Ketamine Treatment Provides Transformation Going Forward

Lexi released a long, deep sigh as she stared out the window. What was the point? Just holding herself up in the overstuffed chair was too much of an effort.  But, she knew she had to drag herself to her feet, and get in the shower. Another day had begun, and she needed to go to work. She didn’t know how she could do it, but without a paycheck she’d be in a much worse situation. She just had to. Eventually she shuffled into the bathroom, stripped off her clothes and turned on the water. After drying off, she pulled on her robe, and drug herself back to the kitchen, and poured another cup of coffee. Sitting at the table, head in hands, she tried to picture herself dressing, and actually going to work. She drew a blank. But, eventually, she was locking her front door, getting in her car, and starting the engine. Unfortunately, she’d never heard of ketamine treatment or that it provides transformation now, and in the future. She just didn’t know.

Feeling Like a Zombie

She pulled into the parking lot and gathered her purse and lunch, then walked toward her building. Once she finally reached her desk, she sat with hands propping her chin, trying to remember what she was doing when she left yesterday. Blank again. She’d had bouts of depression in the past, but this was harder. Worse. It was so hard to think. If thoughts went through her mind, they were worry, fear, shame. But not remembering something constructive. Siiiggghhhhh.

Before too long, her boss walked up to her desk and asked if the “plan” was ready. Plan?? She wondered. Hmmm…oh wait…

“Oh the plan. Not completely. I’ll try to get it to you by the end of the day.” (Maybe she could throw something together by then.)

“Lexi, something has to give. I needed your plan for this next project 3 days ago. We’re out of time. I have to present it tomorrow morning. What’s going on?” Her boss’s voice was rising…becoming shrill.

“I’m sorry, Jill.” Tears filled Lexi’s eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me but everything has become so much harder. Almost impossible. I can’t describe it, but my mind is blank, I have zero energy, and I feel hopeless that it’s ever going to get better. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to do. I rack my brain, but I can’t figure out how to think, or to come up with ideas. I’m just blank and overwhelmed.”

Jill stared at her, blinking. Incredulous. “Now you’re telling me this? Why didn’t you tell me weeks ago?”

Jill turned on her heel and stormed back to her office.

Shame, Disgust, and Hopelessness

Lexi was disgusted with herself but had no idea how to find a solution. “I’m going to lose this job. Then I’ll lose my apartment. After that, I’ll be homeless because you can’t get a place to live without an income.”  The shock and terror of it all gripped her and she could hardly breathe.

She stared at the papers on her desk. She knew it was too late to come up with anything helpful for Jill’s presentation in the morning. But she kept staring, hoping some new idea would spring into her mind. If only Lexi had realized how close she was to learning ketamine provides transformation for people suffering like this every day.

Fifteen minutes later, Hannah walked up to Lexi’s desk, and slipped her a sticky note with a name and phone number scrawled on it. 

“I couldn’t help but overhear, Lexi. I’ve noticed how you’ve seemed to be losing confidence lately, and you seem to be getting more and more down. I’ve noticed it especially the last few months. Maybe we could talk at lunch?”

“Hi Hannah. Yes, it’s been harder and harder for me to function at all. I’ve been depressed before in my life, but this is worse than I’ve experienced before. I’m afraid I’m going to lose my job and I don’t know how to prevent it. What’s this?” She asked, holding up the stickie note.

Hope Rises From a Stickie Note

“That’s the phone number of a doctor not too far from here who offers an amazing treatment. My sister fell into a desperate place with depression and suicidal thinking. It lasted 6 months before she found out about this treatment. She went to this doctor’s practice, and received IV ketamine treatment… and she got so much better, she felt like herself again.  Ketamine treatment provides transformation for her.

“The suicidal thinking stopped after the first infusion, and the depression symptoms lifted more and more over time as she received the infusions that followed. This honestly changed her life, Lexi. I thought you might like to look into it..? It might help you get back to yourself, too…?”

