Depression can be incredibly difficult to live with and to battle. The very nature of the illness means that people who have it do not always take the initiative to seek care. Plus, there's the fact that depression treatments don't always work for everyone. If you've tried a few different treatments and have not yet experienced relief, then you may be understandably resistant to trying yet another depression medication. And that's where ketamine comes in. Ketamine is a different type of treatment for depression, and it is well worth a try — especially if you have already tried several other depression treatments. Here are some of the key benefits of ketamine.
Ketamine is given in a doctor's office.
One struggle with conventional depression medications is that they need to be taken every day. People who are depressed do not always remember to take their medication, and not taking it every day can actually lead to more side effects in some cases. Ketamine is not a medication that you have to take every day. Rather, it is administered via an IV in your doctor's office. All you have to do to receive the treatment is show up, and a doctor or nurse will administer it.
Ketamine treatment has an "end date."
Often when people take medications for depression, they are told they will need to be on those medications long-term, and perhaps even for the rest of their lives. This can be demoralizing, and also a bit inconvenient. Ketamine therapy, on the other hand, is a course of treatment with an end date. The treatment period can be different for everyone. For example, one person may need ketamine infusions once a week for eight weeks, while another needs treatments for 12 weeks. But there is a defined treatment period, and when your depression lifts, you can stop the ketamine infusions.
Ketamine prompts your brain to form new connections.
Ketamine is not a bandage for depression; it's a real solution. It is thought to stimulate your brain to form new neural connections that help you adopt and maintain a more positive mindset. These brain adaptations do take some time, but that time adds up to weeks or a few months, not years. The changes are permanent and long-lasting, too.
Ketamine treatment for depression has a lot of benefits. Talk to a doctor at a service such as New Tele Doc to see whether this option is a good choice for you.
Share10 April 2023
When my mother fell at home and broke her hip, we all thought that we were going to have no choice to put her in a nursing home when she got out of the hospital. My mother had always asked us kids to avoid putting her in any kind of home, but we didn’t know what else we could do. None of us were capable of giving her the kind of rehabilitation and care that she needed. Then her doctor suggested that we find out if her insurance covered in-home care. I didn’t even know that that was an option. I was pleased to discover that in-home care was covered by her plan. Now she gets great care from nurses and nurse assistants that come right to her in her home, where she wants to be. It’s a great option, and I’m so glad we have it.
