What does ketamine therapy feel like? It’s time to think about IV ketamine (also known as ketamine infusion therapy) if you’re looking for an alternate treatment for your mental health issues. What is ketamine infusion therapy, though, and what should you anticipate from it? In addition to accurately and thoroughly explaining what it actually feels like to have a ketamine infusion, we are available to answer any questions you may have. We’ll give you a thorough overview of this incredible therapy, including everything from the advantages to the physical experience.
This is a tough topic to respond to, but it’s likely one of the most frequently asked ones by patients when they have questions regarding ketamine treatment.
Ketamine may have quite distinct effects on various people, and each session might be extremely different from the next. The disparity in findings might be attributed to variations in ketamine dosage among different ketamine clinics.
Our customers occasionally express anxiety about what their experience could be like after reading experience reports on websites like Reddit or elsewhere on the internet, particularly if they have read about someone who had an unusual encounter. We do not recommend reading these accounts and assuming that your experience will be similar to anyone else’s if you are thinking about getting this therapy. You will have a unique experience, and most online posts of ketamine encounters are summaries of some of the most unusual or bizarre things that individuals have ever experienced.
Attempting to describe the sensation of a ketamine infusion to someone who has been blind from birth is similar to trying to describe the feeling of seeing, despite the fact that most experiences share certain basic characteristics.
Most people report feeling calmer when the infusion begins, at least for the first five minutes. The client’s anxiety will often subside at this point if it was present before the infusion began. Ketamine often has quite mild and relaxing side effects initially.
You will start to experience less and less of your body’s feelings after around eight to ten minutes as the amount of ketamine in your system increases. The sounds you hear during KAP sessions—almost all customers like listening to relaxing music—will get a little louder and more pervasive. When under the influence of ketamine, music frequently takes on a greater “dimension” than is discernible with regular consciousness. The use of eyeshades to block light and aid in internalising the experience is advised by our experts since vision becomes slightly distorted and fuzzy.
In order to keep our clients conscious and able to speak with our KAP-trained therapists, Transcend actively maintains the amount of the infusion minute by minute within a dosage range that is unique to you.
When the experience reaches a plateau, most clients discover that when they close their eyes, their minds create internal “visual” patterns in response to thoughts. Customers have called this “a synesthetic interplay between my thoughts, the music, and the visuals occurring in my mind.”
The majority of people describe the ketamine experience as precisely that—”an experience”—meaning that it often varies and goes through phases. Clients frequently describe genuinely having the impression that they were transported to another location, that they were flying, or that they were travelling through various sights, which partly resembles a dreamlike experience.
Typical Experiences
You’ll get a mental and/or bodily sense of relaxation at the commencement of the session. You can feel more and more lightheaded or faint as the therapy goes on. A mild warmth is reported by some individuals.
For some people, there seems to be a tiny disconnection between their bodies and themselves. Your limbs may seem quite far away. Some individuals experience an increasing sense of detachment from the many aspects of consciousness, such as their ideas, emotions, physical experiences, and perception. They are regarded as the dissociative effects of ketamine.
Most patients have an extremely good tolerance for these sensations, and many describe the experience as “pleasurable” or “spiritual.” They could speak about events with more understanding or inventiveness. Those who suffer from sadness, anxiety, or rumination will experience these sensations considerably less and/or be removed from those bad symptoms. Patients frequently express great relief from this experience, as though a temporary weight has been lifted off their despair.
Patients could occasionally have a worse experience. Confusion, heightened dread or anxiety, and unexpected recollections or flashbacks are possible. Even though most ketamine infusion experiences are favourable, it’s crucial to be aware of any potential side effects. In order to assist in managing these infrequent but typically brief occurrences, which resolve fully within 10–15 minutes of ceasing the infusion, we have psychiatric specialists on site.
How does the treatment room look?
You will get ketamine therapy in a private treatment room at Ketamine Wellness Centres as a patient. You may want to have a friend, family member, or support animal accompany you during your infusion if you bring one. To keep an eye on the process and ensure your safety and comfort throughout the whole treatment, your nurse will also remain in the room.
Our therapy rooms are made to be both calming and adaptable to meet your individual requirements. What you’ll be able to access:
- A spacious chair or couch to relax on while receiving treatment
- Comforters and pillows
- A sleep mask that blocks light
- Low-light conditions
- Calm music.
- Netflix, Spotify, and more streaming services are integrated into a smart TV.
- During their ketamine treatment, some patients find solace in observing serene natural landscapes or in listening to uplifting mantras.
Ketamine also has an influence on dissociation.
Misconceptions and erroneous use of the term “dissociative” are common. When discussing the effects of ketamine, the word “dissociative” describes the drug’s capacity to induce a state in which a person is not “associated” with their regular cognitive functions or their sense of physical presence. The dosage and method of administration have an impact on how powerful these effects are. Ketamine can, therefore, have a range of dose-dependent dissociative effects. Dissociative is occasionally used interchangeably with the psychological phenomena known as dissociative symptoms; however, these are distinct neurological processes.
