Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Depression

Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is one of the most common mood disorders today. Trauma and prolonged periods of heightened stress make us more susceptible to experiencing episodes of depression. It can affect how we feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.

Depression therapy comes in many shapes, sizes, and forms. Ketamine treatment has been found to relieve the symptoms of depression within hours, rather than the usual weeks most antidepressants can take.

Thomas Insel, the former director of the National Institute of Health, described ketamine given intravenously, as one of “the most important breakthroughs in antidepressant treatment in decades.”

Ketamine for Depression Relief

Ketamine works by changing the baseline of the brain. The brain responds to this change of baseline by releasing a neuroprotective and neuroregenerative protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).This release of proteins repairs and protects neurons and results in the brain thinking clearer and operating optimally. When you think better, you feel better and you are able to more effectively work through traumas with your mental health provider.

Understanding more about this mental health condition helps you or your loved one get the treatment that is necessary to enjoy a more positive sense of mental wellbeing.

Common Signs of Depression

Prolonged or intense periods of sadness are the most common symptoms that people experience. During these periods, a person may also lose interest in their normal activities. While some people may experience intense sadness that involves crying, others may just have a low level of dissatisfaction with life. As the condition continues, people tend to begin to isolate themselves from others. They may also stop taking care of their personal hygiene, and they may stop keeping their home or bedroom clean.

What Is Ketamine?

Edit Content

How does Ketamine Help With Depression?

Edit Content

New imaging technologies have enhanced our understanding of how the brain communicates and how mood disorders manifest in the brain. We are now able to address the “mechanical” issues which produce feelings of depression. This approach differs from the initial understanding that depression is only a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain.
As a result of the chemical imbalance theory , medications have long been utilized to manipulate neurotransmitters in the brain with the goal of improving neuronal (brain cell) communication. This approach yields limited results. Think of the neurotransmitters as cars and the neurons (brain cells) as roads. Nearly all antidepressant medications are designed to add cars to the road, but the roads are closed.
Neurotherapy functions like a catalyst, triggering a process of self-optimization in the brain. It stimulates the growth of new, undifferentiated neurons and assists neurons with limited communication ability, which we now understand to be the source of the depressive symptoms, to reawaken and communicate optimally.
These poorly communicating neurons we are repairing are known as neuronal lesions. While depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD are symptoms, the neuronal lesions which inhibit communication in the brain are the disease. These lesions (areas of poor communication) develop in response to traumatic events and prolonged periods of anxiety. Non-trauma related lesions typically manifest during puberty but have the ability to appear at any time throughout the lifespan.

What makes our TMS process better?

Edit Content

There are nearly 17 million adults in the United States alone that have experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the incidence of depression and anxiety has escalated. Although awareness is improving, it still has a long way to go.

Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression (and often referred to as treatment resistant depression), is more than just a feeling of sadness. In fact, depression is a serious illness with multiple symptoms that can have a significant impact on both your mental and physical health.

Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM-5 explains that a diagnosis of depression requires at least five (5) or more of the below symptoms in the same 2-week period. Symptoms include:

Depressed mood for the majority of the day
Loss of interest in usual activities
Significant weight change/change in appetite
The decline of the thought process
Lethargy/flagging physical activity
Constant fatigue
Lack of concentration/Indecisiveness
Suicidal ideation

Sadly, medications do not always help, and often cause other debilitating symptoms due to debilitating side effects. Long-term use of psychiatric medications can also cause undesired, permanent side effects, as well as horrible withdrawal symptoms when trying to titrate off of them.

When medications have been ineffective, or for those who do not wish to take medications, TMS can be a safe and effective alternative that offers long-term relief.

Are you ready to address the root cause of depression?

For decades, mental health care has been built around the management of symptoms rather than the treatment of the disease. Neurotherapy such as MSKIT and rTMS/iTBS are the two most effective means of enhancing neuronal communication which manifests as optimized emotional control, improved clarity and cognitive function, and the patient’s own perceived ability to be present and enjoy the moment.

WE CAN HELP RELIEVE DEPRESSION

Battling depression can be difficult, especially with so many antidepressants on the market. Ketamine treatment provides fast, effective relief of depression symptoms. If you or a loved one is searching for depression treatment in Chattanooga, we can help.

Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Depression

Ketamine for Depression Relief

Common Signs of Depression

Are you ready to address the root cause of depression?

WE CAN HELP RELIEVE DEPRESSION

Here to Provide Better

VISIT OUR LOCATION

GIVE US A CALL

OUR HOURS

QUICK LINKS

GOOGLE OFFICE TOUR