Experience Structured Living incorporates a holistic model into its residential mental health treatment program. As part of our approach, we offer ketamine therapy in our San Diego facility.
We are among the top providers of full-spectrum mental health care support and ketamine infusion therapy in San Diego, CA.
What Is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine is an anesthetic drug mostly used for medical purposes. At high doses, it produces feelings of dissociation and pain relief. Ketamine is an FDA-approved sedative, but many mental health clinics also prescribe ketamine therapy to treat depression that is unresponsive to SSRIs and other medications.
How Does Ketamine Therapy Work
Chronic depression can cause stress levels in the body to rise. This creates an excess of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine. These hormones are linked with neuron degradation in the prefrontal cortex. This can impact memory and worsen depressive symptoms.
Ketamine reduces activity in the brain’s NMDA receptors, which play a role in chronic stress and severe depression. As a result, the neurotransmitter, glutamate, remains in the synaptic cleft, or the space between neurons.Â
Glutamate triggers other reactions that facilitate neuron communication and repair neural damage. Unlike SSRIs, ketamine can relieve some depressive symptoms immediately, even in clients with treatment-resistant depression.Â
Ketamine therapy is a complementary treatment. This means that clients will also receive psychotherapy, experiential therapy, and fitness programs to address their depression.Â
The Conditions Ketamine Therapy Can Help With
Our San Diego ketamine therapy program supports clients with severe mental health issues. Researchers have studied the curative effects of ketamine for decades. There is evidence that ketamine delivered in a controlled medical environment can treat the following conditions:
- Anxiety
- Seizures
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Substance use disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Depression
- Severe pain
Who Should Consider Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine is considered a last-line treatment for depression. This means that we only consider ketamine therapy for clients who have not experienced any improvement with conventional depression treatments, such as lifestyle changes, medication, and non-invasive treatment such as transcranial magnetic stimulation.Â
Who Should Not Consider Ketamine Therapy?
Although ketamine therapy is safe when delivered under medical supervision, it is not suitable for everyone.Â
For example, clients with cardiovascular problems or hypertension should not undergo ketamine therapy. Ketamine is not recommended for some clients with a history of psychosis or substance use. Ketamine can also interact with several medications, so clients taking certain drugs may not qualify for ketamine infusions.Â
Since ketamine’s effects on the developing brain are unknown, this therapy is not advised for youth under 18 or pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Ketamine Therapy & Potential Benefits
Ketamine therapy can be a lifesaver for people with treatment-resistant depression. When depression is severe, people face considerable obstacles in their everyday lives. Untreated depression can lead to suicide ideation, and in 1 in 5 diagnosed individuals, suicide attempts.Â
Ketamine therapy provides immediate relief of severe depressive symptoms. Most people experience an elevated mood and fewer instances of suicide ideation. Additional infusions compound these effects. In one study, 10 sessions of ketamine therapy eliminated depressive symptoms in nearly 40 percent of participants.Â
What To Expect On Our Ketamine Therapy Sessions
We provide ketamine therapy in San Diego for our eligible residential clientele. Our medical team helps clients settle comfortably into a seat before starting the IV. The infusion, which contains a low dose of ketamine, is administered through the arm.Â
Ketamine’s dissociative effect is often described as relaxing or comforting. Some people fall asleep during the process. However, clients remain conscious throughout the entire procedure. Our team monitors all vital signs to ensure our clients’ safety.
Each IV session takes under an hour to complete. While ketamine has no lasting effects, some clients may want to take some time to relax in the clinic before continuing with their day.Â
We do not recommend operating a motor vehicle directly after ketamine therapy. We also advise clients to keep their stress levels low for at least 12 hours after each session.Â
How To Get Started
If your depressive symptoms are not responding to prescription anti-depressants, you should consider if the primary program at Experience Structured Living is right for you. In addition to offering ketamine therapy in San Diego, we help our clients improve every aspect of their lives, from their daily living routines to their career opportunities. Contact us today and learn more about our residential programs.
FAQs About Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine infusions are a valuable treatment approach for many conditions, including unresponsive severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain. If you want to know more about receiving ketamine in San Diego, please consult our FAQ.
Is Ketamine Therapy Safe?
Ketamine is extremely safe in specific conditions. Ketamine has been used in the medical setting for decades as a safe form of general anesthesia. Recently low doses of ketamine have been found to have a therapeutic effect on depression and other mental health disorders.
However, ketamine has a similar makeup as the psychoactive drug PCP and can produce harmful effects when used recreationally. Illegal ketamine use can disrupt the body’s motor functions and increase the risk of injuries. Improper doses of ketamine can also cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure and heart rate.
Mixing ketamine with other substances, such as alcohol, can cause a lack of consciousness or death. For this reason, ketamine should never be used without medical supervision.
How Long Does Ketamine Therapy Usually Last For?
Ketamine therapy follows a tapered schedule. During the first phase, clients may receive two sessions per week over three weeks.Â
After this, infusions are scheduled monthly or biweekly. The effects of a single session start immediately and can last anywhere from several hours to several weeks. Most people continue to feel the effects indefinitely after 6 weeks of treatment. However, clients in some situations can schedule boosters if the effect begins to fade.
How Much Can Ketamine Therapy Cost?
The cost of ketamine treatment in San Diego will vary based on your treatment needs. We charge $750 per individual ketamine infusion. However, clients starting treatment for the first time can purchase a package of 6 infusions spaced over three weeks for $3000. If a client received a typical series of 10 infusions, the total price will be $6,000.
Does Insurance Cover Ketamine?
Ketamine is only FDA-approved for one purpose, which is as a general anesthetic. Since ketamine for depression in San Diego and throughout the country is considered off-label use, the majority of insurance providers do not include infusions on their covered treatment lists.Â
However, there are some providers who may provide full or partial reimbursements for ketamine costs. You may also be able to use other financing options, such as a health savings or flexible spending account to cover infusions.Â
Ketamine infusion for mental health purposes may soon gain FDA approval. Until then, you must speak with your insurance provider to understand your options.