Ketamine has been found to effectively treat depression, anxiety & PTSD. But what makes it so effective? In this blog, we talk about a study done on mice that shows how ketamine literally changes our brains.
What Will Your Ketamine Experience Be Like?
When Should I Not Get a Ketamine Infusion?
Although Ketamine is a great alternative treatment option, it may not be for everyone. Because of how powerful Ketamine can be, certain conditions or medications may not react well with the infusion. Making it harmful to some individuals. A Ketamine experience should be a healing experience. That is why it is important to know If Ketamine may or may not be an option for you.
How Ketamine Affects The Default Mode Network
What’s The Default Mode Network?
The default mode network (DMN) describes various portions in your brain that seem to get activated when your mind is in a passive, non-task oriented state. So it might be when you're just relaxing, daydreaming, thinking about the future or the past without a specific goal. Some people hypothesize that this is actually where the ego may reside and also where we hold a lot of these internal beliefs that may not be supporting us. So for example, you might habitually be saying to yourself, "I'm not good enough" or "I'm not worthy " or "I don’t deserve that.” These automatic thought patterns may be stemming from your default mode. You're not consciously trying to think of this but it just reflexively comes up.
Exploring the Unconscious Mind During a Ketamine Infusion
What is the unconscious mind?
Each individual has a conscious (what we are aware of) and unconscious (what we are unaware of) part of the mind. Sigmund Freud once described the mind using the metaphor of an iceberg. When you look at an iceberg you'll see the top of it above water which can be quite big, but when you look underneath deep down into the ocean you'll see a larger amount of the iceberg. What's interesting is the vast majority of the iceberg is actually underneath and invisible. Freud uses the iceberg metaphor to describe the conscious mind and the unconscious mind. The conscious mind is the visible portion and the unconscious mind is the portion not visible above water. The unconscious mind controls a lot of what we think and how we behave. And we're simply unaware of it.
Reset Ketamine Interview - “I am OK."
What advice would you give to someone who is considering ketamine infusion treatments?
This was the best gift I could have ever given myself. I was so worried and concerned about the money and finances of it UNTIL…. I got in the car after my first session and stated “No regrets. It’s worth every penny!”
Reset Ketamine Interview - Where East Meets West
What stands out in your mind about your experience with Dr. Ko & Reset Ketamine?
For me, it’s been transformational - Dr. Ko is an obviously skilled and capable clinician, but I think he’s found his true calling in this therapeutic work. His approach to medicine embraces both the Western and Eastern traditions, and for me, that is very rare...and powerful. He and his staff make me feel safe, cared for and seen as a whole person, and we can all benefit from that.
Why Don't Insurance Companies Cover Ketamine Treatments?
To simplify the question, we will limit the discussion to ketamine and its role in depression.
The short answers are: 1) Unawareness of ketamine as a treatment 2) Ketamine is not FDA approved for mood disorders 3) Ketamine is considered an experimental or investigational drug
But to leave it at this doesn’t fully explain it. To explore more, let’s do a deeper dive into each of these answers.
