Depression is a crippling problem that hijacks a patient’s neurochemistry, often making it impossible to “see the bright side.” While many potential therapeutic applications exist, there has been a longstanding quarrel between treating depression chemically or through interventions like talk therapy.
While some psychiatrists are advocates for both, no silver bullet seems possible for all people who suffer from this condition.One thing seems certain, however: the post-World War II mentality of pulling yourself up by the bootstraps is not working. Culturally we’ve probably swung in the other direction: from not talking about our problems to over-emoting on social media. That said, exposure is arguably better than suppression; the numerous online mediums for connecting with others is a boon in what was once a desert.
Ketamine has long been touted as a potential therapy for depression. Popularly used as an animal tranquilizer (and street hallucinogen) a new study published in Nature shows that not only is ketamine a plausible means for treating depression, but its ability to immediately stabilize patients makes it of great value for those who might not have the willpower to wait weeks for another pharmaceutical to kick in.
This is not to imply ketamine is a wonder drug. Its potentially damaging effects on memory and other cognitive functions is spurring researchers to investigate how it works in hopes of finding another similar course of treatment. But in the short run the results are…
The post Ketamine is Helping Alleviate Depression—Fast appeared first on FeedBox.