Rapid Depression Remission and the “Therapeutic Bends” with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

By Dr. Jessica Katzman

https://psychedelicstoday.com/2018/09/08/rapid-depression-remission-therapeutic-bends-ketamine-assisted-psychotherapy/

We recommend clients who struggle with depression visit their website for more information on how ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can help their depression go into remission.

Introduction:

For the first time in nearly three decades, novel classes of medication are being offered to those suffering from chronic refractory mental health conditions. Studies have shown that 60% to 70% of people with treatment-resistant depression respond positively to ketamine, and some encouraging results are being found with OCD, PTSD, and alcohol dependence.

Though this discovery has been hailed as a massive boon to those living with persistent mental health concerns, their loved ones, and clinicians alike, it may also behoove us to explore the potential unintended consequence of these effective, fast-acting antidepressants.

Many welcome rapid recovery with relief and gratitude in being able to return to their lives; however, in our work with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, we have noticed that a small percentage of clients also experience a period of disequilibrium and difficulty in adjusting to these changes.

These reactions can range from over-reliance on older coping styles that no longer match one’s current state, to the distress that comes from the loss of a habituated identity (“I don’t even know who I am anymore, without my old buddy, Depression”).

I have come to refer to this response metaphorically as “the therapeutic bends,” as a way to suggest the effects that can occur when we ascend rapidly from great depths.

In two decades of clinical work, I have seen a variety of ambivalent-to-negative reactions to the prospect of “getting better.” Psychotherapy generally offers recovery as a gradual process, with adequate time to adjust and be supported; the “instant cure” has been seen as both unattainable and potentially illusory. The advent of these new treatments requires a shift in how we guide people through this work.

I would like to discuss here some possible layers where distress can occur, and interventions for both clients and providers to consider at each level.

Click the link to learn more: https://psychedelicstoday.com/2018/09/08/rapid-depression-remission-therapeutic-bends-ketamine-assisted-psychotherapy/

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