Ketamine

WHAT IT IS

Relief that Meets You Where You Are

Depression isn’t always just sadness. It can feel like a narrowing of life — a dimming of color, a quiet disconnection from your relationships, your creativity, and your sense of self. When you’ve tried medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes and still feel stuck, it can begin to feel personal. Like you’re the problem. You’re not.

Ketamine is one of the most rapid-acting biological treatments available for treatment-resistant depression and suicidal thinking, with many people experiencing relief within days. At MBLDN Psychiatry & Wellness, ketamine is offered as a carefully supported, medically supervised experience — not a quick fix — where your nervous system is cared for and your healing has room to land.

HOW IT WORKS

Supporting the Brain’s Natural Capacity for Change

Ketamine works differently than traditional antidepressants. Rather than primarily targeting serotonin, it acts on glutamate pathways — the brain’s main system for learning, adaptation, and change. Depression can create well-worn mental loops of hopelessness, dread, or self-blame that feel difficult to escape. Ketamine appears to temporarily shift brain signaling, supporting neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new connections — and creating a window where patterns feel less rigid and more flexible.

In other words, ketamine doesn’t simply mute symptoms; it may help the brain become more capable of change.

During treatment, some people notice a sense of distance from usual thought patterns (dissociation), which can feel clarifying or simply unusual and is not required for benefit.

WHO IT MAY BE FOR

Another Path When You’re Feeling Stuck

You may be a good candidate if you:

  • Have major depressive disorder that has been difficult to treat

  • Have tried one or more antidepressant medications without adequate improvement

  • Are experiencing persistent symptoms such as low mood, numbness, hopelessness, or loss of motivation

  • Are seeking a treatment that works through a different biological pathway than traditional medications

  • Are open to medically supervised treatment with structured follow-up and support

  • Are willing to engage in integration support, such as therapy, alongside treatment

Ketamine may be a meaningful option for individuals experiencing depression that has not improved enough with traditional treatments, or for those who need a more rapid or biologically different approach to care. It is most often considered when medications and therapy have provided only partial relief or when symptoms feel persistent despite significant effort.

Ketamine is commonly used for treatment-resistant depression and may also support some individuals with anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, or obsessive patterns, depending on clinical evaluation.

The best way to determine whether ketamine is appropriate is through a careful evaluation of your history, current symptoms, medical considerations, and goals for treatment.

PROCESS

We approach treatment as a collaborative process, moving at a pace that feels safe and sustainable for you. Each phase builds on the last, creating a foundation for lasting change rather than temporary relief.

01 / Evaluation & Prep

We begin with a thorough intake appointment to understand your story, symptoms, medical history, and what you’ve already tried. Together, we’ll discuss whether ketamine is an appropriate and safe option for you and answer any questions you may have before moving forward.

02 / Your Infusion Series

Treatment typically includes a series of six infusions over about four weeks, most often scheduled 1–2 times per week depending on your needs and availability. Each session takes place in a calm, medically supervised environment designed to support your nervous system throughout the experience.

03 / Integration

After your series, we meet for a follow-up appointment to assess your response and plan next steps. Some individuals benefit from maintenance infusions over time, often beginning around one month after the initial series, though timing is always personalized.

SUPPORT & INTEGRATION

Ketamine can create meaningful shifts — relief, clarity, emotional movement, or new perspective. Lasting change often comes from what happens afterward. Integration is the process of making sense of what shifts so insight becomes stability and meaningful change can take root in daily life.

Because psychotherapy is not provided during infusions, it is strongly recommended that you have a therapist you see regularly during your treatment series. Many people find therapy most helpful within 24–48 hours after an infusion, when the brain may still be more receptive to new patterns and perspectives.

Sometimes change happens quickly, and the nervous system needs time to recalibrate. You may feel emotionally tender, reflective, or aware of feelings that were previously muted. This does not mean something is wrong — often it means something is moving. Ongoing support helps ensure that movement becomes growth rather than overwhelm.

Ketamine opens a window. Support helps you walk through it.

SAFETY & INVITATION

Care that is Careful, Individualized, & Grounded

Ketamine has been used in medicine for decades. In mental health treatment, safety depends on appropriate screening, medical monitoring, and thoughtful follow-up. Common short-term effects may include temporary changes in perception, dizziness, nausea, or fatigue, which typically resolve the same day or by the following day. Long-term research is still evolving, which is why treatment is approached carefully and without unnecessary frequency.

If you feel exhausted from surviving, or ready for your inner life to begin to soften and move again, ketamine may be a meaningful next step. Not because it erases what you’ve lived through, but because it can help you step off the worn paths your mind has been stuck on and begin moving with more freedom and flexibility.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

Considering ketamine can bring curiosity, hope, and uncertainty. These answers offer a clearer picture of what treatment involves so you can decide what feels right for you.

  • Ketamine has been used in medicine for decades. In mental health treatment, the doses and protocols are different than anesthetic use, and safety depends on careful screening, medical monitoring, and thoughtful follow-up. Temporary side effects may include dizziness, nausea, fatigue, or changes in perception during treatment, which typically resolve the same day or by the following day.

  • Many people notice changes within days rather than weeks, which is one reason ketamine is considered when other treatments haven’t provided enough relief. Some people feel improvement early in the series, while others need multiple treatments before meaningful shifts occur.

  • During an infusion, some people experience a gentle sense of distance from ordinary thoughts or from their body, sometimes called dissociation. This can feel clarifying, neutral, or simply unusual. Not everyone experiences this, and it is not required for treatment to be helpful.

  • Most protocols begin with a series of six infusions over about 2–4 weeks, because repeated treatments tend to create a more durable response. After the initial series, some people choose maintenance infusions spaced over time, depending on their symptoms and goals. Your plan is always individualized.

  • Yes, ongoing therapeutic support is strongly recommended. Ketamine can create a window where the brain becomes more flexible and receptive to change. Working with a therapist — often within 24–48 hours after treatment — helps integrate insights, stabilize progress, and translate change into daily life.

  • Ketamine is not a cure, and it isn’t a quick fix. It can create meaningful shifts — sometimes rapidly — by helping the brain move out of stuck patterns. Lasting improvement usually comes from the combination of biological treatment, psychological support, and life changes that build on that opening.

  • Ketamine is most commonly considered for individuals with treatment-resistant depression or persistent symptoms that have not improved enough with standard treatments. Determining whether it’s appropriate involves a thorough evaluation of your symptoms, medical history, and treatment goals. We make this decision carefully and collaboratively.

  • Yes. Because ketamine can temporarily affect perception, coordination, and reaction time, you will need a responsible adult to drive you home after each treatment. Most people feel back to baseline by the following day, but you should plan for a quiet, low-demand evening after your infusion.

Care Begins with a Conversation

LET'S GET STARTED

Through an initial consultation, we explore your history, symptoms, and goals to determine the most appropriate integrative or interventional treatment approach for you.

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