Ketamine, an anesthetic used in hospitals and in psychotherapy to treat serious depression, has been tied to the tragic death of the beloved actor, Matthew Perry. In light of the recent news, there may be confusion around the safety of ketamine in psychotherapy.
Ketamine is a medication that was FDA-approved as an anesthetic in the 1970s. It is used in hospitals for surgeries and other medical procedures and has been shown to be a physically safe anesthetic because it doesn’t suppress breathing. Ketamine also has analgesic (pain control) properties and dissociative effects that help people go through surgeries. Recently, ketamine has garnered more attention as researchers study ketamine’s antidepressant effects.
In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved esketamine, a nasal spray called Spravato, used for treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine has yet to be approved by the FDA but is still used as a fast-acting antidepressant, treating symptoms of treatment-resistant depression.
In this post, we’ll share what you can expect from a Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy session and how to prepare for your first session.
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