Ketamine for PTSD
Fast & Efficient PTSD Treatment in Gallatin, TN & Nashville, TN
Reports on the frequency of PTSD in the United States fluctuate depending upon the particular group or populace being examined. Overall, PTSD impacts about 3.5% of the U.S. population, approximately 8 million Americans, in a given year.
If you have tried other treatments and therapies that have provided little to no relief, then you might be a good candidate for ketamine infusion therapy, a new treatment option for those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.
Ketamine Infusions for PTSD Treatment
Ketamine infusions for PTSD treatment are quickly becoming one of the most popular treatment options for various mood disorders including depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and bipolar disorder.
Unlike many traditional medications like SSRIs which can take months to start working, ketamine therapy offers patients relief quickly, with some individuals reporting relief within a few hours of their first infusion session.
What Are The Symptoms of PTSD?
PTSD indicators are commonly put into four types: invasive memories, avoidance, unfavorable changes in thinking and emotional state, and transformations in physical and emotional responses. Symptoms of PTSD can vary in time or vary from one person to another.
Intrusive memories
Symptoms of intrusive memories may include:
- Recurrent, unwanted distressing memories of the traumatic event
- Reliving the traumatic event as if it were happening again (flashbacks)
- Upsetting dreams or nightmares about the traumatic event
- Severe emotional distress or physical reactions to something that reminds you of the traumatic event
Avoidance
Symptoms of avoidance may include:
- Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event
- Avoiding places, activities, or people that remind you of the traumatic event
Negative changes in thinking and mood
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include:
- Negative thoughts about yourself, other people, or the world
- Hopelessness about the future
- Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event
- Difficulty maintaining close relationships
- Feeling detached from family and friends
- Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Difficulty experiencing positive emotions
- Feeling emotionally numb
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include:
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Always being on guard for danger
- Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast
- Trouble sleeping
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability, angry outbursts, or aggressive behavior
- Overwhelming guilt or shame
How Does Ketamine Help Treat PTSD ?
Scientists believe that ketamine helps with depression by rapidly boosting the activity of glutamate, a neurotransmitter inside the frontal cortex of the human brain, while also allowing new pathways to form in the same area.
The promptness of ketamine in yielding an antidepressant effect occurs because this drug bypasses the conventional serotonin path and goes straight to switching on glutamate.
This is remarkably different from conventional antidepressants, which initially boost serotonin activity levels in several different areas of the brain to ultimately affect glutamate. This process usually takes weeks and months, while ketamine produces an almost instant result and relief from depression symptoms.
Are There Any Adverse Effects of Ketamine?
As a new treatment option for PTSD, ketamine has a few minor side effects. These can include a dream-like feeling, double or blurred vision, lightheadedness, nausea or vomiting, and small anxiety feelings after being given a dose. This treatment method is not developmental because this is an FDA-approved drug utilized for “off-label” or less typical use.
An “off-label” use indicates that it is provided as a treatment that the FDA did not initially authorize. The FDA approves prescription medications only for a certain lot of uses, but most medications at some point develop off-label uses as a result of the clinical experience that develops in time.
As a good example, the medication Prazosin was authorized to treat hypertension in 1976. It is now mainly used to treat nightmares in individuals with PTSD, a use that was not at first approved.
Where Will I Receive My Ketamine Infusions?
During treatment, we go above and beyond to make sure all of our patients feel as comfortable as possible in their own private rooms. Infusions for mood disorders can typically last 40-60 minutes, while chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia require a larger dose and can take 2-4 hours.
A number of our clients refer to a “dissociation” effect and the majority of our patients take pleasure in this sensation. For a large number of patients, this disconnection effect is what aids with your treatment and delivers a positive response to your ketamine therapy.
This is all an ordinary component of the treatment and you will always remain in a safe atmosphere with our team to monitor you and be readily available to you in any way during your infusion.
Is Ketamine Treatment The Right Solution for You?
Are you ready to take back control of your life? Tired of trying one medication after the other to only be left with those same feelings of depression? Then ketamine infusions might be a great option for you.
Contact Three Rivers Wellness in Gallatin, TN, & Nashville TN, to request your consultation and learn more about how ketamine infusions for PTSD treatment can change your life.
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