Healing with Hope
KETAMINE TREATMENT
The benefits of psychedelic exposure to the brain has been documented since the 1950s.
In the past five years, psychiatry has been undergoing a revolution of research on psychedelics
and psychedelic-like medications, such as ketamine and esketamine. The effectiveness of these treatments have surpassed anything we have seen in psychiatry to date.
Ketamine Treatment:
While traditional antidepressants, like SSRIs or SNRIs, work by altering serotonin levels in the brain, ketamine focuses on the glutamatergic system. This is key to neural activation and can provide rapid-relief for depressive symptoms.
What is ketamine? According to the DEA, ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic. The chemical structure includes equal compounds, s-enantiomer and r-enantiomer.
What is esketamine? The s-enantiomer of ketamine. In 2019, the FDA-approved esketamine to be sold under the brand name: Spravato.
Q & A:
Ketamine works by blocking N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain. This process activates neuron growth, decreases internal defenses and increases cognitive flexibility.
1. How does ketamine work?
Wellness looks different for everyone and so does the process. This is why it was important for Hope419 to offer options for ketamine treatment, including: sublingual lozenges, nasal spray, and IV infusions. Esketamine is only offered as a nasal spray.
2. How is it administered?
3. What are the side effects?
Both ketamine and esketamine have shown to decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD
and substance use.
4. What can I expect?
To ensure safety and build trust, patients will be asked to complete a thorough health screening with our psychiatrist and trained ketamine provider, Dr. Johanna Wilson. If determined to move forward, ketamine treatments are completed over the course of two hours, twice per week for 5-10 weeks.
5. IV Ketamine:
When comparing effectiveness of treatments, IV Ketamine is the most statistically proven for outcomes. Evidence reveals that, after 6 infusions, 70% of patients reported an improvement in mood and functioning. In comparison, after 10 infusions, 1 in 2 patients achieved full remission.
6. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy:
Let’s face it - our minds can be scary sometimes. We experience unpleasant thoughts, painful memories or harmful beliefs about ourselves. Because these are hard to acknowledge, our brains try to protect us by using avoidance, denial, repression or rationalization.
If you want to be fully intentional and reflective during treatment, we recommend working alongside one of our KAP therapists. While ketamine is absorbed, your internal defenses will decrease. This allows the opportunity to access a deeper understanding of self, embrace change and heal.