mental Health
Mental Health
Mental illness may create uncertainty because many people don’t understand what mental illness is. A recent global report shows a decline in mental health worldwide, becoming a global health crisis.
Mental illness explained:
The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Mental illness occurs when the brain, just like any other organ such as the heart, or the kidney, is not working the way it should. The major causes of mental illness are anxiety disorder, major depressions, and bipolar disorder. Symptoms can range from loss of motivation and energy, to changing sleep patterns, extreme mood swings, or overwhelming obsessions or fears. Mental illness interferes with relationships and affects a person’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis, often leading to social isolation.
Statistics show that one in every five Americans will have a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Mental illness affects both males and females, young and old.
Causes of mental illness:
Most health professionals and researchers believe that mental illness is usually the result of an interaction of physical, environmental, or social factors.
Physical Factors
Physical factors can include a person’s individual genetic make-up, which may put them at higher risk for developing a mental illness. Factors can also include physical trauma, such as a brain injury, or the misuse of substances such as street drugs or alcohol.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors that can negatively impact a person’s mental health can include severe psychological trauma, such as war, or sexual abuse.
Social Factors
Social factors such as where we live, whether we have strong support networks and our work environment impact our mental well-being. The amount of stress people are under, and the duration of that stress can impact one’s mental health.
Ketamine Treatment for Mental Health
Mental Health Conditions Treated:
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- Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD)
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Bi-Polar Disorder (BPD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Anxiety Disorders
- Postpartum Depression (PPD)
- Postmenopausal Depression
- Adolescent Mental Health
- Geriatric Mental Health
According to Harvard Medical School: “The drug ketamine is a promising treatment for many people with major depression and other mental health conditions. When administered as IV infusion patients may experience rapid symptom relief. Because it works quickly, it could be an important tool in helping people who are suicidal.” The drug was originally used as a battlefield anesthetic during Vietnam but has evolved into a treatment therapy for mental health disorders and their symptoms, like sadness, agitation, irritability.
While antidepressants and other medications are used to balance chemicals, Ketamine can provide immediate impact by changing the way brain cells communicate. Ketamine affects receptors in the brain and targets glutamate, the brain’s most common excitatory chemical messenger. Glutamate strengthens the connections in your brain, playing a key role in how you learn, remember, and respond to experiences. It also helps to produce and balance GABA which is a neurotransmitter that produces a calming effect in the body.
When administered via infusion therapy, ketamine is known to work quickly, within one or two sessions – much faster than other kinds of medications. Ketamine infusions are administered by our physician with monitoring in place for safety and any side-effects. The dosage and number of infusions vary from patient to patient and specific to the needs of the patient. Initial treatments may be twice a week for three weeks, three times a week for two weeks, or more often if needed.