Can Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Help With Trauma
We’ve all experienced fear and worry at some point in our lives. Frightening experiences, as we know, are quite common. You might think that it’s rare to have a memory so scary it rises to the level of trauma. However, since 7 out of 10 American adults have experienced at least one traumatic event, it turns out trauma is more common than we think. That’s why new and effective treatments are essential. Increasingly, these treatments involve a psychedelic drug called ketamine.
Previously used almost exclusively for general anesthesia, ketamine was discovered to have properties that now make it a popular choice for therapists and their clients. Ketamine can both relieve pain and facilitate healing from conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and more.
What is Ketamine?
First synthesized in a laboratory about 60 years ago, ketamine got its start as an anesthetic for animal surgeries and other procedures. Upon becoming approved for human use, it was used widely during the Vietnam War. From there, ketamine became the anesthetic of choice for first responders because it’s so safe to administer. It was often used when trying to calm someone who wanted to attempt suicide. This is how a whole new use was developed.
The people who were given ketamine after a suicide attempt were found to have a sudden drastic decrease in suicidal ideation. You see, ketamine is a psychedelic medicine, but it doesn’t work the same way as typical psychedelics — for example LSD or mushrooms. Rather, its effect is dissociative. Ketamine quiets the effects of life’s sensory input and perception. Hence, it guides users into a calm, trance-like state. It’s also thought to help users build more constructive ways of thinking during the days and weeks following the dosing session. This discovery made it a logical candidate for mental health issues like depression and trauma.
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
It’s believed that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) enhances your brain’s ability to handle changes — large and small. It may be hard to visualize, but your nerve cells become more flexible, and so does your processing. After an extensive intake and screening, if you’re prescribed ketamine by a physician, you will then schedule a KAP dosing session with a therapist trained in KAP. Under the guidance of this therapist, the client self-administers ketamine in the form of lozenges.
How Can KAP Help With Trauma?
Ketamine has rapidly earned a stellar reputation for easing the severity of PTSD symptoms. This happens more quickly than with traditional medications, and the positive results are there for the long term. Here are some of the reasons why this happens:
Ketamine targets our memories in a powerful, positive way. It reprocesses and reconsolidates them as they pertain to traumatic experiences.
The brain is then able to resolve the trauma — releasing its hold on your psyche.
As a result, counterproductive thoughts and behaviors are mitigated and replaced with healthy choices.
All of this (and more) is able to happen because of the psychedelic state. A person is able to confront traumatic memories without fear of being triggered. They are aware of them but in a dissociated way. In such a state, it is then possible to process and resolve without the fear of reliving the memories or experiencing intrusive thoughts and flashbacks.
What Else Do You Need to Know?
Trauma is a serious issue, and there are no miracle cures. KAP is a promising step for trauma treatment, but it may not be for everyone. Before embarking on this journey, ask plenty of questions about the clinician’s practice and their experience with ketamine. Also, find out about insurance coverage and talk to the therapists if you have issues with treatments that use needles.
Two more big topics:
Side Effects: Research shows KAP side effects to be rare and minor. This doesn’t mean you should not seek completely informed consent.
Possible Addiction Concerns: Ketamine can potentially be addictive. While the likelihood is low, it’s important to be aware of this — especially if you’ve struggled with any kind of addiction in the past.
If you have further questions, I invite you to reach out for a consultation to learn more about Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy.