Key points

Out-of-body or dissociative feelings people sometimes experience are essentially a side effect of ketamine.

Insurance coverage is not keeping pace with ketamine’s increasing role in mental health treatment.

Ketamine doesn’t always work so keep in mind that there are other options for treating depression and anxiety.

Columnist Jon Tevlin recently covered his own journey out of depression in the Minneapolis Star Tribune article titled Depressed after his wife’s death, this Minneapolis man turned to ketamine therapy for help . Ketamine is the only legal psychedelic medication that is proven to be effective for treatment-resistant depression, bipolar depression, PTSD , anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

Tevlin’s story is a powerful one. It’s also a common story.

Ketamine has been widely administered for years with unprecedented success at specialty clinics throughout the country. It can help transform and save lives. Stories like Tevlin’s are hugely important, giving hope to people who are struggling with severe depression and potentially limited treatment options, many of which have undesirable side effects.

As a psychiatrist, I’ve been working with ketamine patients in a clinical setting for a decade. In this post, I want to revisit elements of the story to underscore some key points: A psychedelic high is not the goal

Tevlin’s article is a poignant descriptive of a ketamine therapy experience and the relief some people feel, though it’s not always that immediate. It’s important to know that the out-of-body or dissociative feelings that people sometimes experience are essentially a side effect, which can be pleasant for some and unpleasant for others.However, the benefit of ketamine to decrease depression continues after the side effects resolve. Over time, the need for ketamine often diminishes and treatments may even be discontinued. For an example of this, read Tom’s story in my previous post . Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is controversial Ketamine has shown to be beneficial with or without therapy. There is currently no generally accepted standard for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy , though several models do exist. There is also no existing framework for providers to bill insurers for these services. As such, many clinics providing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy are using their […]

Reflections on One Man’s Ketamine Therapy