For patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression, ketamine treatments can be the solution. Unfortunately, it isn’t 100% guaranteed for everyone. There is a subset of patients who don't respond. You may be wondering if you will be able to reap the benefits of this cutting-edge treatment. In this blog post, we will be exploring several reasons why it is not 100% effective for everyone.
It’s important to note that there are some medications that don’t work well with ketamine.
REASON #1: MEDICATIONS
There are some medications known to decrease the effectiveness of ketamine. The most commonly known ones are lamotrigine and benzodiazepines. So if you’re taking any of these medications, you may not benefit as much from ketamine treatments.
To ensure that the ketamine treatment is effective, the one who administers ketamine needs to tailor the right dose aka the “Goldilocks amount.”
REASON #2: THE APPROPRIATE DOSE
You neither want too much or too little ketamine. There is usually an appropriate dose, which varies per individual. Think of the appropriate dose as an upside down U- shaped curve. The optimal amount is right at the peak, which we like to call the “Goldilocks amount” since it’s just right!
At our clinic, we custom tailor each infusion to get that right dose. That way, we give you the ideal amount of benefit for each session.
What plays a vital role in ketamine infusions is the preparation before the actual treatment.
REASON #3: PREPARATION
Preparation is so crucial. That's why its surprising a lot of ketamine treatment clinics don’t emphasize it as much as they should. This step involves feeding our minds with the right experiences before treatment.
Feeding it negative thoughts and experiences isn’t a good idea. That's why you should avoid things like watching a horror movie or playing violent video games the night before your session.
At our clinic, we recommend patients prepare for at least five days before the infusion. They should also maintain this mindset throughout the series of infusions. This ensures that they're always in the right mindset for treatment.
What the patient experiences during the ketamine infusion relies heavily on the set and setting of where they are at.
REASON #4: THE SET & THE SETTING
The "set" refers to one's mindset and intention before receiving the ketamine infusions. We like to think of the intention as setting the GPS coordinates before going on a long road trip. And it's really important to know exactly where you want to go and what you want to achieve during the session.
The other factor is the "setting." Where is the clinic at? How do you feel when you're there? What does it smell like? What music is being played? Are you checking social media as you're getting your ketamine infusions? All these things play a factor in the ineffable experience of the ketamine treatment. You want to be conscious of all that!
Ketamine creates these non-ordinary states of consciousness. Thus, you want to be in the right "set" with the right "setting" during treatment.
After your ketamine infusion, integration plays an important role in reaping the benefits of the treatment.
REASON #5: INTEGRATION
Ketamine treatments don’t end after a session. This is where integration comes in. We like to think of integration as doing the homework that one knows in their heart should do. And this “homework” is done between the sessions and after the sessions.
This may look like taking a break from alcohol, starting to exercise, journaling, or starting g a meditation practice. It is going to be different for each person. Some people talk with an integration specialist or therapist after the sessions. This allows them to maximize the benefits from the ketamine treatments.
Although ketamine treatments are great it's only one part of a holistic approach.
Just like planting a seed, the process of growth after your ketamine infusion sessions takes time.
REASON #6: THE NUMBER OF SESSIONS
The optimal number of sessions per person varies. Some people will get dramatically better after one or two sessions. Whereas for other people, it can take four to six even before they notice a difference.
Like planting a seed, reaping the benefits of ketamine therapy will take some time. It is not an on-and-off switch, where immediately it changes. We would say it's more like a gradual process of a plant growing. You wouldn't plant a seed and come back the next day and expect for it to have sprouted instantly. But if you water it. Give it plenty of sunshine and fertilizer then it'll slowly grow.
Inasmuch as we want ketamine to be for everyone, unfortunately it isn’t.
REASON #7: IT’S NOT 100% FOR EVERYONE
We wish that ketamine treatments were 100% effective for 100% of the population. But this is simply not the case. Studies have shown that about 30 to 40% of people are non-responders.
And at our clinic, we do have a slightly higher rate of improvement of up to 83% of patients but it’s still not 100%. We don't know why, and it could simply be because everyone is different. It might be due to genetic differences or other unknown factors. But it is what it is.
If ketamine isn’t for you, fear not. There are plenty of options for you to choose from.
THERE IS STILL HOPE
If you fall into one of these seven categories don't lose hope. There are many other options that you can explore. Ketamine is simply one tool in the arsenal of mental health. You have other treatments like ECT, transcranial magnetic stimulation, EMDR, as well as other medications that are coming out.
Because there's so much research happening right now, an incredible amount of innovation is happening in mental health right now. So keep your eyes open, keep your ears open, & don't lose hope!
You’ve been getting ketamine treatments, but you haven’t been getting better. Find out the 7 reasons why at our blog.
