Ketamine and Depression: Is it a Cause or a Cure?

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a medication primarily used for starting and maintaining general anesthesia. It induces a sedated, trance-like state while also providing some form of pain relief. Other medical uses for ketamine include treatment for chronic pain and some types of depression.^1,2

How is it Used in the Treatment of Depression?

Ketamine is a dissociative drug that causes a person to feel detached from reality. Although a low-dose infusion properly administered by a doctor may be therapeutic for some patients with depression, the recreational misuse of ketamine is very dangerous and poses many risks to individuals who use it.

Can Ketamine Use Cause Depression?

Some individuals who use ketamine may have difficulty coming out of their state of dissociation and may continue to feel disconnected from the world around them. Research has shown that ketamine causes changes in brain neurochemistry, and regular use can result in the development of ongoing symptoms of psychosis such as hallucinations.⁶

Ketamine hinders judgment, attention, and thinking, and it can exacerbate existing mental health problems such as depression. Regular use can also cause depression, and research shows that individuals who chronically use of ketamine tend to be more depressed than those who use ketamine occasionally.⁷ It is therefore important that someone with depression avoid taking ketamine, outside of low-dose therapeutic treatments administered under the direct supervision of a doctor.

Adverse Effects of Ketamine

There are other adverse effects associated with ketamine use, especially at higher doses, which can include:^3,4

• Delirium.
• Amnesia.
• Impaired motor function.
• High blood pressure.
• Bladder pain.
• Depression.
• Slowed breathing.
• Seizures.
• Brain damage.
• Death.

Ketamine and the Opioid System

The way that ketamine works in the brain is not fully understood. There is some recent evidence that ketamine binds to and activates opioid receptors, causing the release of naturally occurring opioids in the body.⁵ If ketamine does indeed work through the opioid system, individuals who chronically use ketamine can develop a tolerance to the drug and become dependent. For this reason, it is important that people receiving regular ketamine treatments for depression are monitored for any signs of opioid addiction.

Find Treatment for Ketamine & Co-Occurring Disorders Near You

If you are suffering from depression, talk to your doctor about medical and non-medical ways of treating depression. It is important to be aware of the dangers associated with taking ketamine while depressed and to seek help if you currently use ketamine and are finding it difficult to quit.

Treatment may begin with a medically managed detox to rid the body of the substance and help with withdrawal symptoms. Detox is typically only the first step in a comprehensive treatment plan that may include multiple levels of care as you progress through it.

Reach out to American Addiction Centers (AAC). AAC’s treatment centers, spread throughout the United States, offers evidence-based therapies and co-occurring disorder treatment for individuals struggling with substance use and mental health disorders. AAC’s integrated treatment approach for individuals with a dual diagnosis addresses both the ketamine use and co-occurring depression at the same time. Research indicates that integrated treatment produces better treatment outcomes for both disorders.