How long have you been dealing with depression? While for many, depression only lasts a few weeks, others aren’t so lucky. Treatment-resistant depression can consume years of your life. You struggle, seemingly endlessly, day after day, with symptoms such as hopelessness, reduced energy, low mood, and sleep difficulties.
To escape the downward pull of depression, especially if your condition doesn’t improve with time, you need access to a full range of treatment options. Again, this is more of an issue for some unlucky people than it is for others. Talk therapy or antidepressant medication may be enough to lift you out of your depressed state. But if you find that your symptoms don’t improve, you could have treatment-resistant depression. That’s where we’re finding that medical ketamine treatment offers a promise of rapid and effective symptom relief.
At Iconic Infusions, PLLC of Fayetteville, North Carolina, board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Bryant S. Edwards takes depression treatment seriously, working with new and existing patients to explore a range of holistic healing pathways. Dr. Edwards offers intravenous (IV) ketamine therapy, in addition to other approaches to depression recovery.
How does ketamine provide rapid depression relief? The answer lies in the structure and function of your brain. That’s because, while it may seem like depression is a disorder centered in your emotions, the root of your mental health problem is often actually found in your brain, brain activity levels, and neurochemistry.
We call ketamine treatment a neuromodulatory therapy because of the way that ketamine positively interacts with your brain. This dissociative drug can transform your brain’s underlying activity.
After treatment, brain pathways that have been overly active quiet down, while understimulated areas become more active. These brain-level changes, in turn, work to quickly and effectively lift your mood and restore your hopefulness and energy.
Ketamine is sometimes abused as a party drug, but, with the aid and supervision of a board-certified physician, it becomes a safe, non-addictive therapy option. Dr. Edwards discusses your depression symptoms and health history with you, and helps you understand if ketamine is a good option for you.
During an IV ketamine treatment session, which generally takes about an hour to complete, you rest in a peaceful part of our offices, enjoying gentle sensory stimulation. We supervise your treatment, so you’re never alone, and we can catch any adverse reactions right away. Most patients tolerate ketamine treatment well, and some even find the experience pleasant. You may feel floaty or detached from your body during your infusion session.
For many patients, including those with previously treatment-resistant depression, ketamine provides immediate and potentially lasting relief. While the dissociative effect of ketamine passes within half an hour of infusion, the brain transformations remain. Studies show that up to 70% of depression patients experience improvements in mood and energy levels after ketamine treatment.
One treatment session can make a significant difference, immediately relieving your depression symptoms. You may also benefit from a series of therapeutic infusions to sustain positive changes in long-term brain activity. Dr. Edwards often recommends a course of six ketamine infusion sessions, spaced out over about three weeks, for patients suffering from treatment-resistant or chronic depression.
You don’t need to wait to see if another antidepressant, or an adjusted dosage, can pull you out of depression. To kickstart rapid mental health improvement, talk to Dr. Edwards about whether you could be a good candidate for ketamine therapy.
Get started by scheduling your initial consultation at Iconic Infusions, PLLC online or by phone today.
