Depression

Ketamine Treatment for Depression

Ketamine was previously used mainly as a type of anesthetic during wars as well as in hospitals. Fast forward to 2020, and Ketamine Therapy is gaining ground as being a promising treatment for depression, which happens to be the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Within the USA, recent estimates show 16 million adults had a bout of major depression in the course of a year. Suicide rates rose at a large scale between 1999 and 2016, increasing by an excess of 30% in 25 states. Due to its rapid action, Ketamine is sure to have a big role to play in assisting to minimize the risk of suicide.

How Ketamine works to help depression is certainly not fully clear yet. Seeing that it exerts an antidepressant effect via a new mechanism, Ketamine for depression treatment in Woodstock might be able to enable people to successfully manage depression when other treatments still haven’t worked.

Ketamine’s most likely target is NMDA receptors inside of the brain. By connecting to those receptors, Ketamine seems to amplify the number of a neurotransmitter by the name of glutamate inside of the empty space in between the neurons.

Glutamate then turns on connections in a different receptor, known as AMPA receptors. Together, the most important blockade of NMDA receptors and activation of the AMPA receptors brings about the discharge of multiple molecules that assist in making sure that the neurons make contact with each other along newly created pathways in the brain. Often known as synaptogenesis, this critical process likely affects a person’s moods, thinking patterns, and cognitive abilities.

Are You Suffering from Depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that millions of individuals suffer from each year in the United States alone. The national average is somewhere around 7 million US adults each year. It will cause an intense feeling of sadness and likely leads to isolation and withdrawal from a person’s loved one or social life. This disorder will deeply affect how a person thinks and feels, and can bring on additional emotional or physical problems, such as persistent anxiety. A person may find themselves unable to complete everyday tasks, and in some cases may even have suicidal thoughts or ideations.

There is no shame in feeling depressed. Suffering from this condition is not a sign of weakness, and oftentimes will require long-term treatment rather than short term. Fortunately, many respond very positively to the various ways in which modern healthcare can treat depression. Continue reading to learn more about this disorder and any questions you may have.

Some people may only feel depressive symptoms once in their life, but generally depression lasts for multiple episodes. During these intense episodes, symptoms for depression will occur most of each day of a person’s life. These symptoms may include:

  • Persistent feelings of hopelessness or emptiness
  • Feelings of sadness
  • Frequent bouts of tearfulness
  • Mood swings
  • Irritability
  • Angry outbursts
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Fatigue and lack of energy
  • Changes in appetite (either weight loss or weight gain)
  • Slowed thinking and body movements
  • Fixation on self-blame
  • Suicidal thoughts or ideations
  • Unexplained physical access, such as headaches and backaches

For most suffering from this mental health disorder, symptoms create problems in day-to-day life, whether that is at work, school, or in social relationships. Some people may even feel symptoms come on without knowing what brought them on. Continue reading to see how this condition manifests itself in different age groups.

What Causes Depression?

Depressive Disorders are very complex, and the medical community is still unsure about what exactly causes them. The most likely answer, research indicates, is that it is caused by a variety of factors both internal and external, such as differences in biology, differences in brain chemistry, changes in hormones, and genetic history. Continue reading for a deeper dive into these causes.

Differences in Biology

Research shows that people suffering from depression may actually have physical changes within their brains. While the exact significance of these differences is still not known, this may aid research in the future.

Differences in Brain Chemistry

Neurotransmitters are chemical substances within the brain, oftentimes referred to as the body’s “chemical messengers”. Research is still ongoing but indicates that changes to the function and effect of the neurotransmitters in the brain (and how they interact with neurocircuits) may play a role in both the onset of depression and also how it is treated.

Hormone Changes

Hormone changes may come about during pregnancy (or after delivery), or from thyroid problems, menopause, or other conditions yet undiscovered.

Family History

Depression is much more prevalent in those whose blood relatives also suffer from this disorder. Research into what genes are involved is still ongoing.

What Lifestyle Changes Could Help With Depression?

Depressive disorders are best treated with the help of your primary health provider, but certain natural lifestyle changes can also be very useful when combined with a treatment like Ketamine infusion.

Treatment Plan: Developing a healthcare plan and sticking to it is essential. Do not skip Ketamine infusion sessions, psychotherapy sessions, or taking your medications. These treatments may take months at a time, and you may still feel depressed at times. Have patience and trust your primary health provider. Recovery can take a long time.

Educate Yourself: Learn as much as you can about your depressive illness to learn how to best combat it. Your family and friends should also educate themselves about the nature of your symptoms so they can learn how to understand and help you.

Watch for Warning Signs: Working with your therapist or healthcare provider may help you learn what triggers your symptoms. You can then formulate a plan so you know what to do next if symptoms spring up.

Avoid Alcohol and Drug Abuse: While alcohol or drugs may help reduce symptoms, in the long run, they will only worsen your symptoms and make your illness harder to treat.

Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself: Eat a healthy diet, practice regular physical activity, and try to maintain a consistent sleeping schedule. Even walking, jogging, gardening, swimming, or bicycling can give you enough physical activity to start to lessen your symptoms.

There Is Hope!

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