Reset Ketamine Patient Interview - Finding Peace After PTSD
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.
Healing from PTSD may seem impossible, but it is doable with the right treatment and guidance.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT KETAMINE INFUSION TREATMENTS, AND HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE THIS AS A TREATMENT OPTION?
I found out about ketamine treatments through my network of co-workers and friends that also have trauma backgrounds. I had never heard of it before and when I began asking about it, I discovered friends that had done IV, pill, and microdose inhaler applications of ketamine. All had raving reviews and found it life-changing. All of them have also suggested that I research ketamine further and determine if it’s a treatment that would be of interest to me. I did a lot of research and I went back to my friends and asked a lot of questions. I came to the conclusion that ketamine was a treatment that I wanted to pursue because it would do more than just treat the symptoms like my antidepressants; it would reset the brain responses that have plagued me since my childhood.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, AND WHAT OTHER TREATMENTS DID YOU TRY BEFORE KETAMINE?
I’m a business owner in his 40’s who discovered a few years ago that my lifelong depression symptoms were probably rooted in something more, which I knew I had to uncover. When researching my symptoms, I quickly discovered they were likely rooted in trauma. I spent a few years reading and researching further and it was blatantly obvious I was suffering from PTSD and had been since my youth. It’s truly uncanny how many times I read accounts of PTSD sufferers and said “That’s me! That’s how I feel! That happens to me every day!”
After identifying it, I still didn’t know how to heal. I spent a year doing talk therapy and as part of that healing, we did EMDR. I spent a lot of time looking at my trauma with a clearer lens, seeing the magnitude of ways that it affected me, and understanding how much of that was still stuck in my body. As the year progressed, I participated in Equine Therapy and it was also incredibly helpful. I had an opportunity to identify so much of what was holding me back and reclaimed my power. Plus, I met one of the people who would introduce me to ketamine as a therapy option.
I think that year and those experiences eliminated about 60% - 70% of my daily triggers and helped me develop a sense of self-compassion that I had never known I was missing. However, the remaining 30% - 40% of triggers were still there and I pursued ketamine as a way to eliminate them.
WHAT WAS YOUR INTENTION OR GOAL FOR THE KETAMINE INFUSIONS?
I pursued ketamine because I was sick of Band-Aids. I spent a lot of my year in intense therapy accepting that I’d always suffer from my PTSD symptoms to some degree; it’s actually part of the treatment goals for PTSD sufferers.
However, I wanted to pursue actual healing and reset my neurological system to eliminate my daily struggles with triggers. Those triggers negatively affected my marriage, my work, and my sense of self worth on a daily basis. Those triggers had also been activating my body’s stress response systems all day, every day, for over 40 years and I was starting to see the effects of that on my physical health.
Ketamine was a gift to myself to address those daily triggers and it delivered.
HOW DID YOU FEEL GOING INTO YOUR FIRST INFUSION?
Of course, I was anxious before my first treatment, but I was ready. I had already done the hard work of identifying my trauma, seeing it clearly, and uncovering the magnitude of ways my trauma affects my daily life. So, I had already stared my trauma in the face and was no longer afraid of it. My intentions going into my infusions were to really see, accept, and love myself, tame my anxiety, and to surrender/give up control and connect with the experience.
While I was anxious, I was not scared. Dr. Ko and his team created an incredibly comfortable and safe atmosphere to heal in.
DID YOU EXPERIENCE ANY SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE TREATMENT?
There were a few circumstances that led me to choose the treatment path that I did and they were luxuries, but they did make a difference regarding side effects. The path of treatment that I chose was 6 treatments: Monday, Wednesday, Friday for two weeks in a row. I’ll be honest and say that it was a lot to pack into two weeks. I experienced a lot of low energy and naps between treatments the first week. I had much more energy the second week, but I was still below my normal levels. It was obvious my body was healing.
However, it’s important to note that other than some slight nausea and lingering sensitivity to sound and light, I felt very comfortable and peaceful during my treatment period in spite of the tiredness.
WHAT WAS THE KETAMINE INFUSION EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU?
The infusion experience was extremely comfortable, safe, and calm. Dr. Ko and his team create an incredibly welcoming environment and they radiate compassion and competence at every turn. I felt safe, cared for, and ready to heal.
Admittedly, I had some initial anxiety over what would transpire during my treatment. Would I go to a bad place, relive my trauma, or otherwise? But I experienced none of those things. I cannot speak for others, obviously, but my experience was more like going inside during a deep meditation rather than anything remotely anxiety-inducing.
My favorite part was the heated chair and the blanket. Honestly, I feel like I need to get one of my own for naps!
WHAT WAS ONE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES DURING THE TREATMENT?
My ketamine journey was very much like a deep, inward meditation. It was completely peaceful and I felt a few things that I’m not sure I’ve felt before: I felt connected and a part of the universe and the world around me for the first time. I also felt a sense of self compassion and self-love that is new to me. Those two things have made all the difference.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE LESSONS YOU’VE GAINED FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE FROM THE TREATMENT?
I think it’s important to think beyond the treatment. I made specific plans with my family and my co-workers to lay low for a few months while I healed afterward – that helped! I also started drawing daily as a form of expression and meditation. The results have been profound and I’m impressed with what comes out of me, which is a great way to experience self-love. I would encourage others to do something that brings them joy and growth following their treatment.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS CONSIDERING KETAMINE INFUSION TREATMENTS?
1) I believe it’s possible to heal from PTSD. I’ve spent so many years coming to terms with the thought that PTSD could be minimized, but always had to be managed. It felt like a death sentence to me, but one I was willing to shoulder; I could be tamed, but I’d always be a beast in my heart. The truth is, I don’t have the triggers anymore and I feel like my PTSD is virtually non-existent.
2) Prepare for what might come afterwards and find outlets for the renewed energy and zest for life that you’ll feel afterwards. I hike and I draw, and I have a renewed vigor for both post-treatment. Worth noting is that my focus in drawing, in particular, is no longer about my trauma, but about all of the beauty within me and my life in spite of that trauma. It’s been an interesting and welcome shift and the ketamine helped me get there.
WHAT STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH DR. KO AND RESET KETAMINE?
What stood out the most to me was their holistic approach. The entire experience was about me and my healing rather than getting another patient in and out of the office. The level of compassion that went into their care made a difference.
If you found this blog to be helpful, check these out too:
Are Repeat Ketamine Infusions Safe for PTSD & Depression?
This blog explores whether repeated ketamine infusions are safe over time, plus stresses the importance of communicating with your provider about any potential side effects.
Ketamine's Effect On The Brain: A PTSD Study
At present, there are not a lot of drugs that can effectively treat patients with PTSD. But with emerging studies on ketamine to treat PTSD, the results show that ketamine’s effect on the brain could be a game-changer. Read this blog to learn more about how ketamine can treat those with PTSD.
Integration: Take Action After Your Ketamine Infusion
During your ketamine infusion treatment, it is important to understand that ketamine is just a catalyst and that the power of creating change is ultimately up to you. From the insights you will be gaining from your ketamine journey, we will be talking about why taking action is the most important part of the process.
In this patient interview, our patient talks about his years of struggle and feelings of anxiety with his PTSD. Plus, how, through ketamine therapy and our holistic approach, he was able to achieve overall healing and self-love.