Is Ketamine Treatment Really Safe?

Ketamine is a drug long used as an anesthetic. Recently, many ketamine treatment centers have opened up across the United States with the intention of helping people who are struggling from a range of emotional obstacles. Depression, anxiety, grief, and PTSD are just a few on a long list of over 2 dozen conditions that these clinics are claiming can be cured with ketamine treatment. Clinics are making statements saying that it is essentially acting as a faster, more efficient version of rehab therapy counelsing. While it has been said within the medical community that it’s likely ketamine can be an efficient alternative for treating many mental health conditions, these are just claims, not stated facts. As it has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it's reasonable to say that there is surely not enough research done on the use of ketamine as a treatment method for mental health disorders. Especially in comparison to the claims many clinics are making in regard to its benefits. Unfortunately, it is extremely common for these clinics to oversell the benefits of ketamine treatment within the rapidly growing industry. For this reason, it is important to understand the realities and risks of ketamine treatment.

Thinking about trying Ketamine treatment to reduce anxiety, uplift your mood, or overcome trauma? Consider these 7 important facts about ketamine treatment before:

1.Claims are often larger than the amount of research conducted

Though previously mentioned, it is important to emphasize the fact that there isn't a sufficient amount of research conducted on the effects of ketamine to be certain of its benefits and side effects. Mental health conditions are often not similar enough to claim that specific research can be used interchangeably when speaking about specific treatment methods. Though it's been documented that certain patients have overcome certain disorders with the use of ketamine treatment, there is no way of knowing which and whom it will help or cause more damage to due to the lack of research in regard to its short term, but more so long term effects.

2.Money over Mindfulness

The use of ketamine as a treatment for a range of mental health conditions has become a rapidly growing industry. It is being marketed as a fast alternative to traditional rehab therapy counseling. The problem is that clinics are making false claims, and offering questionable methods to assure patients get the proper treatment. An example is a clinic that offers genetic testing for nearly $200 to find the right formula for the patient. There has yet to be any concrete proof that genetic testing offers any useful insight as far as ketamine treatment goes. These clinics appear to be taking advantage of desperate individuals who will pay nearly anything to feel better. They appear to be primarily concerned about financial gain, with the patient’s well-being as a secondary concern.

3.Discrepancies in patient screening, treatment plans, and dosage

Some clinics have been mindful to create a thorough, detailed patient screening system that ensures only those eligible for ketamine treatment receive it. However, some rely on screening tools such as the PHQ-9 questionnaire, often used to diagnose symptoms of depression, which suggests they would benefit from ketamine treatment. The problem with this is that red flags can be missed that would usually be picked up by a medical professional during a one on one screening. It’s frivolous but nonetheless true that as ketamine treatment has become more common, it’s become more about who can afford treatment, rather than who needs it. Sadly, those who would benefit from it most are often those that cannot afford the treatment. Treatments can range from $350-$1000 and can be administered multiple times a week over several weeks in some treatment plans. Not only is it extremely costly, but can be dangerous if the patient receives an improper dosage or falls off the schedule of their treatment plan. Nonetheless, this has been known to occur within these clinics. Patients are either receiving too much or not enough due to poor patient screening.

4.Under qualified staff

There have been instances where a new ketamine treatment clinic opens that is being run by solely two nurses. While qualified to administer the drug, they are not properly equipped to handle what are often high-risk patients. A person seeking Ketamine treatment is more often than not an individual suffering from suicidal tendencies and is someone who hasn't had success with previous treatments. Individuals of such sorts need to be monitored and supported by psychiatrists, physicians, and/or counselors as they will require additional support on top of the ketamine treatments. High-risk patients run the risk of breaking into psychosis or a suicidal state and will need immediate and proper medical intervention in the event that it does occur. Every ketamine treatment center should inarguably have the required medical staff on sight, ready to intervene and offer support for any possible side effects that can arise from treatment, because ketamine commonly causes hallucinations and other dissociative effects. Especially since there are often improper patient screening conducted that results in individuals receiving treatment who do not benefit from it, and can suffer from immediate and/or long term, negative mental and physical reactions to ketamine treatment.

5.Lack of support outside of treatment sessions

It is not mandatory that patients receive external support from a mental health care provider. Though clinics are willing to work with patients’ external mental health providers, more often than not patients’ sole source of support for their condition is the ketamine treatments themselves. In some cases, the staff administering the ketamine are not qualified to offer professional mental health support. This means patients specifically suffering from a mental health condition are not being monitored by anyone qualified to support these individuals. If you are considering ketamine treatment, it’s encouraged to have some kind of external support from a counselor or psychiatrist to ensure that follow-up is provided post-treatment. This is to ensure that all patients have a steady resource to seek out around the clock in case the treatment doesn't work, side effects occur, or the patient falls into a mental state that requires additional psychological and/or emotional support.

6.Oversell of the benefits of Ketamine treatment

The industry has largely exaggerated the efficiency and effectiveness of ketamine treatment while underplaying the possible risks and side effects. There is a whole marketing strategy over various online platforms that consist of buzz words, quoting outdated sources, and/or pulling and using specific parts of scientific studies to entice individuals to seek out ketamine treatment. While the content isn't necessarily false, it isn't painting a clear picture of the realities of ketamine as a treatment for mental health conditions. Already vulnerable individuals see this as the beginning of the end of their often far too long-sufferings. Not only can they lose out financially, but if their results are much lesser than promised to them post-treatment, chances are that these individuals may spiral back into, or further into their mental illnesses due to feeling helpless in their journey to overcome their mental illness.

7.Risk Vs. Reward

It is important to note that despite there being concerns with how these clinics are choosing to go about administering the ketamine treatment, that it is a potentially groundbreaking discovery. There have been many success stories where individuals have overcome serious mental health problems with the use of ketamine. The drug itself is clearly very effective when given to the appropriate patient at the necessary dose. However, it is important to tread lightly with these matters as there is no sufficient long-term data showing the real effects of this drug when used in this particular way.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a mental disorder and think ketamine treatment could be of use, look into it- thoroughly. With that being said, do your part in making sure yourself, or you’re loved one is supported throughout the entire process. Ensuring that there is qualified support accessible before, during and post-treatment is crucial.