In trauma treatment, ketamine has a unique psychological effect that can be transformative for individuals struggling with triggers, depression, anxiety, and other PTSD symptoms.

1. Dissociation: Ketamine induces a state of dissociation, where individuals feel a sense of detachment from their thoughts, emotions, and body. This can help patients temporarily distance themselves from the overwhelming emotional intensity of trauma, allowing them to process painful memories and emotions in a safe and controlled manner.
2. Neuroplasticity: Ketamine enhances neuroplasticity, meaning it promotes the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. This is particularly useful for trauma patients, as it can help them break free from entrenched patterns of negative thinking, fear, and avoidance that are often associated with traumatic memories.
3. Emotional Reset: Ketamine can provide an emotional “reset,” allowing patients to experience a shift in mood and perspective. For those suffering from trauma, this can mean relief from chronic feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, or hypervigilance, which can give them a new sense of clarity and openness to healing.
4. Reduced Fear Response: Research suggests ketamine can dampen the brain’s fear response, which is often hyperactive in individuals with trauma-related disorders. By reducing the emotional intensity of fear and anxiety, patients may be better able to confront traumatic memories without becoming overwhelmed. It can also help expand one’s own emotional depth and awareness, pulling down internal barriers, which can be integral in the psychotherapeutic treatment of trauma.
5. Altered Consciousness: In therapeutic settings, the altered state of consciousness that ketamine induces can facilitate deeper introspection. This allows patients to explore their trauma from a different perspective, gaining new insights and emotional clarity that can lead to lasting healing.

By combining ketamine with trauma-focused psychotherapy, patients can reprocess their traumatic experiences with reduced emotional distress, leading to long-term healing and recovery

For 70-80% of patients treated, ketamine treatments provide a break from debilitating symptoms of depression within 24 hours of a ketamine treatment, but it is not a permanent cure.  In the setting of trauma treatment, ketamine infusions can be used to maximize targeted trauma therapies.