Why are my anti-depressants not working?
Why are anti-depressants ineffective for so many people?
If you’re one of the millions of people that have tried SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) for depression and anxiety (brands like Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Celexa, Paxil, and others) and found them ineffective, worry not. You are part of a large club that includes fully half of the human population. Until recently, scientists had no good explanation as to why the drugs are failing half of the time (and eventually stop working a third of time), and no good options for those who continue to suffer with depression. But a major new study has demonstrated that our understanding of how SSRI’s work, when they work, has been wrong all along.
SSRI's have been targeting serotonin, which has nothing to do with depression!
With the rise in popularity of SSRI’s, the scientific establishment became dominated by the “serotonin hypothesis” of depression. This is the latest version of the idea (a rather old one) that depression is caused by an imbalance of particular chemicals in the brain. The problem with this idea is that it could never explain why increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain, which SSRI’s do, has never actually been that effective at curing depression. Lo and behold, a recent review of decades of research published in Molecular Psychiatry found that there is no link between serotonin and depression. ‘“Many people take antidepressants because they have been led to believe their depression has a biochemical cause, but this new research suggests this belief is not grounded in evidence,” said Joanna Moncrieff, MD, professor of psychiatry at UCL, and a consultant psychiatrist at North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) in a statement.’
According to this new review, there is a great deal of research that discredits the link between depression and serotonin. For example, when comparing people with depression to a control group, a study found that there was no significant difference between both groups' serotonin levels.
This new research underscores the need for a new approach to treating depression through medicine.
Ketamine: A new depression treatment
Ketamine is a medication that has been used for decades as an anesthetic. It is now being studied for its potential to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What is unique about ketamine is that in addition to being a powerful intervention for depression on its own, it also has psychedelic properties. It is an NMDA receptor antagonist, which means it blocks the action of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that is involved in learning and memory. In doing so, ketamine enhances what brain scientists call neuro-plasticity - the ability of the brain to reformat its existing structures and pathways, making deep, lasting transformation more possible.
Like other psychedelic medicines, ketamine allows us to have new thoughts and perspectives on ourselves and our lives, and become aware of memories and feelings that have been repressed. The kinds of unconscious beliefs and automatic thought processes that keep people depressed- like “I’m a bad person,” “I don’t deserve love,” “Life is dark and hopeless” - can be shifted in just a few sessions with ketamine, whereas anti-depressants are generally a daily, lifelong commitment.
Because ketamine produces this rare openness and flexibility of mind, its potential is amplified when paired with psychotherapy. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy or KAP, is a new practice which involves taking a dose of ketamine as part of a psychotherapy session. A skilled therapist can provide safety and support through the ketamine experience, and importantly, help you process and make sense of the thoughts, images, and memories that came up during the ketamine experience. New insights and experiences take time and attention in order to bring about lasting changes in mood and behavior, and so using ketamine in the context of a long-term therapy experience enhances the potential of both interventions. And the research is promising.
In one study of KAP, the ketamine assisted psychotherapy group showed a greater reduction in depressive symptoms than the antidepressant group. In addition, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy was also associated with a lower relapse rate.
We now offer ketamine treatment with somatic psychotherapy
In partnership with a team of prescribers, we at Brooklyn Somatic Therapy are now able to offer ketamine-assisted somatic psychotherapy. We believe that our experiential, body-aware approach to therapy is exceptionally compatible with the use of ketamine. Much of the process of ketamine therapy is non-verbal, and much of what arises in the course of a ketamine trip comes in the form of sensations and images, rather than words and ideas.
Our therapists are specially trained to help you bring attention to and derive meaning from non-verbal experiences, without relying on conversation and analytic thinking. This allows you to stay more deeply into the ketamine experience, and potentially come away with more profound effects.
Interested in learning more about KAP at Brooklyn Somatic Therapy?
Read all about it here or get in touch!
FAQ
1. Why did my antidepressants stop working?
There could be a number of reasons why your depression medications stopped working. New research posits that your depression symptoms are caused by something other than a lack of serotonin, such as trauma or stress. Even when an antidepressant works, it is short lived. Antidepressants lose effectiveness over time. Many patients have reported that their antidepressant medications have not actually alleviated their symptoms.
2. What is KAP?
Ketamine is a promising new treatment for chronic depression that has been found to be more effective in clinical research than traditional antidepressants. Ketamine is a drug that has been used for decades as an anesthetic and is now being studied for its potential to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It has been found to be particularly effective for treatment resistant depression.
3. How does KAP work?
Ketamine works by blocking the action of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that is involved in learning and memory. This allows for new neural pathways to form in the brain, making the brain more flexible and helping us understand ourselves and our symptoms differently.
4. How can I get ketamine therapy?
If you are interested in scheduling a consult to see if KAP is right for you, please contact us to discuss a potential treatment plan that blends somatic psychotherapy with psychedelics.
5. What are psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a class of medicines that have been found to improve perception, low mood, and treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction among other kinds of mental illness. Psychedelics can be natural or synthetic, and they include substances like Ketamine, LSD, psilocybin, (or magic mushrooms) DMT, and ayahuasca. The legal form of psychedelics in the United States is currently either a ketamine lozenge or intravenous ketamine.
7. What is psychedelic integration therapy?
Psychedelic integration therapy is a process of working with a therapist to integrate the experience of taking a psychedelic medicine. Psychedelic integration therapy can help you process and make sense of your experience, develop skills for managing challenging emotions, and learn how to integrate psychedelic experiences into your life in a way that is helpful and supportive, such as creating new lifestyle changes. Psychedelic integration can also help you become more self-aware and understand your own developmental history and how it may be impacting your current experience. You can read more about our psychedelic integration work here.
8. How can I find a psychedelic therapist?
If you are interested in finding a psychedelic therapist or a therapist that can help you do psychedelic integration, please reach out to our team.
Interested? Reach out.
If you believe that KAP may be the best course of treatment for you, please give us a call or fill out our contact form, found here.