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Within the last 20 years, ketamine has gone from a recreational “street drug” to receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval—in certain forms—to help aid those suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts. Depression is the largest form of mental illness, and is the number one cause of disability amongst people between the ages of 15 and 44. Depression can affect people differently—some for a short period of time, and others chronically. 

Depression is often defined by its more common symptoms: feeling of sadness, hopelessness, irritability and loss of interests in activities and hobbies that once brought joy. While about 40% of those who suffer from depression are able to receive effective treatment in the form of pharmaceutical drugs and talk therapy, those who suffer from treatment-resistant depression will be unaffected by these medical interventions. Thanks to research done over the past several decades, ketamine therapy offers renewed hope for these people, alleviating symptoms for up to 70% of patients.

At Weill Cornell Medicine, Dr. Benjamin Brody, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry and an attending psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, is leading a program to explore and research the clinical use of ketamine infusions to treat depression. Dr. Brody states, “What’s so exciting about ketamine is not only that it works for people whose symptoms are not responding to traditional treatments, but it also works much more rapidly—in days or even hours.” Dr. Brody goes on to explain that some patients are even receiving immediate relief from ketamine infusions—a major improvement from the several weeks or months needed for an antidepressant to begin working. For those who have suffered from chronic treatment-resistant depression, ketamine could change—or save—their lives.

The biggest challenge with ketamine, however, is that the positive effects seem to wear off within weeks or months in some patients. The scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine are currently researching how to make the positive effects last longer. 

Even though some patients may find that the effects of ketamine diminish after several months, the treatments do relieve symptoms enough to allow patients to more actively partake in other forms of long-term healing: exercise, therapy, meditation, yoga, and other forms of self-care that depression may have prevented them from engaging in beforehand. 

If you suffer from treatment-resistant depression—and traditional medicine and therapy has not helped—then you may be a candidate for ketamine therapy. Ketamine therapy has been shown to help up to 70% of those who suffer from treatment-resistant depression, even when no other treatment has worked.

To learn more about ketamine infusion therapy, contact us for a free consultation, or fill out the brief form below. Someone from our clinical team will reach out to you to answer any questions or concerns you may have. 

ketamine for depression

Contact Ketamine Greater Boston

Contact our ketamine infusion therapy center today for a free consultation, or simply complete the brief form below and a member of our clinical team will reach out to answer your questions and address your concerns.