Using Ketamine to Treat Depression

I chose to read an article about depression treatment using Ketamine. Depression is highly prevalent in our nation but unfortunately its cure has yet to be found. According to Anand & Matthew, approximately ten percent of Americans suffer from depression. That may not seem like a large amount but when you look at the total population of the United States which is around 327, 582, 600 and growing, then ten percent is an extremely large number.

The article Ketamine as an Alternative Treatment for Treatment-Resistant Depression talks about how healthcare professionals are using Ketamine to treat depression that is resistant to antidepressants. They have found that it does help some people, but it is not a one hundred percent cure. There have been a lot of studies to find that one magic pill to cure this problem which disables people to the point where they are not able to function in the daily life.

They believe that some of it has to do with the amount of stress that we are under in our daily lives. The inability or the lack of resources that keep us from seeking help can push our body to the point where chronic stress and neurons are thought to atrophy, shrink, and die (Dowben, Grant, and Keltner, 2013).

I worked in a place where they used such treatment and, to be honest, I am not able to state whether it is a success or a failure. It does seem to help people for a short period of time but like any other drug, it does not last, and the treatment has to be repeated. The article talks about people having psychotic, manic, or dissociative symptoms (Dowben, Grant, and Keltner, 2013). I have observed that Ketamine causes people to hallucinate, see things or creatures that are nonexistent. The article states that this drug needs to be administered under the supervision of a healthcare professional and the patient's vital signs need to be monitored. Ketamine was used as one of the anesthesia medications in the place where I worked, and it is not a drug to be taken lightly.

In conclusion, there is no real cure for depression at this time, but Ketamine does seem to help people that ordinary antidepressants are not able to help. I suppose they will continue to study this disease and maybe someday they will come across a complete cure for it.

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