This page is for anyone who is interested in learning more about psychedelic therapy, specifically Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. Our team at Prairie Health and Wellness invite you, our clients, and colleagues to grow from a variety of articles, videos, and podcasts found here. One of our goals is to be a resource to you on your journey to health and wholeness. We will update this list as we continue to learn.
*Disclaimer: we may not agree with everything shared in these resources. **
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a psychoactive drug classified as a dissociative anesthetic. It was first synthesized in 1962 and has been used in the United States as an anesthetic in medical settings since 1970. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines
Ketamine has been used off-label in sub-anesthetic doses for the past 20 years to treat chronic pain, depression, and a variety of other mental health concerns, thanks to its rapid onset antidepressant effects, sometimes providing nearly immediate relief from emotional and physical pain. While the antidepressant effects tend to be temporary after a single ketamine treatment, multiple treatments have proven to have a cumulative effect, successfully alleviating symptoms in approximately 30 - 60% of individuals with treatment-resistant depression.
In low doses, ketamine can serve as a supportive adjunct to psychotherapy, as it provides an opportunity for the temporary softening of the psychological defenses, allowing for deeper self reflection and psychotherapeutic processing.
In moderate doses, ketamine has psychedelic effects, which have been shown to facilitate profound transpersonal experiences. These types of experiences can help people in a variety of ways, offering important clarity and insight into one's struggles, adding a spiritual dimension to ongoing therapeutic work, and facilitating a sense of meaning and interconnectedness.
Why we don't practice CBT/talk therapy:
www.psychedelicsomatic.org/why-not-talk-therapy-cbt
"How to change your mind" Netflix documentary and book by Michael Pollen
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/arts/television/how-to-change-your-mind-netflix-michael-pollan.html
Trip of Compassion Documentary following three PTSD survivors healing with MAPS MDMA Therapy
tim.blog/2019/03/09/trip-of-compassion/
Brockus Therapy Playlist for Podcasts about Psychedelic Therapy, especially Ketamine:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6v47dqE5VPxf5s9TQVO9gW?si=66c9027a4d844cfe
A Brief History of Ketamine's use to treat depression
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-brief-history-of-ketamines-use-to-treat-depression-180980106/
A Variety of Articles from Ketamine Therapists at Polaris Insight (similar to MAPS):
https://www.polarisinsight.com/media-news/articles/
A quick Read on Ketamine Preparation:
https://psychedelic.support/resources/what-i-wish-id-known-before-ketamine-therapy/
A collection of Ketamine articles for depression, alcoholism, suicidality
https://medium.com/search?q=ketamine
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy
: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2019.1587556?scroll=top&needAccess=true
PsychEd Episode 34: Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression with Dr. Sandhya Prashad
https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/psyched-episode-34-ketamine-for-treatment-resistant/id1215646896?i=1000515122266
Psychedelics Today: Veronika Gold- Methods of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
https://psychedelicstoday.com/2019/05/07/veronika-gold-methods-of-ketamine-assisted-psychotherapy/
Ram Dass' talk begins at 18:10.
Ram Dass, Here and Now, Episode 166: How Different It Is...
https://www.ramdass.org/ram-dass-here-and-now-ep-166-how-different-it-is/
If you are considering KAP therapy, please explore these resources and engage 2-3 different ones prior to contacting us so that you have an idea of what it may be like for you. Warmly, The team