We will be posting a series of interviews from patients who have been treated at Reset Ketamine. To protect patient privacy, all responses are anonymous. We hope their answers will provide you some insights about ketamine treatments.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT KETAMINE INFUSION TREATMENTS, AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE THIS AS A TREATMENT OPTION?
It was actually my husband who read about ketamine as a treatment for depression. We both looked into it further and in addition I consulted with my psychiatrist and therapist both before deciding to proceed. When the opportunity arose to try ketamine locally, instead of having to drive to Long Beach, which was the next closest clinic, I was eager to take a chance on it since everyone I talked to agreed that the early results were quite positive
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, AND WHAT OTHER TREATMENTS DID YOU TRY BEFORE KETAMINE?
I’ve suffered from episodic periods of severe depression for 35 years, and over that time I think I have tried every oral medication available and I’ve been treated as an inpatient as well. Nothing seemed to work for me for very long.
WHAT WAS YOUR INTENTION OR GOAL FOR THE KETAMINE INFUSIONS?
My goal, or I should say my deeply held hope, was to get some relief from the symptoms of my depression. And I was also really hoping that I wouldn’t have a bad “trip” since everything I knew about ketamine was as a street/party drug that caused people to “fall down a K-hole.” Not being a party person or recreational drug user, I wasn’t clear what, exactly, that meant, but I understood it to be very unpleasant.
HOW DID YOU FEEL GOING INTO YOUR FIRST INFUSION?
I will admit, now, that I was a skeptic about the treatment and went in thinking that I would try it but on some level I sort of felt like I was being overly indulgent, sort of like an expensive spa day with lots of ointments and unguents which wouldn’t really do anything lasting.
DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE TREATMENT?
I did not experience side effects in the sense of negative things that happened during or after the treatment. I have never felt any nausea or anxiety. I do go home and take a nap for about an hour or two since the treatment is very sedating. I also find that the nap helps to solidify any insights or revelations that I had during the treatment.
WHAT WAS THE KETAMINE INFUSION EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
Wow, the experience is, in many ways, beyond the verbal/written word. I’m sure it is different for every person but for me time and space dissolve into a very distinctly shaped and extremely colorful universe. I see lots of color, especially pink and green initially but lately there has been some blue and lavender, often with a background of intense blackness but never any aggressive colors like reds. The visions are heavily conditioned by the music that is playing. I can’t imagine the experience in silence, or worse, in a loud and chaotic club environment. Sometimes I feel in a sense that my mind is on a taffy puller like you see at the salt water taffy shop in any seaside town. At times I see lots of metallic structures and I feel very small against the very evident enormity of the universe but instead of that being frightening or minimalizing it makes me realize that if I give my depression too much power it will dominate me but even when confronted with these massive structures, bigger than anything you’ve see or imagined in real life, I come out alright in the end. I never see living things; no animals, people, or plants. It is always very industrial and metallic for me. Mentally, in a way I cannot explain, I always end up focused on those that I love the most, the people, and yes, animals that bring the most joy to my life. I’m not sure what the connection is but that is where I end up. Usually the treatment ends before I would like it to. I’m still nervous when I start but I always end up feeling better, more enlightened, and happier and more at peace with the world when the treatment ends.
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES DURING THE TREATMENT?
I’ve heard of people who “taste” or “hear” color but I never had the experience myself until during the ketamine treatments. I most often distinctly taste pink, sometimes purple, and bright silver structures sound harsh to the ear. And when I say that, I don’t mean a tinny sound like striking metal, no, this is a sound I’ve never heard before. And the same is true of the taste in that I would tempted to say, well, pink tastes like bubble gum of course, but that isn’t at all true. The taste of the colors is very unique and aren’t “like” anything else at all.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE LESSONS YOU’VE GAINED FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM THE TREATMENT?
I’ve learned how important and how easy it is to feel real empathy with another person. Letting yourself truly feel and think from another person’s perspective is so important I think. The insights about empathy and where real love is in my life quite literally saved my marriage. The selfishness of depression and the inability or unwillingness to see how a path very different from my own could bring someone else happiness are real dangers that I don’t think are addressed as much as they could be in the context of depression. There is a lot more to the condition that just feeling sad. I strongly feel that I learned this during ketamine treatment and I know that my relationship started to change in the car on the way home from the first treatment. My husband will verify that. And he, and my psychiatrist and therapist all have noted and commented on the changes in me, calling the treatment little short of miraculous and life saving for me.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING KETAMINE INFUSION TREATMENTS?
It’s OK to be nervous and it’s OK to be a skeptic at first. And the process may seem strange at first, it did to me, if you aren’t used to a setting the emphasizes mindfulness and self-awareness, but give it a try anyway. And the instructions you are given before the first treatment really do matter even if you can’t imagine how they would when you first read them. And trust in Dr. Ko and his staff. They truly have your best experience and outcomes foremost in their minds.
WHAT STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH DR. KO AND RESET KETAMINE?
I always feel supported and cared for during the entire experience. There is a true atmosphere of positivity in the sense that everyone involved clearly is dedicated to the process and believes in what they are doing. I’ve always felt safe in the physical setting and with the personalities and behaviors of the staff. I don’t feel like anyone is “just doing a job” or worse unhappy in their role. And I’ve always felt free to say whatever comes to mind after the experience, even something silly like “Star Wars is real” or something to that effect. There is absolutely zero judgment and that really lowers my inhibitions and raises my self-confidence which I think is essential for the process to be a success.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
I feel like I’ve said a lot already and usually I am a pretty quiet type of person. But I would say that if you are even considering this treatment then you should go ahead with it. I don’t believe anything negative will come of it for a person who gives it a try and I trust that Dr. Ko will be there with you to address any concern you have at literally any time during the process. You’ll feel like you are in a universe all your own but you can feel that because on some level you know that anything you need is right there. You can trust in the process and the personalities. Go for it!
If you’d like to read more patient interviews, click here to see a list of them all .
CONTACT RESET KETAMINE
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE IS SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY, PTSD, DEPRESSION, OR CHRONIC PAIN, PLEASE CONTACT US NOW FOR A CONSULTATION TO SEE IF YOU WOULD BE AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR KETAMINE INFUSIONS.
SERVING PALM SPRINGS, PALM DESERT, RANCHO MIRAGE, CATHEDRAL CITY, JOSHUA TREE, INDIAN WELLS, 29 PALMS, IDYLLWILD, REDLANDS, UPLAND, SAN BERNARDINO, LOMA LINDA, BEAUMONT, BANNING, ONTARIO, RIVERSIDE, LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY, SAN DIEGO, HOLLYWOOD, LONG BEACH, SANTA MONICA, AND ALL OF CALIFORNIA.
Learn what to expect during ketamine therapy, including key preparation steps, emotional responses, and tools to navigate your ketamine infusion experience.