For people suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, there may seem to be no way to get their lives back. OCD doesn’t go away on its own and has no cure, leaving many feeling hopeless with no relief from their symptoms. While there are medications that can help OCD patients to manage their mental health, they often have other side effects that make taking the medicine a less appealing treatment option for patients and can take months before users see any real change. The length of time that it takes for traditional medicines to work at treating OCD increases the feeling of helplessness and despair for many users, potentially resulting in a higher likelihood of suicide. Ketamine Treatment for OCD is a great alternative treatment for people with very severe OCD. Keep reading to find out more about Ketamine Treatment, OCD, and how the treatment can ease symptoms for people with mood disorders like OCD.
What is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that causes people to experience recurring, obsessive, intrusive thoughts and sensations that make them feel driven to do something repeatedly or act on an inappropriate compulsion without being able to help themselves. When they do try to stop themselves from acting on these persistent thoughts, they tend to become very distressed, anxious, or violent in some cases. The compulsive actions and feelings that result from the disorder oftentimes make it difficult for people with OCD to get through their day-to-day lives without encountering a trigger. To be diagnosed with OCD, there needs to be evidence of a time-consuming obsession or impulse that occurs for at least one hour a day or that impairs work, social interactions, or other important and necessary functions.
What is Ketamine Treatment?
Ketamine is an FDA-approved medication that is mainly used for starting and maintaining anesthesia, but it has served other purposes as both a recreational and medicinal drug. When Ketamine first began receiving attention, it was most well-known as a party drug. Despite the drug’s unsavory start, researchers found that it could prove useful as a way to manage chronic pain and psychiatric disorders like severe depression, anxiety, and OCD. The same side effects that make the drug enjoyable for recreational use are the same reasons that make it beneficial for treating OCD.
How Does Ketamine Treatments Help With OCD?
Ketamine Infusion Therapy for OCD and other psychiatric disorders involves the administration of a single infusion or a series of infusions. The Ketamine treatment targets receptors in the brain and increases the number of neurotransmitters in the spaces between neurons. This essentially helps the neurons to communicate with each other along new pathways and can help to mitigate any obsessive or compulsive impulses. For people that are receptive to this treatment, they tend to see a change in their behavior much sooner than is common in other traditional treatments like Prozac.
What are Potential Side-Effects of Ketamine Treatments?
Ketamine infusion therapy can be life-changing in a very positive way for OCD sufferers. However, like everything in life, there can be some negative side-effects that people considering different treatment options should be made aware of. Here are some common side-effects:
- High blood pressure
- Nausea and vomiting
- Perceptual disturbances or disorientation (patients may complain of time seeming to speed up or slow down. Certain colors, textures, and noises may be more stimulating and vision may be temporarily blurred.)
- Out of body experiences
These symptoms are usually only very noticeable during the first infusion and are over very quickly after the treatment is completed.
About Mindscape Ketamine & Infusion Therapy
We are unlike most treatment centers. Mindscape Ketamine & Infusion Therapy was founded with the mission to bring affordable concierge treatment to people suffering from treatment-resistant chronic pain psychological disorders like OCD and depression. If you are looking into receiving Ketamine treatments for OCD, want to learn more about how it could benefit you, or would simply like to better educate yourself on this new alternative treatment for OCD, contact us today!