5 Benefits of Ketamine Therapy

‍Summary

• There are many known benefits of ketamine therapy.
• Ketamine creates new connections in the brain which stimulates new ways of thinking and feeling. This often positively changes our perspective of our lives. 
• These changes in brain chemistry enable significant mental health improvements.
• Ketamine therapy has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

Ketamine can quiet suicidal ideation, improve OCD symptoms, and help resolve trauma. Another benefit is the felt experience of ketamine which clients describe as pleasant, calming, and meditative. 

This article explores five powerful benefits of ketamine therapy. 

1. Ketamine can greatly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression

Ketamine therapy is a powerful solution for many mental health challenges. It can provide both rapid and lasting relief.

‍This clinical study (and over 100 others!) shows that ketamine therapy can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression:

• 89% of participants in the clinical study, treated by Mindbloom, experienced improvement in symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• 63% of participants experienced greater than 50% reduction of depression symptoms.

When compared to studies of traditional therapies and intravenous (IV) ketamine administration, at-home ketamine therapy using sublingual tablets produced a greater improvement in client symptoms: 

• 34% higher than those of SSRI antidepressants
• 54% higher than those of psychotherapy
• 17% higher than those seen in IV ketamine

2. Ketamine creates new neural pathways to help change critical inner monologues

Clients facing mental health challenges may have a difficult relationship with their inner voice. Their thoughts can be negative, self-critical, and unrelenting.

Ketamine research demonstrates that the medicine creates a neuroplastic environment in the brain where new connections can be created, and damaged ones repaired. 

While in this neuroplastic state, one has the ability to potentially create new narratives or change their inner monologues into more positive ones

3. Ketamine can help you make better, healthier decisions

As the inner narrative inside our mind changes, we begin to have a new relationship with ourselves.

This refreshed relationship with ourselves allows life to take on new perspectives and opportunities.

With this new perspective, we are free to make new, healthier decisions in our approach to understanding our lives and place in the world.

4. Ketamine can help you process unresolved traumas

When we experience trauma, research has shown that the memories and experiences are stored in the brain and the body. 

These memories can be re-triggered by environmental stimuli, causing a flight or fight response. Living with the reactivation of past traumas can be painful and difficult. 

Ketamine can alleviate how our brain and body react to our triggers. It creates an environment where synapses can grow and heal; this is important as they are commonly damaged when someone is dealing with something like depression or anxiety.

The repaired and new synaptic connections between neurons can strengthen our resilience and increase our resistance to stress, lowering our traumatic responses. This increases our ability to cope, respond to adversity, and function better amidst challenging conditions.

5. Ketamine can save lives by alleviating suicidal ideation

Suicidal ideation is often a symptom of severe depression, and typically presents itself as thoughts of self-harm. 

Ketamine improves neurocognition, reducing the frequency and severity of these thoughts —sometimes to near-zero levels. 

As depression loosens its grip, we begin to feel more calm, more assured, and less hostile toward ourselves.

In a clinical study, ketamine therapy reduced suicidal ideation in 64% of patients who reported these symptoms. In other words, ketamine therapy can help save someone’s life.