Prior to Your Infusion
Allay Health and Wellness follows best treatment practices, and advises our patients accordingly. Suggestions for preparing yourself for the ketamine infusion and the self-care practices following it have been identified so that you will have the optimal outcome you desire. The following guidelines are based upon volumes of ketamine research. Patient experiences have been well documented, and we have consolidated the hundreds of anecdotal reports – highlighting what works best. Adherence to these guidelines will help you, too, achieve the best outcome from you Ketamine experience.
Preparation:
* Come prepared with the understanding that ketamine is a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain relief. Many people seek ketamine treatment after other medical interventions have failed them. Either the medications prescribed to treat their conditions weren’t effective, or if they were initially, they no longer work. PTSD and other trauma related issues can be effectively resolved through ketamine assisted therapy.
* You are asked to refrain from eating solid foods for six hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Ketamine may cause you to feel mildly nauseous if you have eaten a heavy meal before hand. If you must have something to eat, have a light snack a few hours before your appointment.
* Wear comfortable clothing. Bring a sweater or light jacket as it can feel chilly while you are having your infusion. Bring a music selection if you want, and ear buds or headphones for private listening. The treatment rooms have wide-screen TVs with a menu of music and films if you prefer. Of course, quiet contemplation is always a good choice.
* Be prepared to wait 30 minutes after your infusion so that medical staff can make sure your are feeling well. Arrange to have someone drive you home afterwards.
After Your Infusion
Most people who undergo their initial ketamine treatment report having profound, positive experiences. These experiences, however, don’t seem to last beyond a few hours or days. So what good does an experience of relatively short duration accomplish? The answer is – a lot.
* What happens is a process called integration or assimilation. This is the journey leading to the discovery of new insights. Insights that have been hidden from our conscious awareness. Being anxious and distressed hides these insights from us. These new revelations enable us to apply what we have discovered through out our daily lives. A ketamine experience without integration is incomplete.
* No doubt ketamine induces brief, and profound mind-altering effects during the infusion. During the active stage of the infusion, patients report a range of experiences. These experiences are described as: a loss of ego, of dissociation; of entering a state of mind which allows them to “inventory” life events; of connecting past and present and gaining awareness of past traumatic events; a spiritual awakening; a sense of oneness and unity with others; visual and auditory clarity and fractal imagery. The ketamine experience is as unique as the person who experiences it.
* Set an intention. Have in mind an intention. In other words, what it is you want to get out of the experience. An intention is not wishful thinking. It is the goal you set with the expectation of achieving it. Intentions work subliminally- operating deep within our conscious minds – to become acted upon with the psychic energy boost provided by ketamine.Your intention may be broad and general. Or it may be specific as relates to an incident or a traumatic event you want to resolve. The intention you set will powerfully alter your experience, after which you have the importunity to process and resolve what you have witnessed.
* Use the rest of the day as a time of reflection. Don’t plan anything demanding or strenuous. This isn’t the time to jump back into your busy schedule with all of its demands and distractions. Later in the day, if time permits, being in nature is a good place to take time to reflect. A warm bath can be soothing, and help rekindle feelings of tranquility and calm.
* In the days ahead, start a new habit, and part ways with those that no longer work.
Many people find that this is a time to to try out a new behaviors and begin to prune away old negative, self-defeating habits. There is actual research supporting ketamine’s ability to facilitate the development of new behaviors. Neuro-chemically, ketamine produces and increases the expression of a protein in the brain called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). BDNF helps with the process of creating new synaptic connections. Patients find that during a series of infusions it becomes easier to engage in healthy, new behaviors because they feel better, and are therefore able to do so. This function is reinforced by the intentions set during their initial experience with ketamine.
It becomes easier to make these habits stick. Life style modifications directed toward the life that you want become actualized. Wanting to change the way you live whether it is through diet, exercise, improving relationships, managing stress or relief from physical pain is both realistic…and possible.
In Summary….
Set an intention, take the experience seriously, and take time to reflect. Use your ketamine experience as a catalyst for growth and change. Again, the ketamine experience without integration is incomplete. Process your experiences with your counselor. If you do not have a therapist, Allay Health and Wellness can either provide one or refer you to a mental health professional.