Ketamine therapy is gaining attention as a game-changing treatment for people struggling with mental health challenges
It offers new hope for individuals who haven’t found relief through traditional methods. But who exactly is ketamine therapy for? Let’s break it down in simple, actionable terms.
What Is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine therapy uses low doses of ketamine—a medication originally developed as an anesthetic—to treat conditions like treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Administered in a clinical setting, this therapy often includes IV infusions, which are the gold standard for precision and flexibility.
A Brief History of Ketamine
Ketamine was first synthesized in the 1960s as an anesthetic for surgical procedures. It quickly became known for its safety and effectiveness, earning FDA approval in 1970. During the Vietnam War, ketamine was widely used to treat injured soldiers on the battlefield because it works quickly, doesn’t suppress breathing, and has minimal side effects at appropriate doses.
In the following decades, ketamine’s unique properties led to other uses. Emergency responders used it to calm suicidal patients, leading doctors to notice its powerful antidepressant effects. By the 2000s, researchers began studying ketamine’s ability to treat depression, PTSD, and other mental health conditions, sparking its evolution into a groundbreaking therapy.
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