The 3 Best Ways to Maximize your Ketamine Treatment
So you’ve just started Ketamine – or you’re thinking about it – and you want to know how you can get the best results from your time in treatment. With something as important as your personal wellbeing, that makes sense.
Ketamine can be a great tool in the mental health world, especially for those with treatment-resistant depression, to finally see a breakthrough in their progress.
The problem is, while the medication does a lot of the biological heavy lifting – like “softening” up those neural pathways to allow new habits and new perspectives to form – it can’t do the lasting emotional work for you.
That’s where knowing these 3 best tips and tricks to maximize your Ketamine treatment benefits, and to increase the longevity of the effects, come in handy.
#1 Set an Intention and Let Go
With each new session of Ketamine, give yourself an opportunity to reflect on the “how” and “why” you want to go into treatment that day – in other words, an intention.
Ketamine induces a strong, dreamlike state for your already malleable mind. Think of your brain as a tough piece of clay, Ketamine as a few drops of water, and an intention or self-talk as the warm hands that mold that clay.
Some examples of intentions are:
“I’m going to sit with my grief.”
“I can let my guard down for people who care about me.”
“It’s okay for me to want help.”
“I want to rediscover childlike joy.”
“I can allow myself a quiet mind.”
With the right intention, you can start to mold your brain to healthier, progressive ways of thinking. Begin with an intention, let go of control, and watch your healing flow.
#2 Allow a “Dud” Treatment to Happen
Many patients get discouraged when they go into a session at their usual dosage, and don’t feel the effects of the “high” as much as they normally would.
Does that mean that the treatment failed that day? Not at all! It’s important to remember that the “high” feeling is a side effect of the medication, and not the actual proof of efficacy, or success, of treatment.
In fact, not feeling the intensity of Ketamine as much (at your usual dosage) can sometimes be MORE beneficial! This just means you had a more grounded session, where your prefrontal cortex is still involved enough to observe, instead of being completely “knocked out.”
Use this time to:
Tune mindful awareness into your body
Visualize a past scenario differently today versus in the past
Interview your future self and ask questions
Utilize this time for rest and, not to force anything but, to become curious in your internal processes as one of the best ways to become an ally to your inner-peace.
#3 Consider Therapy for Boosted Support
Integrating therapeutic support alongside your Ketamine treatments is a great way to work through what can come up for you during your sessions.
Remember, it’s okay to need help. It can be difficult to sometimes know what is affecting you, how to put it into words, or to find clarity when deep emotions come or struggle to come up.
Seeing a therapist alongside Ketamine treatments can help you:
Deepen your understanding of your internal processes
Unlock ways to manage difficult memories or emotions
Build trust and vulnerability with yourself
Let go of the past and refresh your view of the future
Sit with discomfort or enjoy stillness
A licensed therapist is trained to help you help yourself. Look forward to the future with a helping hand!
If you’re in the North Salt Lake region or nearby areas (Farmington, Centerville, Layton, Woods Cross, Kaysville, Millcreek, West Valley, Murray, Taylorsville) and are curious whether ketamine therapy could be a good fit for you, we’d be happy to talk through your questions with you.
You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation to learn more about the process, what to expect, and whether this approach makes sense for your situation.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. Support is here when you’re ready.