Why Patients Are Turning to Ketamine for Mental Health Treatment

The Ketamine Boom 

Over the past ten years, outpatient ketamine clinics have sprung up in major cities throughout the U.S. offering low dose, therapeutic infusions of ketamine. Depending on several factors, the cost of a single ketamine infusion runs patients somewhere between $400 and $2,000. In March of 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved esketamine, a variation of “off label” ketamine that was billed as an antidepressant in the form of a nasal spray. This new product was developed and brought to market by pharmaceutical giant, Janssen, the pharmaceutical wing of the Johnson & Johnson corporation. While there have been challenges associated with this not so new product (price, access, efficacy), the FDA approval of esketamine helped boost the overall profile of ketamine along with high profile editorials from Vice, NPR, Fox, Forbes, and countless other publications.

A Breakthrough in Care‍

Regardless of the delivery system, ketamine has several advantages over traditional psychotropic medication. The most significant advantage is that it can provide rapid and sustained relief towards the debilitating effects of chronic mental health conditions. Furthermore, ketamine boasts an excellent success rate in treating individuals who have not responded to traditional pharmaceutical and psychiatric interventions, thus establishing itself as a breakthrough therapeutic for those suffering from treatment-resistant depression.   

Another advantage of low dose, therapeutic ketamine is that it is immune from contributing to an epidemic of addiction. Ketamine is non-addictive and has allowed thousands of individuals to responsibly wean themselves off of their antidepressant SSRI/SNRI medications in coordination with their primary care physician. Additionally, the use of ketamine does not cause an increase in body weight nor result in a decreased sex drive.

The Proof is in the Data

Data shows that approximately 80% of patients demonstrate significant improvement with ketamine for depression, anxiety, and ptsd.  Utilizing ketamine in conjunction with intentioned talk therapies (also known as “integration”) causes success rates to climb even higher. In a controlled environment and under the supervision of a licensed physician, ketamine has been nothing short of a life-saving treatment for some patients. With a drastic reduction in the most severe symptoms, patients can better manage their condition while focusing on healing themselves.

We are on the brink of a psychedelic revolution in mental health care. By harnessing breakthrough, evidence-based psychedelic therapeutics such as ketamine and the latest clinical tools of virtual medicine, TripSitter Clinic empowers our patients to embark on a personalized, physician-directed treatment plan designed to give you the sustained relief you need from debilitating mental health conditions while opening up new pathways to healing.  

Explore the mounting body of research about ketamine and always get advice from your physician before beginning any medical treatment.