How Ketamine Infusion Therapy Is Helping Veterans

Palo Alto Mind Body Blog How Ketamine Infusion Therapy Is Helping Veterans

Statistics regarding the mental health of veterans are startling. Around 30% of our active duty and reserve military troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan need treatment for a mental health condition. Unfortunately, less than 50% of them get the treatment they need.

At Palo Alto Mind Body,  we use our expertise and compassion for your health to provide the best treatments possible in the surrounding Bay Area, including South Bay, North Bay, East Bay, Peninsula, and San Francisco. 

M Rameen Ghorieshi, MD, MPH, leads our team in understanding how your mental and physical health work together. We have extensive experience and knowledge with IV ketamine infusions, helping veterans who suffer from health challenges, such as:

IV ketamine infusion therapy is delivering breakthrough success stories, offering extremely positive results for veterans suffering from any of these issues.

We are the only Bay Area treatment center partnered with the Veterans Affairs (VA) for IV ketamine treatments.

The history of ketamine

Ketamine was developed in the 1960s and approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic in 1970.  Later, in the 1980s and 1990s it became abused in various forms as a party drug until 1999 when the US government made it a federally controlled substance. After that, it’s illicit use declined significantly while clinical studies began to increasingly focus on its promise as a treatment for depression when administered in low doses.  

The drug continued to show promise in additional studies, helping patients with severe depression, suicidal ideation, and even PTSD. 

In clinical trials, when administering low doses of ketamine intravenously, it “produced rapid and robust antidepressant effects.” With continued treatment, you can continue to maintain your results of improving your symptoms.

How ketamine works

Ketamine can be administered in several ways. However, Dr. Ghorieshi has found that IV infusion provides the most effective results.

Ketamine administered in this way immediately begins to help rebuild the neural connections in your brain that stimulate neurotransmitters that ultimately allow your mood hormones to flow and create long-term positive changes for your brain. 

In most cases, veterans feel relief just a few hours after treatment.

The benefits of ketamine infusion therapy

Ketamine helps veterans break free from moderate-to-severe symptoms of many mental health issues.  The duration of the effects of ketamine treatments varies but can last several weeks and even months. It is common that treatment plans involve periodic therapeutic booster infusions to help veterans maintain their progress and avoid a relapse of their conditions. 

For so many veterans who suffer from the weight of emotionally challenging events, ketamine can help alleviate their pain.

If you’re a veteran looking for relief from your mental health challenges, or if you know a veteran who could benefit from ketamine, contact our friendly staff today by phone or online.

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