This blog post is an adapted excerpt from a presentation in which Dr. Ko participated, covering the past, present, and future of ketamine therapy.

In this blog we’ll explore ketamine’s current therapeutic use, the three S's of ketamine therapy, its use versus misuse, and its portrayal in the media.

Exploring Ketamine Therapy: Uses, Success Rates, and Applications

Ketamine has a long history of safe use as an anesthetic. In recent years, however, it has become an off-label treatment for mental health issues such as treatment-resistant depression, bipolar depression, PTSD, OCD, postpartum depression, and anxiety disorders. The success rates of these treatments are astounding, with some clinics, including ours, reporting a 70-80% response rate in patients undergoing IV ketamine therapy. Additionally, chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, and neuropathic pain are also treatable.

The Three S's of Ketamine Therapy: Screening, Set, and Setting

The key to transformational ketamine therapy lies in the three S's: screening, set, and setting.

Screening involves identifying patients who can safely receive ketamine therapy while excluding those with conditions like uncontrolled hypertension or active hallucinations.
Set refers to the patient's mindset, preparation, and integration of the ketamine therapy experience. This “s” emphasizes the importance of a positive mindset and clear treatment goals and intentions.
Setting covers both the physical and social environment of the treatment, ensuring therapy occurs in a controlled, safe environment with professional medical oversight for immediate intervention if necessary.

Simply put, the three S’s cover three key aspects of ketamine therapy that can be overlooked in traditional healthcare: ensuring the patient is a good candidate for therapy, fostering the patient's active desire for improvement, and providing a safe physical and emotional environment with immediate professional support.

Navigating Use vs. Misuse and Ketamine in the Media

The distinction between ketamine's therapeutic use and misuse is critical, especially in light of recent media coverage on figures like Matthew Perry and Elon Musk. Despite sensational narratives, it's essential to focus on ketamine's scientific backing and clinical data supporting its efficacy and safety in controlled, professional settings. Here’s a metaphor to further highlight this point. Consider ketamine therapy as a car. Cars can be safely driven to take a person from point A to point B. The driver took time to learn how to drive, follows the traffic laws, and never drives impaired Now if you took that same car, with a different driver or even the same driver but this time they are impaired. They throw traffic laws out of the window, and now this same car can become deadly. Thus the outcome of ketamine therapy largely depends on how responsibly it is administered and managed.

Continue your exploration in ketamine misuse by reading our Are Ketamine Infusions Addictive? blog

For further insights and to explore the full scope of the presentation, watch the complete video and visit our co-presenters' blogs to learn about ketamine’s history and future innovations in this space.

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