Everyone experiences occasional feelings of anxiety at some point in their lives. For example, you might feel anxious before taking a test, while making an important decision such as buying a new car or new home, or when you are faced with a particularly challenging project at work. However, for anyone with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety is not temporary, it doesn’t go away and can it can get progressively worse over time.

The symptoms associated with anxiety disorders can interfere with daily activities including family and relationships, job performance or schoolwork. So, what’s a person to do when dealing with anxiety on a regular basis that affects the activities of their daily life?

Ketamine is being used as an alternative treatment method, especially for conditions that are seemingly resistant to other conventional treatments. In fact, ketamine infusion therapy is being used more and more in the medical profession to provide relief to the symptoms associated with a variety of anxiety disorders.

Prevalence of Anxiety Disorders in the U.S.A.

In the United States, generalized anxiety disorder is reported to be as high as 3.1 percent per year and over 5.7 percent over the course of a patient’s lifetime. Also, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects 12 percent of the population making it a major cause of distress and social impairment.

Ketamine, in the form of an intravenous infusion, has been linked to changes in the chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters). This positive change in brain chemistry can help bring relief to the symptoms associated with anxiety-related disorders including separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorders in the United States. Approximately one in four adults will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives,” said Dr. James W. Murrough, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Mount Sinai Hospital. “Co-occurring anxiety disorders in the context of other psychiatric disorders, for example, major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder, are associated with a more chronic and treatment refectory course and those patients are at an elevated risk for suicide.”

Ketamine IV infusions, or any drug for that matter, is not a cure-all for any disease or disorder but it can offer new hope for a new beginning. Looking at a brief history of ketamine, the drug has been used as a legal prescription medication in the United States since the 1970s. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as an anesthetic during surgical procedures and to help manage chronic pain that is resistant to other treatment methods.

More recently, doctors are starting to prescribe ketamine to their patients to help treat depression, anxiety, PTSD and a whole range of mood disorders and mental health disorders. Ketamine acts by blocking receptors in the brain that sustain pain, depression and anxiety and patients often see almost immediate relief, within hours or days, of their first ketamine infusion session. Compare this to prescription antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which can take days if not months to build up in the bloodstream before they start working.

Traditional and Alternative Treatment Methods

There are many things you can do to help keep your anxiety at a manageable level such as sticking to your treatment plan, taking any medications as prescribed by your doctor, talking with your healthcare provider or psychiatrist to help determine what triggers your anxiety, taking part in hobbies and other enjoyable activities to help refocus your energy and keep your mind away from what’s worrying you or joining an anxiety support group.

Traditional methods used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include:

• Psychotherapy
• Buspirone
• Benzodiazepines
• Antidepressants such as Lexapro, Cymbalta, Effexor, and Paxil

If none of these methods seem to provide relief to your symptoms you can research alternative treatment methods.

Alternative methods used to treat anxiety include:

• Exercise and keeping physically active
• Non-conventional drugs such as Ketamine Infusion Therapy
• Meditation and other relaxation techniques
• Aromatherapy using soothing essential oils like lavender or vanilla
• Certain natural herbal remedies such as kava, valerian or passionflower
• Healthy diet plan including whole food plant-based nutrition
• Spending time with an emotional support animal (dogs, cats, horses)

Ketamine Treatments Help Gain Control of Your Life

Schedule a time to meet with a doctor at a ketamine therapy clinic near you. Ketamine infusions can help you take your life back and make you feel like yourself again. This alternative treatment modality can be used as an anxiety treatment to restore balance in your life without the unpleasant and unwanted side effects associated with many antidepressant prescription medications.

Reach out to the Pacific Ketamine Institute today to request an appointment and a healthcare professional will contact you to schedule the perfect time for you to visit the clinic.

During your appointment, you will have a consultation with a physician to learn more about how ketamine can help you and determine if you are a candidate for this type of therapy.

The doctor will meet with you to go over your medical history before providing you with a personalized treatment plan design to fit your specific healthcare needs. A series of ketamine infusion sessions will be scheduled and a typical treatment plan includes 6 sessions spread out over 3 weeks. Let us begin your healing today!