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Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy for Depression, Anxiety, & PTSD Serving Sacramento, CA
Ketamine
What ketamine?
Ketamine is a legal, safe, and effective anesthetic medicine approved in 2019 for off-label use by the FDA to treat depression. Preliminary evidence shows it is also effective for PTSD, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within one to two hours after treatment and last up to two weeks. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.
“Science is magic that works.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut
The science:
Ketamine was developed by Calvin S. Stevens, a chemistry professor, in 1962. Ketamine acts as a dissociative anesthetic, procedural sedative, painkiller, and novel antidepressant. Its safety, short duration, and unique mode of action have made Ketamine an essential medication in emergency medicine worldwide. It works by blocking the brain’s N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, a type of glutamate receptor, and stimulating AMPA receptors, which are believed to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood.
The study and use of Ketamine for chronic pain, drug addiction, and psychiatric disorders have grown considerably in the last few decades. The most significant finding is a discovery of Ketamine’s rapid-acting antidepressant effects (Kohtala, 2001), often within hours, with 50-80% efficacy. This is welcome news for the mental health community, which has not benefited from rapid medical advancements like other healthcare areas. For instance, while antidepressants are helpful for many, they take weeks to months for effects and have a 33% efficacy rate. In other words, antidepressants end depression for only a third of the severely depressed patients who take them. As such, in 2019, the FDA authorized Ketamine’s off-label use for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. It is used regularly in emergency rooms to abate suicidality quickly. Off-label means it is used for something other than initially intended. Treatment-resistant means medications and psychotherapy have failed to remit a person’s depression.
What are ketamine’s benefits?
Our clients have experienced many benefits, including:
A relaxing time-out from ordinary thinking and reality
Decrease in negative or obsessive thoughts
Shifts in self-perspective, relationships, and worldview
Increase in self-compassion and self-identity
Increased creativity and cognitive flexibility
A broader outlook on challenging situations and problems
Reduction of fear and disruption of painful memories
Improved neuroplasticity and dendritic growth
Reversal of cellular damage caused by stress
Intrinsic antidepressant response
Improved ability to experience happiness and pleasure
Changes in rejection sensitivity
Changes in avoidance behaviors (e.g., not speaking up to avoid conflict, going out of your way to avoid seeing someone, not looking at mail to avoid seeing bills)
A spiritual or mystical experience—which can vary for different individuals
Any activity, behavior, or cognitive practice a person engages in after ketamine treatment, referred to as the “neuroplastic window,” will be naturally enhanced. During this time, neurons and dendrites experience more rapid and robust growth as the brain is bathed in brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). The neuroplastic window can last 7 to 10 days.
How is Ketamine administered?
At KAP Wellness in Folsom, California, our Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) stands out with its unique features. We follow research protocols designed to provide healing relief for people struggling with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, OCD, or substance use disorders. Our clients use oral ketamine lozenges prescribed by board-certified medical doctors. KAP sessions, which include intention setting, self-administration of a sublingual ketamine lozenge, and deep integration therapy, are conducted in our comfortable therapy rooms accompanied by a trained KAP therapist. The entire experiential session lasts two hours. Research finds pairing ketamine with psychotherapy has exceptional results.
During the session, clients relax on comfortable couches, are offered blankets and eye shades, and listen to carefully curated playlists. A licensed ketamine-trained therapist remains in the room, ensuring safety, comfort, and optimal therapeutic integration of the experience.
How does Ketamine treatment feel?
Most people find the effects of ketamine to be pleasant. Effects include shifts in perception that often feel expansive, described as feeling greater openness to ideas and information. Patients often report a sense of unity with all things and a general perception of not being separate but interconnected with themselves and their surroundings.
At lower doses, clients remain conscious, feel more open, and are less fearful of discussing painful memories, thoughts, and feelings, leading to a quicker resolution. Moderate-to-high doses involve dissociation, out-of-body experiences, and a greater sense of connection to others and may include mystical or spiritual experiences. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are clear. Studies have shown that mood and neurological growth benefits continue weeks after the Ketamine experience.
Side Effects of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
After your KAP session, you may feel tired for a few or more hours. Some clients report short-lived side effects like nausea (medical doctors prescribe anti-nausea medication), blurred vision, and headaches. Some clients, especially those with insomnia, report longer than typical sleep and more vivid dreams.
For your safety, clients must refrain from driving or operating heavy machinery following KAP sessions. We also require that you arrange for a responsible driver to take you home after your session. These safety precautions are in place to ensure you feel secure and well-informed about the process.
Who is a Good Candidate for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
At KAP Wellness, we are committed to providing our clients with the highest level of care. We use a thorough Intake session to determine, from a psychological standpoint, whether KAP is a good treatment option for individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other conditions. Our clients have a medical consultation with an outside medical doctor, who prescribes oral ketamine if medically indicated.
For those who have not found relief with traditional therapy or psychiatric treatment, KAP may offer a promising alternative. If the medical doctor believes you are a candidate, our mental health professionals develop a treatment plan with measurable goals that address your unique symptoms and concerns. This emphasis on personalization is designed to make you feel understood and cared for in your journey towards mental health.
Sources: Journeyclinical.com, Dore J, Turnipseed B, Dwyer S, Turnipseed A, Andries J, Ascani G, Monnette C, Huidekoper A, Strauss N, Wolfson P. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data, and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2019 Apr-Jun;51(2):189-198. Doi: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1587556. Epub 2019 Mar 27. PMID: 30917760.
Video
Here’s How Ketamine actually Works as a Treatment
Testimonials
What People Say
“You have helped me truly discover my happiness, and despite how terrifying this trauma journey can be, I’m getting closer to healing my soul, a spiritual peace, and finally some redemption… and it’s not even about me anymore.”
“Thank you so very much Dr. Bautista, for everything you have done for my wife and me! The journey continues to be an amazing and beautiful one. I can honestly say I have never in my life felt the way that I do now. We could not have done this without your help. You are an amazing and gifted person. Please never forget that.”
“I could not help but reflect on this time, one year ago – when I could not even pick up the phone by myself – and you decided to pull me back out of work for another while. So here I am now, solving problems at work without any angst! Thank YOU! I could never have done this without you.”
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