Depression isn't just the blues or a day or two of feeling down. While situational depression is a thing, clinical depression is something completely different. It is actually an imbalance of chemicals in your brain. Your brain is wired differently than a neurotypical brain, and how it handles those neurochemicals causes depression. There are several treatments for depression, and you will generally have to try a few things to find the treatment that will work for you. However, treatment-resistant depression is also a thing.
Treatment-Resistant Depression
This form of depression is usually quite severe. The person with this form of depression will have tried several forms of treatment, including hospitalization, medication, and therapy. The problem is that they aren't getting any noticeable relief from their symptoms. While treatment may give the patient some temporary relief, in treatment-resistant depression, that relief generally doesn't last for very long. That can be very frustrating for you if you are the person in question. Some newer treatments have been shown to be helpful in treating people who deal with treatment-resistant depression.
Ketamine Treatment
Ketamine is an anesthetic. It is used in surgical procedures to help keep a patient completely sedated and helps to deal with pain levels. Ketamine is what is known as a disassociative anesthetic. It causes some disassociation between the patient and what is happening. In its use as an anesthetic, it was discovered that a sub-anesthetic dosage might help people with depression who haven't gotten relief from other treatments. A sub-anesthetic dose is high enough that the patient is affected by it but low enough that it doesn't put the person to sleep.
Administration
Ketamine therapy can be administered in several ways and in conjunction with other treatments. One common way is through an IV infusion that you would get at a clinic or doctor's office. You would generally visit the doctor's office or clinic regularly for treatment. The full ketamine treatment is more like a series. You would get an IV at a set period over a more extended period. For example, a hypothetical schedule could be that you go twice a week for a month, then once a week for another month, and so on until the doctor says the treatment is over.
If you have treatment-resistant depression, you may seek a way to get some relief. Talk to your doctor about ketamine treatment and whether you are a good candidate. For more information, contact a company like New Tele Doc.
