Newcomers to ketamine infusion often tirelessly research social media discussions about the therapy, looking for advice and to hear from others firsthand about what to expect, results, and side effects. The physicians at Freedom Ketamine Treatment Centers offer free consultations to help answer your questions, but if you’re looking to hear stories about results, see our wrap-up of discussion boards, forums, and Twitter threads below.
In a 2018 Reddit post, user u/TheVirgoGinger hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) session about their participation in a ketamine infusion program. In it, they detailed the incredible results they experienced. Here are the highlights of that AMA session.
One Redditer asked: On a scale of 1 (I can conquer the world) to 10 (I can’t even find comfort in my own bed) how would you rank your anxiety before and after treatment?
They responded:
“I’d say I fluctuated between 5 as my baseline, and I’d usually have anxiety peak at 9 or 10 most days before treatment. Afterward, I’d say I was a 1-5.”
Another asked plainly: What was the experience like?
They responded with information about their consultation and background on what their doctors told them to expect, and added:
“You get a private room. I chose to utilize the heated blanket as well. You sit in a hospital grade la-z boy recliner. I also chose to have the lights turned off or dimmed but because it was during the day, there was low light coming in from outside.
The physical feeling itself is incredibly pleasant and peaceful… physically I felt like I was pleasantly heavy and sinking into the chair but also felt like I was pleasantly light and flowy. I chose to listen to music (I made a special playlist). Mentally I felt all anxiety melt away and an amazing sense of comfort and peace surround me. First time in my life I have ever experienced ZERO anxiety. For an hour or so afterward… ya just feel good.
In the months afterward, I was able to emotionally cope with situations that would normally cripple me. For example: I totaled my car a couple weeks after treatment and in the moment felt overwhelmed but in the months after was able to get a car and keep my stuff together and get things done. It just makes being an adult easier. Things don’t seem so big and out of reach. Life feels manageable. I still cried at the sad parts of movies but it didn’t trigger deeper sorrow like it normally would.
It pretty much gave me a human depth of emotion. I still had peaks and valleys but they weren’t reaching all the way to heaven and hell. It only lasted about 3 months for me before I needed a maintenance infusion. That’s only one infusion session and that helped me for about a month.”
In the same year, another Reddit user, posting to the subreddit R/TherapeuticKetamine, posted about their experience with ketamine infusions provided under a physician’s care. Some highlights of what user u/EER_ESQ shared include:
“I’m a 40-something man with a family. I have suffered from depression since high school. I’ve been taking medication for it for almost 20 years. I’ve tried many different meds. I’ve seen a few therapists. I’ve done an intensive outpatient program. There have been times, some lasting months, where all I could think of was the burden I was on others and that I should end my life. Luckily, there was a small rational part of me that could fight against the thoughts, but it was exhausting…”
As his story continued, the user shared that he did extensive research on ketamine infusion therapy before deciding to try it for himself. After going in for a series of four infusions, he shared these key pieces of his experience:
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I felt very “light” during the experience and had a sense of wonder through it all.”
“I did not come out of the infusion with some epiphany, or any answers to the meaning of life. But I have to say I felt a lightness that I had not felt in as long as I can remember. The weight of depression had been temporarily lifted.”
“[After infusion therapy,] when my head tells me I’m a failure/worthless, etc, I am now able to identify that as a thought originating from somewhere in my brain, just like the visions do, but that like the visions, the thought is not reality. I don’t have to dwell on it.”
Recently, on December 18th, 2022, reddit user u/Gullible_Many1271 posed a question to the R/TherapeuticKetamine subreddit, asking “How has treatment changed your life?” The responses poured in.
“Been suicidal since I was 15, I’m 28 now, started ketamine this year, after my initial treatment I wondered why I ever wanted to die. For me it’s been like a miracle.”
“It gives my brain this refreshing reset and it allows me to view my life from a totally different perspective. It’s honestly pretty wild... Ketamine has somehow lifted this grey cloud that always consumed me with depression, fear, anxiety, etc. So I would definitely think about giving ketamine a shot! It’s worked great for me so far!”
“I started Ketamine therapy a month ago to treat Complex PTSD and by the fifth session (when my dosage was dialed in) felt authentically comfortable in my own skin for the first time in twenty years.”
Speak with a Doctor About Ketamine Therapy
If you’ve been searching through subreddits and social media to find answers to your questions about ketamine infusion therapy, schedule a free consultation with one of our physicians today. Our practice is located in the DC metropolitan area, with four offices in Virginia and Maryland.
The physicians at Freedom Ketamine Treatment Centers estimate that approximately 70 - 80% of people respond to ketamine infusion therapy. Most patients come to us with concerns around treatment resistant depression, chronic anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. Results from a single infusion typically last anywhere a few days up to 2 weeks. A series of 6 infusions may last anywhere from weeks to months, and often a single booster infusion can restore its effects.
Initial consultations and ongoing monitoring from our Board-Certified team of Physicians and Nurses will determine your course of treatment, taking into account your condition, current course of treatment, and needs. Each infusion session is catered specifically to your individual case, health, and circumstance.
For additional information on the efficacy of ketamine infusion therapy, see recent studies performed internationally about this emerging field. In a recent study published September 2022, lead author Patrick A. Oliver, MD, the founder and medical director of MindPeace Clinics, reported to Medscape Medical News that ketamine infusion therapy results compare favorably to other depression treatments. "Truthfully, with the exception of ECT [electroconvulsive therapy], this blows it all out of the water," he said.
Freedom Ketamine Treatment Centers is proud to offer ketamine infusions to those with severe depression, PTSD, chronic pain, and other debilitating conditions. Our experienced team encourages our patients to conduct all the research they need, book free consultations with our physicians, and continue with the other forms of care they already have in place, such as talk therapy or antidepressants.
With six offices in Maryland (Rockville, Bethesda, Columbia) and Virginia (Reston, Vienna, and Marshall), the team at Freedom Ketamine Treatment Centers is ready to support your journey to healing. To see if ketamine infusion therapy is right for you, call us at 301-235-9022.