Lexi stared at the scrap of paper. It was hard to compute what Hannah was saying. But she decided to call this number and see what she could find out.

At lunch, she sat in her car and made the call. 

The person she talked to was informative and kind. She explained that Lexi would need to meet with the psychiatrist for an evaluation to move forward. Lexi made an appointment because of what Hannah had described about her sister. If it worked for Hannah’s sister, maybe it would help Lexi, too. Apparently, ketamine treatment provides transformation for lots of people…? She hoped it would help her.

Her appointment was set for two days away. When the time came, Lexi called in sick to work (she was sick, after all, right?), and spent a considerable time with the doctor, answering lots of questions the best she could.

The doctor told her she was suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) and while ketamine treatment wasn’t effective for everyone, it was actually transformative for many, many of her patients. And she felt it was very likely that it would make an enormous difference for Lexi.

Lexi received the first infusion that afternoon. 

Her neighbor drove her home afterward.

Two days later she went in for another ketamine treatment. While she didn’t feel any better yet that afternoon, the doctor had explained that some people don’t begin to experience the antidepressant benefits right away. So she tried to not worry.

That evening at home, she checked her email, and she’d received something from Hannah.

A Study Confirms Ketamine Treatment’s Effectiveness

“Hi Lexi, I was googling about ketamine treatment, and ran across this new article about a study at Northwestern University that was published in Cellular and Molecular Life Science just last week on February 27. See what you think.”

Hmmm…Northwestern University, huh?

Lexi opened the article, and as described, it described a study just published at that university. It said that treatments for depression need to act quickly, but they also need to have a sustained, long-term benefit.

As part of the study, they learned that a major benefit of ketamine treatment is that it causes antidepressant effects within hours on newly formed brain cell connections, and it also causes more of these to be formed. So ketamine treatment can start to work quickly and continues to work over time— on these brand new connections as they form over time because of ketamine treatment.

Apparently, ketamine treatment provides transformation for people rapidly, and long term, as well.

The senior author of the study was John Kessler, MD, professor of neurology at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. It sounded pretty credible to Lexi.

She felt reassured that serious scientists were studying this treatment. She’d had no idea.

Lexi soon received the 3rd and 4th infusions, and things began to change. She felt initiative… in the sense of pulling out the project they were working on in her job, and researching ideas to make it more effective. It felt so good to be feeling productive again…useful in a way. 

She spoke with her boss the next day and told her she was getting treatment for depression, and she believed she was going to be able to contribute more again at work.

She thought she’d only need 6 treatments. But she had two more. After 8 infusions, she was beginning to feel like her old self. Creativity began to bloom inside her, and she enjoyed sharing her ideas with the team. Even more reassuring, she had the energy she’d been lacking for so long, to do what needed to be done. She began to notice herself singing in the shower and walking quickly from the parking lot, with a sense of anticipation.

 Hannah agreed to meet her for dinner after work on Friday, and Lexi was eager to share all that had happened, and how it had transformed her. She expressed her deep gratitude for how Hannah had stuck her neck out to tell her about ketamine treatment. It had saved her job. And she wasn’t exaggerating when she told her it had saved her life, too.

After about a month, Lexi felt that her outlook was slipping into some hopelessness and overwhelm again. The doctor had cautioned her about this possibility, so she made another appointment for a booster infusion.

Afterward, and in the weeks to come, she felt much better again. And that built her confidence that if this ever happened again, she knew where to go. This thing about ketamine treatment providing transformation was very real. It would see her through.

Ketamine Can Transform Your Life, Too

When you find yourself in crisis with severe depression, and thoughts of suicide, ketamine treatment can stop those suicidal thoughts in an afternoon. It can replace the listlessness and despair of depression with a bright outlook, creativity, energy, and hope.

If you’ve struggled like Lexi, or Hannah’s sister, and you need treatment to help you experience restoration to your best self and your best life, call us.

We’re here to help you live again, give again, and enjoy the rewards of your life.

You’ll be so glad you did.

To the restoration of your best self,