Ketamine is a drug that is used at parties to improve relaxation and is very common in these contexts. This compound was first felt in 1962 as an analgesic to relieve the wounded in war zones. In addition, many veterinarians use it to anesthetize horses. .
Since 2006, psychiatrists have begun to discover its powerful antidepressant effect, however, the problem it presents are its dangerous characteristics and side effects, if we take a few minutes to explore the pharmacology of depression, we will find that prozac and its generic version, fluoxetine, have been replaced by other more specific types of antidepressants.
- Good use and administration have made it possible to improve its effect.
- Reduce secondary symptoms and specifically address symptoms that need to be treated.
An example of this is third-generation antidepressants, such as venlafaxine, which work great for depressions that accompany generalized anxiety. And so, thanks to the drug, it improves the patient’s willingness to perform physical activities, so that the energy produced finds, in movement, a way to dissipate.
However, 1 in 3 patients with severe depression do not yet respond to prescribed treatments and relapses occur in 75% of cases (depending on the type of depression and the patient). With this picture, isn’t it worth considering other alternatives?
Even if they want to silence him, even Silicon Valley celebrities, musicians or programmers can’t escape. Andrés Iniesta himself spoke of depression in his autobiography, as did Bruce Springsteen. In some years, depression will be the leading cause of disability.
The problem is that today, despite progress, we do not yet have effective multidisciplinary treatments or interventions for all cases, hence the need to invest in research and continue to explore new options.
Awareness of ecology, mental health and the distribution of knowledge and wealth will be present in the coming years. In addition, it is good that this happens if we want to survive as a species and even migrate to other planets.
All these changes influence our mood; stress becomes sad and there are more people who feel disconnected from the world throughout this process of change.
On the other hand, although context can influence, depression has been a theme since the time of Hippocrates, and throughout history it has acquired different meanings.
In addition to symptoms related to sleep disturbance, appetite, aboulie, sadness and irritability, both in post-traumatic stress and severe depression, there is a sense of loss of control and connection to the reality surrounding patients, all of which leads to a sense of despair. Whether it triggers or not, depression pulls the subject out of the world or vice versa.
Selective Serotonin inhibitors, such as prozac, as well as cognitive behavioral therapies, seem to be the best choice for improving the patient’s condition. In practical terms, the “behavioral activation” component is what works best.
The medication only seems to improve symptoms in very severe, atypical or vegetative depressions, and pharmacological treatment does not seem to have any benefit on the psychological in isolation or in the medium and long term, so it does not seem very interesting. especially considering the many side effects.
As mentioned above, the most common antidepressants act as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors at the presynaptic level, increasing their presence in the brain. Something like “let pleasure last longer” artificially activates the “happiness” mechanism, stimulating its main neurotransmitter.
However, not all severe depressions improve significantly with this drug treatment, in many cases this condition prevents the onset of psychological therapy, so how can ketamine help in all of this?
Ketamine cannot be administered without strict medical control, in this sense many tests are being carried out that show surprising results, the most revolutionary thing would be to isolate the molecule that produces all the positive effects (powerful and fast), thus eliminating the part of the compound. that produces most side effects.
Compared to other antidepressants, the speed and great effect it produces is what makes the difference in favor of ketamine. On the other hand, this synthesized compound offers hallucinogenic experiences and dissociative changes that occur in a second: the “I” suddenly unfolds and sees a reality of others, perhaps beyond the extreme cognitive dissonance in which he lives his “habitual self” with respect to the world.
When a person seems to reconcile with the world under the effects of ketamine, it is not known whether he is able to live a parallel reality, in this sense it seems that the hallucinatory perceptual experience activates the senses of the person in such a way that it amplifies his sensations: so much so that unpleasant memories would have no place in this “new reality”.
Perhaps it is the reality and stigma that we create in society that makes people sick, perhaps it is social products that weaken emotional defenses and cause this tunnel effect on our vision, which only allows us to see closed doors.
One way or another, the truth is that depression is increasingly presenting itself as a major challenge: its incidence is increasing and the effectiveness of treatments, therapies and intervention plans must evolve to respond. effective in all cases. . Is ketamine part of the solution?