Don't think of ketamine as an antidepressant.

In psychiatric medicine there are many antidepressant drugs targeting the neurotransmitter model of depression. 30% to 50% of people do not respond to these drugs, which begs the question, "Why is the neurotransmitter model of treatment the most widely accepted?"

This way of thinking has carried over into the treatment models using ketamine, which targets the glutamate system, not the serotonin system. While ketamine is tremendously more effective in that model, it still doesn't represent the weight of ketamine's true relevance. Instead, ketamine can be psychologically transformative. Transformation can be directly linked to the experience, not an overly simplistic and incomplete model of chemical imbalance.

Knowing this is beneficial for patients so that they may lean more heavily on the experience of the treatment, and not simply an antiquated model of pill-popping. This would mean that in a perfect world you would not need further treatment after the initial treatment. Results vary widely, and we see lasting effects from 1-6 months before needing a booster. Our patient's results are more directly related to the quality of the experience, not on a theoretical model of imbalance.

Knowing this, it is in your best interest to properly prepare for your series of infusions. Take the following into consideration in the days leading up to your treatment.

1. Don't plan any major events during the initial two weeks of treatment.
2. Make sure that you are getting plenty of sleep, and putting high quality nutritious foods in your body.
3. Drink plenty of water.
4. Take time to consider your life up to the point, and imagine the life that you desire to have after infusions.
5. Ask the people in your life to give you the space you need. Or bring loved ones back into your life that have drifted away.
6. Set deliberate intentions, but be ready to let go of them too.

Once you are scheduled for the IV Ketamine Infusion Series, we will send you a very detailed document about what you should expect, and how to prepare.
Be well,
​Adam and Shanna Angel.

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