Three weeks ago I went for a Ketamine therapy visit. My goal was to reduce my anxiety and get help with my existential fears. Had tried Effexor, but didn't like the way it made me feel and was concerned other anti-anxiety meds would do same.
Ketamine is a short acting anesthetic, but at a lower dose it can have psychedelic properties. After having consults with 2 clinics I picked the one closer to me. A few days prior to the actual therapy, I visited the office, filled out lots of paperwork, including extensive med. history & received a thorough physical and explanation of what to expect.
At the therapy visit, got comfortable in a recliner, given eye shades and noise cancelling headphones with meditative music. IM injection and within 3 min. began to feel cold, tingly, then a bit of a tight feeling & then, I felt I left my body. The experience first felt like an 80's laser light show times 100,000, but far more.
I had come in with questions to ask my unconscious mind, which I did and I got answers. Nothing verbal, but visual and thru feelings. It was the most profound experience I think I have ever had. The whole "trip" lasted for about 45 min. Had to be driven home and felt fuzzy the rest of the day.
My existential fear is gone; my anxiety has gone from an 8 to a 2. The effects, so far, are durable. Research has shown that neural pathways can be rewritten. It may not be for everyone, but would highly recommend if you can't keep anxiety under control. Please feel free to reach out if you want more info.
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rsgdmd
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Back in the day, I used to love "Special K" and "K holes." Now that I've become a Kantian, I understand that it removes the lens of spacetime that we're otherwise locked into. I wouldn't want to go through life seeing things as they really are ("Ding an sich" as Kant called it) all the time, but it is a good occasional reminder that we actively create our experience of the world.
Recreational use and therapeutic use of Ketamine are two different animals, similar to taking testosterone to regain feeling alert, energetic, mentally sharp, and virile and taking testosterone to treat APC. Ketamine and other psychedelics can be life changing as rsgdmd eloquently writes, without having to take SSRIs and other long term prescriptions. His crippling anxiety went from an 8 to a 2 in one treatment. Ketamine is legal in all states through a doctor but please do not lump it together with recreational use. To do so is a disservice to those with anxiety, ptsd, depression, addiction, pain, etc who have had life changing results.
Ketamine, in the right dose, has the ability to rewrite some neural pathways, even used once. I did a second time and did not have the profound experience again. In fact, my unconscious mind told me it had nothing more to tell me and could only offer me peace. I'll take peace any time. Hopefully the experience helped reinforce the changes in the neural pathways.
Should also say that I talk to a therapist weekly and spoke to him on the day after each experience. Definitely helped to have someone help process all this.
Yes I have taken "K" recreationally and it can lead to some calming of the mind. I currently use Psilocybin for a variety of trips depending on type. The effects are longer but feel rejuvenated the next day and got rid of cancer pain
I did a good bit of research & there are 3 ways to take ketamine - oral via lozenge, IV or IM. The latter two require an MD to administer. If you google "ketamine therapy in my area", something may come up. There is a national company, Mindbloom, which can refer you to a doc. in your state, who does a virtual eval. & can then prescribe lozenges, which the company provides. You are pretty much on your own, which I didn't like. If there is a local provider, they are likely an ER doc or anesthesiologist or similar & will do IM or IV. The doc I used was ER and he stayed with me the whole time, doing vitals before & after. Felt safe. You do need a ride home after a session, so I went with a clinic that was fairly close by. I'm in Philly & would recommend where I went, but that only helps if you are also in Philly.
So, now that your existential fear is gone and anxiety is a 2, what will you do? I hope you start living. After all, everyone is dying, in one way or another.
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