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A powerful drug that’s been around for decades is being used in a new way to help treat patients with mental health illnesses.
Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, is being used as a sedative to help people who’ve been diagnosed with illnesses including PTSD, eating disorders, depression, and more. In Los Angeles, several “ketamine clinics” have popped up to help treat these kinds of patients.
“People who couldn’t get out of bed in the morning and go to work, they are going to work,” Dr. Steven Mandel said of the treatment.
Mandel is a board-certified anesthesiologist who co-founded Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles, which has served more than 6,000 patients with ketamine infusions. In basic terms, the doctor said the treatment essentially rewires the brain to create new connections, restoring key circuits in regulating moods.
“It’s the fastest reliever of depression that we have,” Mandel said.
The ketamine is administered intravenously, and the treatment consists of six infusions given over the course of about three weeks. Each infusion costs $600.
“It’s not magic, it takes time for new growth to occur in the brain,” Mandel said.
According to the doctor, the treatment is safe and even effective for teenagers. He added that he hopes those who are grappling with mental health disorders look beyond the stigma surrounding ketamine and get the help they need.