Understanding Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

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(Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to research on the use of Ketamine to treat various mental disorders...)

"Isn't Ketamine a horse tranquilizer?"

While this medication started out as a veterinary medication, it has been widely used in the human medical field (in surgery and critical care medicine as an anesthetic). Ketamine is a synthetic pharmaceutical compound, classified as a dissociative anesthetic. It is one of the most widely used drugs in modern medicine and is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. It was developed in 1962, FDA approved in 1970 and adopted by many hospitals and medical offices because of its rapid onset, proven safety, and short duration of action. Ketamine is most commonly used in surgical settings, including pediatric surgery, due to its excellent safety profile, particularly around breathing/airway management. It has also been utilized successfully in treating acute and chronic pain conditions due to its analgesic (pain-reducing) properties.

"What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy?"

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is the clinical use of prescribed doses of the legally prescribed, widely used medicine called Ketamine as an adjunct to psychotherapy sessions. Research has shown that the combination of Ketamine treatment along WITH psychotherapeutic integration is more effective at improving symptoms of mental illness than either the medicine alone or psychotherapy alone. 

"But isn't Ketamine the drug that killed the FRIENDS actor, Matthew Perry?"

While the autopsy after his death showed that the acute effects of Ketamine were factors in Perry's death, it is important to understand the CONTEXT surrounding how Perry died. First of all, evidence indicates that Perry was abusing Ketamine, acquiring it illegally and without proper supervision from a qualified medical practitioner. Because he did not have a responsible medical practitioner managing the treatment, the amount of the dose he took was likely not well controlled. This lack of oversight is highly risky and can lead to overuse and abuse. 

Secondly, Perry apparently was found to have drowned in his hot tub after ingesting high doses of Ketamine, as well as the narcotic, Buprenorphine. It is most likely that what killed Perry was drowning due to being unconscious as a result of taking these two highly sedating medications simultaneously. Clearly, when someone is ingesting medications that can cause such tranquilizing effects, great care must be taken and the patient should be consistently monitored for safety. The responsible use of this kind of sedating medication would preclude the patient from being anywhere near water, operating heavy machinery or engaging in any activity that could risk inadvertent harm. While Matthew Perry's death was certainly tragic, it was likely caused by medical neglect and substance abuse rather than the Ketamine itself. 

"Is Ketamine use even legal in NC?"

While some have certainly abused Ketamine in recreational settings, this medication is legal when prescribed by a qualified medical provider. It is classified as a Schedule III Substance under the Controlled Substance Act, so it is treated by the medical community as less likely to be abused than Schedule II drugs (such as narcotics, stimulants, etc.). 

While many medical practitioners are prescribing Ketamine for many mental health diagnoses, the use of Ketamine for these conditions is considered to be "off-label." Using a medication for off-label purposes occurs every day in our medical system, and it is perfectly allowable, as long as the medical practitioner is utilizing appropriate clinical judgment and can demonstrate medical necessity. The scientific community has recently been conducting various studies on the effects of Ketamine on mental illness symptoms, and the results are promising. 

What Mental Health Conditions Can Ketamine Treat?

In the last two decades, ketamine has been increasingly clinically applied at subanesthetic doses as an off-label treatment for various chronic and treatment-resistant mental health conditions, such as depression, alcoholism, substance dependencies, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric diagnoses. Psychiatric use of ketamine has become relatively widespread in recent years and has been studied and promoted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health. Ketamine, now approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression, is an increasingly clinically applied off-label treatment for various “treatment-resistant” mental conditions. Chronic pain conditions can also improve with the use of Ketamine, as this medicine has been found to have rapid analgesic (pain relieving) effects which sometimes last much beyond the day it is consumed. Some researchers are beginning to work with psychedelic medicines to help people treat addiction. (Watch a personal story about an addict who wrestled with his shame and fear regarding trying a psychedelic medicine to help him treat his alcohol addiction -- https://youtu.be/F0zrfX5-6FI?si=CD8WNAEYLvuEwcYH )

"What Do Researchers Believe is the Mechanism of Ketamine Treatment That Causes Improvement in Mental Illness Symptoms?"
Think of the brain as a computer that stores and processes information. When trauma, repetitive negative thoughts, and emotions occur, the brain stores these experiences like a computer stores data -- but in the case of the brain, the information is stored in the neurons (cells) of the brain. As long as no brain damage occurs, these neuronal cells will persist in the brain, which can cause deeply ingrained patterns of dysfunctional emotions and behaviors. Scientists believe that Ketamine induces "neurogenesis," (the process by which new neuronal pathways are developed in the brain), and they refer to this phenomenon as "neuroplasticity." This has sparked interest in the use of Ketamine as a novel antidepressant and anti-anxiety treatment, as well as a novel treatment for trauma recovery and chronic pain. Neurogenesis allows the brain to replace the previous, dysfunctional neuronal pathways with new, healthier patterns. 

Similar to performing a "computer factory reset," or a software update, Ketamine seems to help the brain "write over" the previous, dysfunctional thought and behavior patterns and provide new, healthier patterns of thinking and acting.  Despite initial trials of its use in the treatment of mental disorders focusing primarily on its antidepressant effects, newer studies are attempting to harness its effects to bring about altered states of consciousness, which can be a very useful adjunct to the psychotherapy process. Ketamine's neuroplasticity-promoting effects strengthen the cognitive restructuring that takes place through traditional psychotherapy, which can lead to long-lasting emotional and behavioral changes. This novel treatment is already providing clients throughout the United States with profound and lasting relief of mental illness symptoms, and KAP offers promising new directions for research on new antidepressant alternatives.  

What Does It Feel Like to Take Ketamine?

The ketamine experience is characterized by the relaxation of ordinary concerns and the usual mindset. This tends to lead to a disruption of negative feelings and preoccupations. Some ketamine providers feel that this interruption, and the exploration of other possible states of consciousness, can lead to significant shifts in overall well-being.

Sensory effects of ketamine may include distorted visualization of colors, feeling suspended in space or floating, experiencing out-of-body sensations, vivid imagery, and changes in visual, tactile, and auditory processing. Synesthesia (a mingling of the senses) may occur. Familiar music may not be recognizable. An ordinary sense of time may morph into time dilation. To allow for a more in-depth, internal focus during the Medicine Session, clients wear an eye mask. 

Here is how one client described their experience with KAP Therapy: 

"It's like being in a lucid dream. My body gets incredibly relaxed and my chronic pain instantly disappears. It feels like I am floating on clouds. Sometimes it actually feels like I somehow have left my body and am soaring through the cosmos. Other times I just feel like I am having the most amazing, peaceful, wild, and happy dream. 

I've done 8 KAP sessions so far and each one of them has caused such profound shifts in my emotional and psychological wellbeing, that it's hard to verbalize the significance of it. I am developing a much more calm, centered state of mind, in almost every area of my life! I no longer obsess about things that happened in the past. I have stopped living from a place of fear and have begun to TRUST that good things will and ARE happening in my life! And this seems to be shifting my focus so that I can actually SEE EVIDENCE OF THIS IN LIFE, WHERE BEFORE I WAS ALWAYS SEEING EVIDENCE OF MY FAILURES.

 If you have any curiosity about how this treatment could help you, I encourage you to explore it! It could transform your life, as it has mine!"

How is the Ketamine Administered in KAP Therapy with Liza Shaw?

The Ketamine is taken sublingually/orally, in tablet or "troche" form. You will have the option of the rapidly dissolving tablets or troches which must be swished in the mouth for about 15 minutes until they completely dissolve.