Ketamine for mental health healing grows in popularity

Over the past 50 years, research on psychedelics has come a long way from a time when psychedelic albums ruled the charts and psychedelic drugs influenced American counterculture. Today, research shows some of those same drugs are being used to help people escape a dark place.

"I mean, it's pretty profound," said Katy Parr, who sought ketamine therapy.

Parr, of Houston, has long struggled with depression, and says for years she's been prescribed several different anti-depressants. When the pills failed her, she turned to talk therapy as the only treatment that helped; until she saw a documentary on psychedelic healing.

What It's Like to Do Ketamine Treatment - Video

Ever wondered what a ketamine treatment for depression is actually like? Experience what it's like to do ketamine treatment for depression in this documentary featuring MedCircle host Kyle Kittleson and his producer Brigid.

Ketamine therapy can reduce depression symptoms and suicidal thoughts

A systematic review of dozens of research papers has found that ketamine therapy has a quick, short-term effect of reducing depression symptoms and suicidal thoughts, making it a promising mental health treatment alternative.

The U.K’s University of Exeter, in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, examined 33 systematic reviews, 29 randomized control trials, and 21 observational studies.

In a paper published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, they found the strongest evidence around the use of ketamine to treat both major depression and bipolar depression, with symptoms reduced as quickly as one to four hours after a single treatment that lasted up to two weeks.

VA Studying Psychedelics As Mental Health Treatment For Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has launched clinical trials to study the effectiveness of psychedelic drugs including MDMA and psilocybin as a treatment for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction and other serious mental health issues. Building on previous research that has shown the potential for psychedelics to treat serious mental health conditions, the VA is now conducting at least five studies to gain more insight into the promising drugs, according to a report in The New York Times.

“This is a watershed moment,” said Dr. Rachel Yehuda, the director of mental health at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, who is leading one of the studies. “This is a time for a lot of hope.”

Why ketamine is a speedster antidepressant

Ketamine is the speedster of antidepressants, working within hours compared to more common antidepressants that can take several weeks. But ketamine can only be given for a limited amount of time because of its many side effects.  

Now, a new Northwestern Medicine study identifies for the first time exactly how ketamine works so quickly, and how it might be adapted for use as a drug without the side effects.

The study in mice shows ketamine works as a rapid antidepressant by increasing the activity of the very small number of newborn neurons, which are part of an ongoing neurogenesis in the brain.