Here are some reasons why ketamine might be a good option for you: 

 

You Have Treatment Resistant Depression

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As mentioned above, there can be some trial and error when it comes to medications for mental health and not all medications will work for everyone. Since traditional anti-depressants only work for around 20% of people, there are many who try every option available only to find that nothing helps relieve the severe symptoms they experience. Ketamine has proven to be a helpful treatment for depression that other medications leave untouched, giving those who continue to suffer an exciting new option.

 

You Want to Experience Relief Quickly With Minimal Side Effects

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Ketamine treatment is known for working fast. Sometimes patients notice a change in as little as an hour after treatment. Ketamine has long-lasting effects on mood disorders, even though the infusion only takes about an hour. Some patients report feeling better immediately following their first dose. Some report an immediate decrease in thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation. Since ketamine only stays in the body for a short time, any side effects from the treatment (like dizziness or nausea) will also only last a short time. It’s also rare to experience allergies to ketamine. 

 

You are Willing to Come in for Maintenance
 

While some people experience relief from a single infusion, most people have to come back in for maintenance to keep up the results. While this is less of a time commitment than, say, going to talk therapy and a physician regularly to be prescribed antidepressants, there is still a time commitment involved. If going in for multiple treatments doesn’t bother you, then ketamine might be a good choice. 

 

You Have Chronic Pain

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Ketamine can also help patients with chronic pain. It is a pain-relieving medication (remember, it is used as an anesthetic). Chronic pain is a serious condition and ketamine can be a reliable way to decrease the pain that people experience. Some people have been on opioids for a long time and find them to be less effective, and of course, there is an opioid crisis in the United States right now, making many patients wary of relying on opioids. 

 

You are Experiencing Suicidal Ideation

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Ketamine therapy can quickly relieve suicidal ideation, making it a life-saving medication for people who are experiencing thoughts of suicide. Some people report feeling an almost immediate decrease in suicidal ideation after a single injection, which can be useful if someone is in a crisis

 

You Have Severe Anxiety

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Similar to treatment-resistant depression, some anxiety disorders don’t respond to the traditional treatment methods used. Ketamine has been shown to lessen severe anxiety, even for patients who didn’t respond to other treatments. Severe anxiety can be incredibly limiting, so having an option to quickly treat it can be invaluable. 

 

You're Willing & Able to Pay Out-of-Pocket

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Since it is not an FDA approved treatment, ketamine is not likely to be the first line of treatment. It is not covered by insurance, unlike therapy and medications, which sometimes are. People who are treated with ketamine for mental health problems have often tried just about every treatment under the sun with little to no relief for their pain. Though there are studies underway to prove the efficacy of ketamine as a mental health treatment (and get it approved by the FDA), many patients cannot afford (emotionally, physically, or financially) to wait. For now, the use of ketamine to treat things like depression is off-label, which means it won’t be covered by insurance.