Ketamine, Spravato, and other emerging therapies are gaining popularity in the mental health space as they’re effective in helping people living with treatment-resistant depression. If you’re finding that you or a loved one isn’t getting the help necessary to overcome the debilitating effects of depression, it may be time to look into emerging therapies like ketamine injections, Spravato, or TMS that are being proven to help those living with treatment-resistant depression.

The Need for Alternative Treatments for Depression

Traditional treatments for depression are surprisingly very unsuccessful. These treatments include antidepressant medications that many mental health specialists rely upon as the main method of treatment for depression. According to statistics, of the people getting help for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), only 30% get help from traditional treatments for this condition and are in complete remission after starting treatment. This means that 70% of people don’t get the lasting reduction of depressive disorders they need to live out healthy lives with managed depressive symptoms. Of these people, traditional treatments either work for a little while (20% of the cases) or treatments never work at all (50% of the cases). When this is the case, it’s said that an individual is experiencing treatment-resistant depression.

Obviously, there is an overwhelming need for alternative treatments that help the majority of people that utilize traditional treatments for depression with little to no lasting results. If you have found that traditional treatment isn’t giving you lasting results or isn’t helping you manage depressive symptoms at all, you may be one of the many struggling with treatment-resistant depression. Fortunately, we are starting to see an increase in the use of emerging treatments including ketamine infusions, Spravato ketamine nasal spray, and TMS therapy that allow individuals the opportunity to explore supportive treatments that can help to reduce and manage depressive symptoms that can interfere with daily life.

Here at Synchrony Brain Health, we offer emerging therapies to help people living with treatment-resistant depression so they can finally find the relief they need from debilitating symptoms of MDD.

Exploring What Ketamine Infusion Therapy Is

Ketamine was first developed for use as an anesthetic for use in the veterinary and medical fields. But, over time, medical professionals and researchers have found that ketamine isn’t just an anesthetic, it can help to change specific functions of the brain that can result in behavioral and mood imbalances like the ones that characterize Major Depressive Disorder. Ketamine infusion therapy is a process of slowly administering ketamine to patients living with treatment-resistant depression who have tried other, traditional methods of depression treatment with no success. The administration process is done through IV and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Once ketamine is administered, it’s believed to work by stimulating a neurotransmitter in the brain called glutamate, which is located in the frontal cortex. This, in turn, improves the brain’s ability to release serotonin, which is an essential mood stabilizer that the brain releases. Thus, overpowering the brain’s natural serotonin-releasing response. Many living with MDD have brains that have trouble with releasing enough serotonin in order to manage and regulate mood which results in depressive symptoms. So, ketamine infusion therapy is a way to pinpoint this issue, stimulate the brain’s natural functioning, and balance hormones that are related to mood and experienced mental health symptoms.

Exploring What Spravato Ketamine Nasal Spray Is

Spravato is another ketamine treatment used in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. It works just like ketamine infusion therapy except that the administration process differs. Specifically, instead of being administered through IV, Spravato is administered via nasal spray. This allows for immediate relief of symptoms as the medicine is administered directly into the bloodstream. And, may be more beneficial to specific applications and patients who may have trouble with needles, blood, or the discomfort that IV application may present.

Exploring Other Emerging Therapies for Treatment-Resistant Depression – TMS

TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, is another emerging therapy that’s used as a supplemental treatment for treatment-resistant depression. It works by identifying and stimulating areas of the brain that may not be functioning properly or providing the body with the hormones it needs to manage and stabilize moods. Essentially, TMS sessions involve a machine that utilizes magnetics that are placed around the scalp that send magnetic pulses through the brain. These magnetic pulses help to stimulate areas of the brain that are believed to be responsible for the debilitating symptoms of depressive disorders. Thus, over time, helping to improve brain functioning and rebalance the chemicals released by the brain that are optimal for healthy mood management.

Spravato, Ketamine Therapy, and Other Emerging Therapies at Synchrony

Learn more about our emerging therapies including Spravato and other types of ketamine infusion therapies today by contacting us for your initial consultation. Synchrony Brain Health is a REMS certified provider of Spravato, ketamine infusion therapy, and other emerging therapies as treatment for depression and suicidal ideation. Come for a consultation about this and other emerging treatments such as FDA-approved Vagal Nerve Stimulation and Stellate Ganglion Blockade.