Photography by Dawn Bowery
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You’ve tried therapy. You’ve been on and off countless antidepressants, endured unwanted side effects, and waited weeks to determine whether the next medication would finally provide relief. You know the cycle all too well: the hope that comes with each new treatment, followed by the disappointment when meaningful improvement remains out of reach. It may feel as though you are running out of options, but hope and relief are still possible, and you’ve already taken the first step toward finding them.
For many people, ketamine has provided that hope. Research over the past two decades has demonstrated that low-dose ketamine can produce rapid and meaningful improvements in symptoms of depression, often after just one treatment. Unlike traditional antidepressants that may take weeks to become effective, some patients experience relief from depressive symptoms, including suicidal thoughts, within hours of treatment. Ketamine has been used safely for decades as an anesthetic and continues to be one of the most promising evidence-based treatment options for individuals whose symptoms have not responded adequately to conventional therapies.
Although Westside Mind Health is no longer accepting new patients, Marc Heiser, M.D., Ph.D. continues to provide intramuscular (IM) ketamine treatment through his private practice. As a board-certified psychiatrist with extensive experience treating mood disorders, Dr. Heiser remains committed to providing thoughtful, individualized care for patients seeking ketamine therapy. He works closely with each patient to understand their symptoms, treatment history, and goals, developing a personalized treatment plan designed to maximize safety and therapeutic benefit.
Photography by Dawn Bowery
Hope and relief are still possible, and you’ve already taken the first step toward finding them.
We understand that depression, anxiety, bipolar depression, OCD, and other mental health conditions can profoundly affect every aspect of life and may not respond adequately to traditional treatments such as antidepressant medications and psychotherapy. For many individuals, ketamine offers a safe, evidence-based option that can provide rapid relief when other treatments have fallen short. If you are interested in learning whether ketamine therapy may be appropriate for you, we encourage you to contact Dr. Heiser’s practice to schedule a consultation.
What is Ketamine?
Over the past two decades, ketamine has emerged as an evidence-based treatment option for patients experiencing continued depressive symptoms despite using conventional interventions like antidepressants and talk therapy. Patients who do not adequately respond to these more traditional treatments often receive a diagnosis of treatment-resistant depression and have historically had few treatment options. Recent research has demonstrated that lower, non-anesthetic doses of ketamine can result in rapid improvement in depressive symptoms, even in cases of treatment-resistant depression. New research also suggests it may help alleviate anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar depression symptoms.
So what is ketamine and how does it work? Ketamine is an anesthetic with dissociative effects that can cause you to feel detached from your mind, body, and environment. This altered state happens because ketamine interrupts typical communication between the sensory, cognitive, and emotional centers of your brain.
The sensations you may experience after ketamine is administered are very individualized and dependent on dosage, but many people report feeling disconnected from their body, experiencing visual distortions, or feeling like time is moving faster or slower. While this dissociative effect is common, research seems to suggest it’s more of a side effect of treatment than a central feature of it. That being said, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy following treatment may be a helpful tool to discuss any thoughts or emotions this dissociative effect may cause.
If the dissociative effects aren’t what makes ketamine so effective, what is? Most researchers agree the key to ketamine therapy is glutamate. Unlike traditional antidepressants, ketamine primarily acts on glutamate rather than norepinephrine, dopamine, or serotonin. The increase in glutamate caused by ketamine increases Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, leading to the creation of not only new connections in the brain, but the creation of new neurons. Because ketamine acts on different neurotransmitters than traditional antidepressants, for some patients it can relieve symptoms in a single session even when other approaches have resulted in little to no improvement.
This “neurogenesis” in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex improves cognition and emotional regulation, decreasing symptoms like “brain fog,” difficulty concentrating, suicidal ideation, and persistent negative thought patterns associated with feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and sadness.
Psychiatrists explain ketamine’s history, benefits, and its role in mental health treatment.
SAFE AND EFFECTIVE
Ketamine and Mental Health
What began as an anesthetic valued for its low safety risk has transformed into a promising new means of treating mental health symptoms. As early as the 1970s, researchers began exploring ketamine’s potential as a treatment for various mental illnesses. In the 1990s, this research saw a vigorous (and rigorous) resurgence, demonstrating conclusively that ketamine can significantly improve depression symtpoms––and can even do so for people who have not responded to traditional antidepressants.
Much of the research on ketamine therapy has been done with patients experiencing what’s often deemed “treatment resistant” or “treatment refractory” depression (TRD), meaning they’ve tried multiple different antidepressants and/or talk therapy and found little relief. These studies have shown that 50%–80% of patients with TRD experience significant symptom reduction within just hours or days of their first ketamine infusion. Though patients often require maintenance sessions to sustain the effect at first, ketamine literally “rewires” your brain, strengthening and forging new neural connections. As a result, many patients report a reduction in or total remission of their symptoms even after they discontinue treatment.
Although research on ketamine’s ability to improve symptoms associated with other mental illnesses has been a more recent phenomenon and is ongoing, studies have shown promising results in patients diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety disorders, OCD, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and Bipolar Disorder.
A Ketamine Clinic that understands your goals
We work closely with patients and their providers to understand their goals and provide careful, active management of their ketamine experience. This creates a safe, personalized treatment program that enhances their recovery. Providers are encouraged to collaborate with us and be an active part of treatment planning so they can trust that their patients receive the best care available.