Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
What if your depression could improve radically in a matter of weeks?
Most people would do anything for relief. When the all-consuming cloud of depression hangs over your head for months and even years, any glimmer of hope is worth investigating.
Utah resident Lily experienced debilitating depression. She was extremely concerned about her health and future given her state of being. The worst part of all was her inability to help herself.
The most effective treatment Lily tried was ketamine. In her words, "I feel a renewed sense of self and I'm able to show up at school and work with a ton of energy and excitement that before seemed impossible."
Prior to starting ketamine, Lily tried other treatments. She incorporated healthy habits into her routine, but nothing helped. "I felt like nothing I could do on my own would lift me out of the low functioning and reclusive state I was in," Lily recalled.
She tried SSRI medications and mood stabilizers, but she said they made her feel much worse or unsettlingly apathetic.
After hearing about ketamine treatments, Lily sought help from the medical providers at Anew Therapy. They explained to her that ketamine used in a medicinal setting is effective and safe.
According to their clinical outcomes, Anew Therapy patients have seen on average a 66% reduction of depression symptoms after three to six weeks. Moreover, 80% of their patients reported at least 50% improvement within three to six weeks of starting treatment. Patients with anxiety saw very similar results.
Lily's experience
Though everyone describes a different experience during their treatments, Lily described hers as safe and relaxing.
"Each treatment allowed my nervous system to really, fully relax for the first time in months. During each session I would enter a very safe feeling, a dream-like headspace where my body and all its tensions, anxieties, and general suffering would completely dissipate," she said.
In each case, licensed medical providers meet with prospective patients to go over their unique situation and determine if ketamine is the right fit.
Following the consultation, patients complete all their treatments in a private room where a controlled dose of ketamine is administered intramuscularly. Most patients describe the experience as a disconnection from their usual consciousness, allowing them to explore their thoughts, emotions and experiences through a different lens.
Anew Therapy embraces a holistic and patient-centered approach to ketamine therapy by partnering with several mental health professionals who can offer guided sessions or integration therapy following treatments.
After finishing six treatments, Lily is thriving. She said she no longer identifies with disruptive thoughts and feelings, and her feelings of doom transformed into feelings of hope.
Published research
Lily's experience with ketamine treatments isn't uncommon. According to one study performed by researchers at Massachusetts General Brigham and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, about 55% of those who received ketamine treatments saw improvement in their depression symptoms.
Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry saw similar results. According to their research, 50% of patients saw marked improvements after six weeks of treatments, and that number increased to about 72% after 10 infusions.
Unlike other treatment routes such as Prozac or Paxil (known as the SSRI class of medications), ketamine doesn't directly influence the level of a neurotransmitter serotonin or its receptors in the brain. Instead, ketamine impacts receptors for the neurotransmitters NMDA, glutamate and GABA.
Dr. Gerard Sanacora told Yale Medicine that ketamine actually "regenerate[s] synaptic connections between brain cells damaged by stress and depression."
Researchers are continuing to investigate the direct and indirect mechanisms that ketamine causes sustained positive shifts in mood for those plagued with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
Find your own hope
If you long for the relief that Lily and many other patients have experienced, ketamine therapy may be the answer. To see if it's right for you, call or text (801) 980-2690 to book a free 30-minute consultation with a licensed medical provider at Anew Therapy. If you're a first responder or a member of the military, be sure to mention it to qualify for their discount program.
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