© Getty Images

From party drug to mainstream treatment -

Many people who have heard of ketamine know it as a drug associated with the rave scene, where it's taken recreationally or known as a horse tranquilizer.

© Shutterstock

Silicon Valley -

However, the use of psychedelics has been becoming more mainstream in recent years. CEOs, tech founders, and Silicon Valley types have popularized the use of once-taboo drugs.

© Shutterstock

Silicon Valley -

They tout benefits including better brain power, focus, and creativity as reasons why they use these drugs, helping them conceptualize things that are out of the ordinary.

© Shutterstock

Psychedelic usage -

Psychedelic use has increased among adults in the last 20 years, and the market's worth is expected to reach US$8 billion by 2029.

© Shutterstock

Psychedelic usage -

But psychedelics like ketamine aren't just being used to spark creativity and improve business. They are also claimed to help alleviate the symptoms of many mental health issues.

© Shutterstock

Elon Musk -

Elon Musk has publicly criticized the use of antidepressants while sharing his support for the use of ketamine to treat mental health issues.

© Getty Images

Research -

"Depression is overdiagnosed in the US, but for some people it really is a brain chemistry issue," Musk tweeted in 2023. "But zombifying people with SSRIs for sure happens way too much. From what I’ve seen with friends, ketamine taken occasionally is a better option."

© Shutterstock

Neurotransmitter activity -

Ketamine can increase a neurotransmitter in the brain associated with mood, called glutamate. Research has found ketamine can treat nonpsychotic, treatment-resistant depression as well as electroconvulsive therapy.

© Shutterstock

Cancer patient research -

Many different health systems have researched the effects of ketamine on depression. It's been shown in cancer patients to reduce anxiety and depression.

© Shutterstock

Psychiatric reasons -

Doctors can prescribe ketamine for psychiatric reasons. It can impact mood and cognitive function, even neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to develop thought patterns and neural pathways.

© Shutterstock

Side effects -

But while ketamine works for some people, it also has a list of known side effects, including: dissociation, sedation, dizziness, high blood pressure, headaches, blurred vision, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting.

© Shutterstock

Multi-treatment -

When it comes to its effects on the treatment of depression, it has been shown to be more impactful when paired with other mental health treatments like talk therapy.

© Shutterstock

Clinics -

Ketamine clinics have emerged with the rising profile of the drug as a depression treatment. They generally fit today's contemporary "wellness" aesthetic.

© Shutterstock

FDA approval -

As other psychedelic drugs like MDMA and psilocybin are still illegal, ketamine has become the standard for psychedelic-assisted therapy.

© Shutterstock

Esketamine -

Ketamine was approved for use decades ago as an anaesthetic, but research showing its effectiveness as a depression treatment led to the FDA approval of esketamine in 2019.

© Shutterstock

Esketamine -

Esketamine is an inhaled version of the drug that must be administered in a doctor's office. It's only approved when all other treatment methods have failed.

© Shutterstock

The business of ketamine clinics -

Ketamine clinics that offer the drug as an infusion or injection "off-label" (in a way that isn't approved) sprung up prior to this approval, in an unregulated industry that worries doctors but represents a business investment to those funding them.

© Shutterstock

The price range -

Prices can range from US$400 to $800 per treatment session, and many of these aren't covered by insurance providers.

© Shutterstock

Will the psychedelic bubble burst? -

However, despite the expense of these treatments, some companies running treatment centers in the US have closed down altogether.

© Shutterstock

Will the psychedelic bubble burst? -

In the rush to commercialize the use of ketamine therapy, firms backed by private equity have had to close clinics, as they attempt to raise funding amid losses. Some have gone bust overnight.

© Shutterstock

Telehealth -

The rise of telehealth could also have something to do with it. Some of these startups began sending cheap prescriptions of the drug to people's homes, without an assessment.

© Shutterstock

Telehealth -

Some companies that offer remote therapy provide cheap door-to-door delivery of ketamine in packs, accompanied by video calls with therapists, guided meditations, eyeshades, and information.

© Shutterstock

Safety -

However, questions arise about the safety of this method of administration. It's understandable given the difference in price why some might choose this option, but it comes with risks.

© Shutterstock

Safety -

Many people who are seeking this therapy to begin with are in an extremely vulnerable position, and are sometimes heavily marketed about treatments on social media.

© Shutterstock

Psychotherapy -

Ketamine therapies should be delivered as adjunct psychotherapy, in order to provide support in the event of a fraught trip where the user loses awareness and feels like they are falling down steep drops, known as a "K-hole."

© Shutterstock

A costly treatment -

But for many, the option to attend a ketamine clinic and pay thousands of dollars for treatment simply isn't an option. The irony is that many of the people who need it most are least able to pay for it.

© Shutterstock

Not a cure-all -

Ketamine treatment isn't a cure-all, and even when it's administered in the right conditions with support it's hard to predict who's going to respond and how long it's going to last.

© Shutterstock

Support -

Even with a positive outcome, support and follow-up is recommended so the individual receiving the treatment has continuity of care.

© Shutterstock

An altered state -

Ultimately, ketamine-assisted therapy induces a short but intense peak experience that can trigger an afterglow, accompanied by subsequent positive changes in cognition and behavior. But it's not without its own risks. Get professional advice if you're curious that it's something that could be right for you.

Sources: (Fortune) (The Guardian) (NBC News) (Pacific Neuroscience Institute)

See also: Celebrities who have battled against anxiety and depression

© Shutterstock