CUTTING-EDGE TREATMENT
Ketamine can be life-saving.
This unique treatment is like a 'reset button' on the neuro-immune system and stimulates neurogenesis, which stimulates health.
- Susie Wiet, MD
KETAMINE TREATMENT AT SOVEGNA
Clients seeking ketamine treatment at Sovegna meet with our med-psych team to discuss clinical eligibility based on individual history. Generally, people who are eligible include those with:
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severe depression that has not responded to prior trials of medication
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suicidal thoughts
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post-traumatic stress disorder
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limited chronic pain conditions
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history of addiction relapse
Most adults who consider ketamine have already tried many avenues of medication treatment and health-supporting activities, such as talk therapy, journaling and meditation, or physical exercise. Many have experienced mild or episodic changes in their symptoms and may seek ketamine treatment for sustained or greatly improved relief.
Physician-directed ketamine
can be an effective treatment for unresolved depression, persistent suicidal thoughts, recurrent relapses, and chronic PTSD.
While undergoing ketamine treatment, most medications can be continued. Our medical team will provide appropriate guidance as needed.
KETAMINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
Our Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) protocol combines physician-directed ketamine treatments with expert therapy. The combination of this medication + therapy has demonstrated substantial benefit for our clients above ketamine-only treatment. We have developed our own KAP protocol, which has offered dramatic benefits – especially for clients who have a history of significant trauma and/or addiction. Our approach is guided by research and clinical application.
Our KAP protocol creates the emotional safety necessary for processing the old and integrating a new perspective for sustained change. This intensive transition stimulates neuro-remodeling and is a prime opportunity for forging new and healthy patterns of behavior. These changes are associated with greatly improving or fully resolving severe depression, chronic suicidal ideation, trauma and/or addiction. We encourage continued therapy after completing a KAP protocol series to optimize the ongoing benefits of emotional healing and growth.
WHY KETAMINE WORKS
Psychiatric use of ketamine has become relatively widespread in recent years and is increasingly used as an off-label treatment for chronic conditions, often when other treatment approaches have been unsuccessful. It has been utilized successfully in treatment-resistant mental health conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychiatric conditions. Ketamine has also been used as treatment for addictions as part of comprehensive treatment programs, primarily abroad. It has been studied and promoted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Ketamine is assumed to act on the NMDA brain receptors of the glutamate neurotransmitter system, although there is no absolute scientific consensus. This is a very different pathway than that addressed by most other psychiatric medications. Through the NMDA pathway receptors, ketamine can also influence the immune system, which can provide immediate and substantial relief from tortuous thoughts, emotions, and chronic pain associated with inflammation. These symptoms are often accompanied by long-term depression, post-traumatic stress, suicidal thoughts, and addiction-relapse. Ketamine can dramatically improve the experience of these disorders and related symptoms
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, which causes a sense of disconnection from one’s ordinary reality and usual self. Ketamine was approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic agent in 1970. It is a Schedule III medication that has long been used safely as an anesthetic and analgesic agent. Treatment doses for ketamine protocol series is substantially lower than that for anesthesia.
KETAMINE TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS
On occasion, certain clients may not be suitable for ketamine treatment due to underlying medical and/or psychiatric risks. Eligibility will be determined based on clinical assessment by our psychiatrist and/or licensed clinical therapist and medical history and exam by our internal medicine physician.
Please be aware that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet established an approval for the use of ketamine as a treatment for psychiatric and related conditions (as above). Therefore, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and its use is considered off-label. The only official FDA ‘indication’ for use of ketamine is anesthesia or anesthetic purposes.