Research finds that Ketamine can protect against stress & mood disorders for weeks
What if you could be vaccinated against stress-related illness, preventing depression or PTSD before it develops? This is a conversation that is on the table, as research has shown that Ketamine can have paravaccine (vaccine-like) benefits in building stress resilience, making it less likely that mood disorders will be developed after stressful/traumatic events. It is a fascinating idea and potentially game-changing in how we approach mental health and resilience.
Enhanced Resilience
Like various other vital medical discoveries, the resilience benefits of Ketamine were discovered unexpectedly. Neuroscientist, Rebecca Brachman, has numerous talks on the process of discovering this potential for protection against stress. As she says in her 2016 Ted Talk, "We don't know what causes depression but we do know that stress is the initial trigger in 80% of cases." Not every person develops a mood disorder, such as depression or PTSD, after stress and the reasons why are not known. It was believed that this type of resilience might be passive, perhaps related to having less risk factors but Brachman's research illuminated the possibility that the ability to be resilient to stress could be preventatively enhanced. Their research found that mice given Ketamine were more resilient to stress impacts for weeks after being given Ketamine.
Benefiting from this Information
These findings are inspiring for anyone considering Ketamine-assisted therapy. It is helpful to know that we may receive this kind of protective benefit for weeks after treatment but it may also be a useful consideration if we know in advance that we are heading into a stressful time. For example, if the holidays tend to be extra stressful or include difficult family dynamics, planning a Ketamine session prior to the holidays may be supportive. For those who work in high-intensity circumstances, such as first responders, Ketamine could be a helpful preventative measure as well.
If you feel you could benefit from a session or series of sessions, you can find information on Inner Alchemy's Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy here. We also have a Ketamine-assisted group experiences if you are interested exploring the possibilities of healing in community. Info on group sessions can be found here.
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