Ketamine Treatment: A Breakthrough Option for Depression, Anxiety, & Other Mental Health Disorders
At NeuroHealth Treatment Centers, ketamine therapy is administered under the close supervision of our experienced clinical staff. Our personalized approach ensures safe, effective dosing. This is critical for helping patients with depression, anxiety, and PTSD achieve rapid symptom relief.
Custom-tailored ketamine treatment may be an option if traditional medications have proven ineffective for improving your mental health. Our comfortable, well-appointed office is an ideal environment for therapeutic ketamine sessions.
Schedule a FREE consultation at NeuroHealth Treatment Centers by calling 954-417-7575 today. We serve patients in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida.
What Ketamine Is
Ketamine is known as a dissociative drug. Patients who receive clinical doses of ketamine experience altered perception and a detachment from their surroundings. This is often described as a dreamlike state or an out-of-body experience.
First developed in the 1960s, ketamine has been used as a surgical anesthetic for humans and animals for more than 50 years. Though it has a well-established safety profile, ketamine is tightly regulated to prevent misuse.
In 2000, researchers at Yale University published a groundbreaking study on the antidepressant effects of ketamine. They discovered that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) experienced significant symptom reduction within 72 hours. Subsequent studies have supported these findings, leading to increased use of ketamine treatment for depression and a host of other mental health conditions.
Start Your Journey Today
Mental health struggles don’t define you—your path to healing begins now.
powered by ZocDoc
Is Ketamine the Same as SPRAVATO®?
Ketamine is similar to SPRAVATO®, but they are not exactly the same. Chemically, ketamine is made up of two types of molecules: S-ketamine and R-ketamine. SPRAVATO® is the brand name for esketamine, so it has a different chemical makeup than the drug from which it was derived.
Treatment is also administered differently. SPRAVATO® is a nasal spray, whereas ketamine may be administered via IV infusion, intramuscular injection, or even as a lozenge. At NeuroHealth Treatment Centers, we perform ketamine therapy exclusively through intramuscular injections.
SPRAVATO® is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and MDD with suicidal ideation or behavior. Ketamine has not been approved by the FDA for treatment of psychiatric conditions, but its safety and effectiveness in mental health care is backed by 25 years of research.
What It Treats
Ketamine treatment can help provide relief from a number of debilitating mental health disorders. NeuroHealth Treatment Centers provides intramuscular ketamine injections for the following conditions:
Ketamine Therapy for Depression
A real-world retrospective cohort study in the journal BMC Psychiatry found that patients who underwent intramuscular ketamine treatment for MDD experienced a 38% median improvement in depressive symptoms. With maintenance treatments, symptom relief lasted more than 7 months on average.
Ketamine Therapy for Anxiety
The study in BMC Psychiatry cited above also included patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Patients with GAD who received intramuscular ketamine injections experienced a 50% improvement in anxiety symptoms. Results lasted more than 7 months on average with maintenance treatments.
Ketamine Therapy for PTSD
Research on the applications of intramuscular ketamine injections for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is relatively limited. However, a study in the Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health found that patients experienced a 51% decrease in PTSD symptoms after intramuscular ketamine therapy.
What Patients Can Expect
Individualized ketamine therapy at NeuroHealth Treatment Centers is safe, comfortable, and transformative. Contact us today for a FREE consultation to find out if ketamine treatment is right for you.
Before Treatment
During the initial consultation, our team will:
- Review your medical and mental health history
- Perform a physical exam, including heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation screening
- Discuss your current psychiatric medications and other treatments you’ve tried
- Identify your goals for treatment to ensure ketamine therapy is a suitable option
If you are a candidate, we can begin developing your custom treatment plan and schedule your first injection. You will need to arrange for transportation, as the effects of ketamine make it unsafe to drive.
During Treatment
The process of intramuscular ketamine treatment is similar to getting a flu shot or other injection. A member of our clinical team disinfects the skin at the injection site with an alcohol swab, and a precisely measured dose of ketamine is injected into a muscle (usually the upper arm or the thigh). The treatment itself only takes a few seconds.
Dissociative effects of ketamine begin within 3–5 minutes of the injection. You may experience:
- Altered perception of your surroundings: People and objects in the environment may look or sound different.
- Detachment or depersonalization: You may feel like you’re observing yourself from outside your own body.
- A distorted sense of time or space: Time may seem to pass very quickly or very slowly, while the space around you might take on a surreal aspect.
- Relaxation: Patients often enter a deep state of relaxation during ketamine treatment, with fewer intrusive thoughts or negative emotions.
- Introspection: Some patients are able to engage with negative thoughts, feelings, and memories in a safe and healthy way. This may provide emotional clarity.
The feelings of dissociation caused by ketamine are believed to help reset brain activity and alleviate the symptoms of mental health disorders. Our staff will monitor you for approximately 30–60 minutes after the injection to ensure that you tolerate treatment well.
After Treatment
In a clinical setting, the side effects of therapeutic ketamine are generally minor and short-lived. Dissociation, drowsiness, and mild increases in blood pressure and heart rate are fairly common and tend to subside before you leave the clinic. Some patients may feel disoriented or nauseated during treatment.
Most patients are able to return to normal activities the following day. Symptom relief after the first session may last anywhere from several days to up to one week. We typically recommend a course of 6–8 ketamine injections for maximum results, followed by periodic maintenance treatments based on your symptoms.
Personalized Treatments, Backed by Science
We specialize in innovative, non-invasive treatments that offer real hope:
Explore Ketamine Therapy in Fort Lauderdale
At NeuroHealth Treatment Centers, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of mental health care. We offer a combination of innovative treatment options (such as ketamine therapy) and tried-and-true methods such as psychotherapy and medication management.
Many of our patients have tried countless medications and therapies with little to no success. Ketamine treatment is an exciting alternative backed by decades of research and performed with the highest degree of skill by our dedicated clinicians.
Are you struggling with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, or PTSD? Call NeuroHealth Treatment Centers at 954-417-7575 today for a FREE consultation. We provide ketamine therapy for patients in Fort Lauderdale and all of South Florida.
