Introducing Ketamine
Our collective mental health has taken a number of hits over the last few years with the Corona virus pandemic and a number of international conflicts including the ongoing war in Ukraine. While caring for our physical wellbeing has been at the forefront of all our minds, safeguarding the our minds themselves has, for many, taken a backseat.
We know that a person’s general wellbeing and health can greatly impact their ability to cope with stressors and challenges. In addition, there are a number of physiological factors that can often predispose a person to mental health challenges. These factors are often closely tied to our general health. For example, depression and anxiety are often tied to hormonal imbalances. Anything from a lack of serotonin and dopamine to too much estrogen and testosterone can cause a shift in how the brain operates. Some of these hormones are made while we sleep and some are boosted by regular exercise. We often think about how easy it is to pick up vices or bad habits but good habits like drinking enough water, getting regular amounts of sleep and consistent exercise also support the brain's ability to perpetuate a cycle of health habits moving forward.
Sometimes though, we are forced to experience stressors outside of our control like this global pandemic. Some of us have endured financial difficulty from job loss, sickness or other factors altogether. Family issues, work strain, injury, etc. all contribute to the amount of stress you may experience day-to-day. While healthy habits will allow you to manage these challenges more effectively, stress will still cause hormones like cortisol to build up in the brain over time. Regular sleep helps to flush out these build ups but if the periods of stress drag on, we become more and more vulnerable to hormonal imbalances.
For many, the only way to halt the downward spiral is to use a hormone based medication to artificially create balance. One of the big risks of this option is that it may affect the body’s ability to naturally produce the needed hormones making the individual reliant on the artificial source long-term. Ketamine is gaining attention and a modest spotlight because it’s function is a bit different from traditional medications. Instead of artificially introducing the hormone that the brain is lacking, Ketamine stimulates the creation of the system that produces the needed hormone. This is also why medically administered ketamine causes long lasting benefits even after it's no longer being taken. You might also be aware that ketamine was and still is a very dangerous recreational drug and is incredibly addictive. So, while there seem to be some obvious benefits, there are also some extremely concerning downsides as well.