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Ketamine for the Treatment of Depression
By Lauren Tabacchini
Many individuals struggle with mental illness- even more now with the current
state and long term effects of being in a pandemic. Whereas it is not a positive fact that
more individuals are beginning to live with mental illness, an advantage to this is that
communication about these matters is more frequent. As mental health matters become
less taboo, conversation about treatment options does the same.
In most cases for the treatment of depression, selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors- commonly known as antidepressants or SSRIs- are prescribed. When these
drugs are taken, it is to lessen the effects of depression, however it is far from a cure. If
a person taking these drugs were to stop, their symptoms would come back as if they
had never left. This is where alternate treatments, specifically holistic treatments, for
depression begin to be researched and discussed. A very promising holistic alternative
for antidepressants is Ketamine treatments.
Before Ketamine was used in the treatment of depression for humans, it was
commonly known as an anesthetic by veterinarians in procedures for animals.
Additionally, Ketamine is used as a hallucinogenic drug in some party scenes- however
the use of it in these settings recreationally is incredibly dangerous.
Ketamine was invented in the 1960s and the first clinical trials for the drug on
humans took place in the 1970s. Shortly after the drug was approved by the FDA,
however the hallucinations caused by this drug were extreme and seen as unpleasant
to some patients. When news of the drug and its effects spread- it was used less in
medical practices and more for recreation which caused it to be classified as a class III
controlled substance in 1999.
Due to the illegal state of the drug, it was difficult to study this substance,
however between the years of 2000 and 2006 the drug was studied in ways that it had
not before, in the treatment of mental illness. It was found that for patients who have
treatment resistant depression- where they have previously tried other ways to manage
the illness- ketamine showed results that were not only instantaneous, but long lasting.
Because ketamine is to this day classified as a class III controlled substance,
when one is prescribed ketamine treatments it is done in a clinical setting. A physician
will install an IV into a patient where ketamine will slowly enter the bloodstream. There
is often a team of medical professionals consisting of a doctor, nurse and therapist who
will be present with the patient to supervise and guide the patient through any difficult
emotions they may face.
Why does ketamine work with patients who were unresponsive to other possible
treatments for depression? While the exact answer is unknown, ketamine has been
shown to increase growth of the prefrontal cortex, form new synaptic connections in the
brain, reduce neurological signals involved in inflammation, and aids in the facilitation of
communication of the brain. For short, Ketamine creates long lasting neurological
effects, that when used under medical supervision, make a person a happier, healthier
individual.
Sources:
https://pacifichealthsystems.com/blog/how-does-ketamine-work-for-depression/
https://www.restorativehealthprimarycare.com/about/published-articles/history-of-ketami
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