We need new solutions for mental health.
Depression is the most common mental illness and the leading cause of disability worldwide. Anxiety is so common that it is often mislabeled as stress, insomnia, or just a natural consequence of living in a fast-paced society. According to a 2017 survey conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), over 18% of American adults live with mental illness – that’s almost one in five people, or about 46.6 million individuals.
Many would say we are in a mental health crisis.
Despite more and more pharmaceutical medications being doled out, depression and anxiety rates have continued to increase and it’s clear these drugs don’t work nearly as well as we thought. Also, the theory that depression is caused by serotonin deficiency or a shortage of other monoamine neurotransmitters has yet to be really proven. Many are questioning the efficacy of antidepressants, as are those who either aren’t being helped or don’t like the side effects. There is a growing need and interest in finding more effective solutions, and ketamine is very promising.
Psychedelic medicine reemerges
Interest in the use of ketamine in mental health has been blooming in recent years as research is culminating, and psychedelic medicine has been re-emerging and gaining acceptance in the medical community. Ketamine is the first legal clinician-prescribed psychedelic treatment for depression, anxiety, chronic pain, PTSD, OCD, substance use disorders, and other mental health-related conditions.
How does ketamine help?
The research on ketamine is still growing and even though it’s been used for over 20 years in mental health, it’s still considered an “off-label” use (not FDA approved) to prescribe ketamine for such conditions such as depression and anxiety. Ketamine works faster than traditional antidepressants (in a matter of hours or days) and is potentially more long-lasting, proving itself an effective alternative. With larger doses, users report that those anti-depressive effects can last for weeks or even a month. Researchers believe it can even protect against relapse with depression and reverse the physical damage that the chronic stress of mental illness causes to connections in the brain.
Ketamine is a transformational medicine of the mind. It can provide beneficial changes to the natural balance of chemicals in the brain, improve the flexibility of our brain’s function, and disrupt negative feelings and preoccupations to allow for the creation of new, healthier patterns.
The benefits of ketamine can be elicited at both psychedelic doses and micro-doses. At Medicine Within we use both, since we firmly believe medicine needs to be tailored to the needs of the individual. Many are claiming that the discovery of ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects may be the most significant psychiatric development in recent decades, one that is even transforming what we thought we knew about the neurobiology of depression.
Beyond healing mental illness, ketamine can elicit transformations in consciousness and help people experience more meaning and purpose in their lives. Ketamine has a unique ability to help quiet the “chatter” of the mind in order to hear our own truth from within and connect with our inner healing intelligence. It lowers external inputs and brings us into an expansive, transpersonal space.
The medicine within
Ketamine is a tool that can help each of us open that doorway to the insights and peace only available within. We have found this to be true for both our patients and ourselves. We emerged out of significant trauma after ketamine therapy with more personal insights, purpose, and passion than ever before. This impactful experience inspired us to share this medicine with others, and we believe it can help others create a more joyful and peaceful life too.
But we don’t stop at a ketamine journey
Ketamine can reveal a lot, but without properly digesting and applying the lessons in a skilled therapeutic container, no amount of psychedelic experiences will create lasting shifts in your day to day life. We use integration counseling to unpack the lessons of your journey and make the experience valuable going forward. This whole process helps your conscious mind to connect the dots between your physical body, mind, emotions, and spirit.
Ketamine is a helpful tool to journey inward, but it’s not the only tool we use. Check out our home page and FAQs to learn more about holistic mental health, and schedule your free consult to find out which path would you support you best.
Serving all of Oregon
Operating out of Bend, OR
541-316-0092
Office Hours
Tuesday - Friday 9am - 4pm
Two Saturdays a month 9am - noon
Medical Disclaimer
This website and its contents should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately. You can also call, text, or chat 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for immediate mental health support.
Serving all of Oregon
Operating out of Bend, OR
541-316-0092
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Medical Disclaimer
This website and its contents should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately. You can also call, text, or chat 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for immediate mental health support.