthetic”. Arylcyclohexylamines primarily block the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain, which is a target for neurotransmitter glutamate, and prevent the NMDA receptor from being activated by glutamate. Glutamate is one of the most prominent neurotransmitters in the brain and regulates large regions of the nervous system. Overactivation of glutamate receptors may lead to long-term depression, and Ketamine works by blocking these receptors.
Ketamine therapy often requires repeated sessions every few weeks or months, and occasionally “maintenance sessions”, which, in combination with talk therapy, can work to enhance and maintain new synapses and ultimately can lead to more adaptive ways of thinking and relating to oneself and the world.
Ketamine and Psychotherapy: Integration
Ensuring that new synaptic connections are maintained for lasting increased wellbeing, it is particularly important to engage in integration after Ketamine therapy. The sessions that follow the psychedelic therapy stage, also known as the “integration” phase, are important in helping individuals interpret experiences, emotions, or memories, make meaning out of experiences, and foster therapeutic change. Additionally, integration sessions may involve translating insights into meaningful and lasting change, such as developing new personal practices, coping skills, or social strategies. Studies have shown that individuals who received greater support after psychedelic therapy had greater positive behavioral changes.
Providing a safe space for Ketamine integration aligns with Ignite’s whole-hearted approach to counseling. As clinicians, we are dedicated to meeting our clients where they are, and providing them with a unique and compassionate experience.
With the legalization of Ketamine therapy in Colorado, Ignite is working to fill a much-needed void of psychotherapeutic support, and providing a space for group work further de-stigmatizes what it is to be human through connection. Be sure to check out our brief video on KIT at Ignite!
Ketamine therapy is a relatively new tool which may provide relief from depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues. Contact us for a free phone consultation, to ensure great fit, for Ketamine Integration Therapy! Click here to submit an Interest Form to our Client Care Specialist or call 303-578-6336 for additional information and learn more about our trusted ketamine prescriber referral.