Transcend does not administer doses in completely dissociative ranges. This is due to the fact that we always encourage our customers to have open communication with their therapist throughout the process. Transcend most frequently uses dosage ranges that fall into the peri-dissociative range, which is defined as the midway point of the dissociative continuum. This range is where most people experience dissociation. In this range, it is acceptable to not always notice bodily sensations or feel fully connected to one’s body; nonetheless, one might still choose to feel their body as a way to ground themselves, but it could feel a little strange.
While in this peri-dissociative state of consciousness, conversing with a therapist skilled in ketamine psychotherapy can, for the majority of individuals, result in a more profound therapeutic experience than is typical in conventional talk therapy. In these altered states of consciousness, it is frequently easier to reach new viewpoints and ideas than it is in regular consciousness. The kinds of ideas that surface during a ketamine experience also frequently have an air of depth.
Clients may describe being able to access emotions more readily than they would typically be able to, and that they are also able to experience those feelings more fully without feeling overwhelmed.
Some people even report having what they would call spiritual experiences during ketogenic-assisted psychotherapy sessions. It is possible to have a highly profound experience by dissolving bodily sensations and briefly disidentifying with the typical psychological constructions and processes.
It will become much clearer to you how this altered state of awareness might be utilised therapeutically after your first session. Some people will find that their initial KAP session follows a therapeutic route, while others may need many sessions to reach a deeper level of therapeutic significance. For this reason, in order to make progress and induce notable changes in symptoms, a number of sessions are typically required.
Does a patient need prior experience for ketamine treatment to be effective?
The psychedelic, psycholytic, and dissociative effects of ketamine, in our opinion at Transcend, are not only an undesirable side effect. Certain clinics really hold this belief and provide drugs that attenuate these effects or dosages of ketamine so that they are not as noticeable. Transcend does not operate in this manner. We consider the ketamine experience to be a crucial component of the ketamine treatment process for mood disorders. The therapeutic process is generally driven by the experience components of ketamine, which can facilitate the emergence of information that may not have occurred in regular conversation therapy.
Ketamine experiences have the capacity to result in significant, long-lasting improvement and less suffering from mood disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, when they are properly incorporated with a therapist skilled in this modality.
Benefits of Treatment with IV Ketamine
Major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are the two main conditions treated with ketamine infusion therapy. Here are a few of our favourite ketamine therapy statistics:
- With a success rate of up to 70%, clinical research demonstrates that ketamine infusion therapy is an effective treatment for both MDD and treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
- After just one or two infusions, many patients exhibit noticeable improvement.
- 35% of patients report that after receiving ketamine therapy, their depressive symptoms have totally disappeared.
- Three days after starting medication, 63% of patients who had suicidal ideation reported feeling better.
Other mental health issues have also been successfully treated with ketamine. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), PTSD, and anxiety disorders can all be treated with it.
Adverse Repercussions
Each person experiences side effects differently, and most usually they disappear throughout therapy. The most typical adverse effects of ketamine infusion treatment include the following; however, you might not experience any of them:
- Breaking Apart
- feeling wacky or bizarre
- dream-like condition
- dual perception
- Appetite loss
- Having trouble speaking
- heightened heart rate
- little discomfort where the injection was made
- Feeling queasy
- increased blood pressure
Our patients are under close supervision for between ninety-nine and two hours during their sessions to guarantee their safety.
The ketamine experience is ultimately indescribable.
Hopefully, this essay may help to offer a broad concept of what this experience could feel like, even if there are just no words in the English language that can adequately express it. Our staff is trained to adjust the administration level if it ever gets too overpowering, just to give an additional layer of comfort.
Knowing what to anticipate is crucial if you’re thinking about ketamine infusion therapy as a potential treatment for your mental health issues. Ketamine infusion treatment is typically safe, well accepted, and relieves symptoms of depression and other mental health concerns, while it is undoubtedly not the same as taking medicine. Ketamine infusion therapy can be the key to a happier and better life, provided the patient has the proper support and treatment plan.
Summary
To sum up, the subject of what does ketamine therapy feel like a careful examination of its workings, side effects, and effects on the patient. A more transparent and knowledgeable approach to mental health care is promoted by accepting the multidimensional character of this therapy.
Q&As: What does ketamine therapy feel like?
Is there an addiction to ketamine therapy?
Under suitable medical care, ketamine treatment is not regarded as addictive. Adhering to the recommended treatment plan is essential.
- How long do ketamine treatments’ effects last?
Each person’s experience with ketamine treatment has a different length of impact. While some might need recurrent treatments, other people report long-lasting relief.
- Does ketamine treatment have any adverse effects over the long term?
When the treatment is used appropriately, there are very few long-term adverse consequences. It is important to maintain consistent monitoring and contact with healthcare providers.
- Is ketamine treatment appropriate for all patients?
Not everyone should receive ketamine treatment. Determining if a person is a good fit for this treatment involves a comprehensive screening procedure.
- I’m taking other meds; can I still get ketamine therapy?
It is important that you disclose any current drugs to your healthcare professional. Potential interactions will be evaluated, and the treatment plan will be modified accordingly. What does ketamine therapy feel like?