Anxiety goes beyond having nervous feelings before an important presentation or being stressed after a long week. For many adults, anxiety is a persistent, possibly debilitating mental health condition that affects all aspects of life. It can feel like your brain is in overdrive, causing mental and physical exhaustion.
Traditional treatment options, such as medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, can be effective ways to cope with stress and manage symptoms. But what happens when they don’t work as desired? Finding the right course of treatment can require some trial and error, maybe even outside-of-the-box thinking. This is where ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, or KAP, can enter the conversation.
What Is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy?
KAP isn’t a new therapy approach, but it is still considered an emerging modality. It’s somewhat of a hybrid method, combining administration of ketamine with guided talk therapy sessions. Unlike the more common SSRIs or benzodiazepines, which can take weeks for you to see any productive results, ketamine can produce changes within hours.
The goal of using this medication is to facilitate neuroplasticity in the brain, allowing therapy to have a more positive impact. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s natural process of adapting and making new connections in response to an experience. You’re essentially untangling all the chaotic thoughts in your head so you can think more clearly.
How Does Ketamine Work for Anxiety?
You may have heard of ketamine and its reputation as a party drug. Long before that, it was used in hospitals as an anesthetic drug. Over more recent years, it has been used in the mental health field.
In the clinical setting, ketamine is used in low and controlled doses to better access areas of the brain that are harder to reach under normal circumstances. An important aspect of KAP is that it’s completed under the guidance of a trained professional.
Ketamine works differently from traditional antidepressant medications. Instead of targeting serotonin levels, it works with glutamate, one of the neurotransmitters that is responsible for learning and memory. You’re essentially hitting the reset button on unhelpful thought patterns.
Anxiety can cause you to spiral into fear and worry. KAP can help break the cycle, giving you a fresh, new perspective to approach your therapy sessions with. You’re not trying to quiet your mind but rather tap into it differently. This can be useful for those who suffer from more stubborn types of anxiety.
Ketamine is particularly effective when paired with talk therapy. It allows you to approach your anxiety head-on, process any underlying root causes, and establish healthy coping skills.
Is KAP Safe?
When used in a professional setting, ketamine is a safe option for treating anxiety. At lower dosages, it’s generally well-tolerated. Possible side effects may include the following:
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Feeling “off” or “out of it”
• Temporary heart rate or blood pressure increase
• Headache
• Fatigue
Most side effects are likely to occur while the ketamine is being administered or shortly thereafter. This is why it’s important to work with a licensed provider who can guide you through the experience and monitor any reactions when using the medication.
Deciding Whether KAP Is Right for You
Going with the KAP route is always an option, but it’s generally more sought after when other, more traditional methods are not quite doing the trick. It’s not currently FDA-approved, but providers can prescribe it when they deem it helpful.
Not all insurance companies and plans will cover this particular therapy. You’ll want to check in with your provider so you know what costs may be associated with use.
Are you curious about KAP or other therapies for anxiety? We’re happy to answer any questions and get you started with your first session. Contact us today.