The Developing Brain
Requires Specialized Knowledge and Training
The adolescent brain is different from the adult brain in many ways. First, the adolescent brain is still growing and developing, the connections within it are being refined (synaptic pruning) and the communication between areas is becoming faster (myelination). Hormones are surging which affects brain activity. Also, teenagers are interacting in more complicated ways with peers and on social media, which further stimulates brain activity (dopamine).
This complicated mix of development can make adolescents moodier, with big highs and lows, impulsive, and willing to take risks for instant gratification (sensation seeking). Given these differences, the assessment and recommended treatments for teens are often not the same as for adults. Therefore, clinicians treating adolescents require specialty training to adequately assess and recommend treatments that have the highest chance of success.
Suicidal Ideation or Self-Injurious Behavior
In cases where adolescents have suicidal ideation or self-injurious behavior, it is imperative that treatments work right away in order to reduce the risk of harmful consequences. The response to ketamine is usually rapid, often reducing symptoms within one day.
This treatment can be life saving when provided under appropriate medical supervision. Based on their education, training, and experience, WMH’s psychiatrists offer unmatched expertise and unparalleled care for adolescents whose mental health may benefit from ketamine treatments.
RAPID RELIEF
When Others have Failed
Ketamine can Reduce Symptoms within One Day
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems cause immense suffering and often only respond partially to conventional treatments. Ketamine is a ground-breaking, evidence-based medication that can offer rapid relief from symptoms, even when other options have failed.
WMH is a boutique ketamine clinic that offers a calming, comfortable, medical environment. With our team’s specialized knowledge of adolescent mental health, ketamine is a safe and effective alternative for individuals for whom other medications or treatments may have failed (“treatment resistance”) or when symptoms require urgent treatment.
Specializing in Adolescents
As psychiatrists who are fellowship trained and board certified in child & adolescent psychiatry and have decades of experience working with teens, thus, we are uniquely qualified to provide expert insight and treatment recommendations regarding therapies such as ketamine for adolescents.