Ketamine for the Cure: Revolutionizing Mental Health Treatment
You may have heard of ketamine, also called Special-K, a club drug known for its hallucinogenic and dissociative properties. Ketamine is often acknowledged for its association with clubbing, but it can also be an incredibly effective treatment for a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive compulsive disorder, and especially treatment- resistant depression. Ketamine is so miraculous because of its ability to improve the brain long-term.
Ketamine was first used medically in 1970 as an anesthetic. It wasn’t until recently that ketamine was used in the context of mental health treatment. It’s important to note that traditional treatments for depression, such as talk-therapy and oral medications taken daily, do not work for one-third of people experiencing major depressive disorder. Ketamine is intended to provide the patient with an intervention which may alter the way they experience their mental health and the world.
Ketamine is typically administered by doctors in a medical treatment facility. The only FDA-approved ketamine medication for depression is esketamine, which is a nasal spray. It can also be administered intravenously, in lozenge form, and from home. Even though the FDA has approved esketamine, regulating other forms of ketamine treatment may allow the drug to reach a wider group of people and improve their lives tremendously.
Ketamine is a fast-acting treatment: most patients report their symptoms improve after only one dose. Traditional oral depression medications take weeks or months to take effect, so an instant remedy is revolutionary. Ketamine is also intended to be taken less and less frequently as symptoms continue to improve. Eventually, most patients will not need to continue ketamine therapy after the positive effects fully materialize.
Ketamine is associated with neuroplasticity because of its ability to alter the brain and its synapses. Ketamine can break neural connections that form during depression, allowing new synapses to replace them. This means that the brain can physically change and become healthier, which is reflected in reduced symptoms and the formation of more positive thought patterns. This means ketamine can actually cure depression because of its ability to permanently alter the brain.
Most treatments for depression and other mental health disorders are expected to be continued indefinitely, or until the patients’ situations or environments improve, which is not always likely. Additionally, for patients who have chemical imbalances, medication can seem like a life-sentence. The permanent positive effects of ketamine could be life-changing for patients who rely on daily medications.
I propose that the FDA regulates different types of ketamine therapy. Esketamine is currently FDA-approved, but I believe that increasing the types of ketamine treatment available would encourage more people to consider ketamine treatment. Because of its efficacy and almost instantaneous results, I hope that ketamine therapy becomes more normalized in the United States as opposed to traditional treatments for mental health disorders.
Like any medication, ketamine therapy has side effects. Because ketamine alters the brain, continued use may increase the likelihood and frequency of symptoms like dissociation and hallucinations. This means ketamine is not a suitable treatment for many people, including teenagers, people experiencing psychosis, adults with dementia, and people with substance abuse problems. Ketamine can be addictive for some users because it binds to opioid receptors in the brain, although the risk of addiction is relatively low. Additionally, it can make people feel nauseous and experience increased heart rate and blood pressure (which may mimic symptoms of anxiety).
No medication is suitable for all users, and because ketamine is an intense treatment, it’s highly unlikely that it would work for all people. Although ketamine may not be an appropriate treatment for all patients, there are certain people with specific circumstances that this treatment could really help. Medical administrators also take special care in determining who this treatment is suitable for, and it is currently treated as somewhat of a last resort option.
I hope that ketamine therapy gains more credibility and government support in the coming years. Although it is mostly used in extreme cases and is treated as a last-ditch effort, I believe regulating ketamine therapy would help, and even cure, people across the country. The findings on ketamine therapy are groundbreaking, and a treatment like this could change the way we think about, and experience, our mental health treatment forever.