How to Prepare for Your Ketamine Journey

IV Ketamine Therapy can be a powerful treatment for conditions where we feel "stuck." Whether treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, addiction, or chronic pain, there may be a root-cause to your condition. For IV Ketamine to address the root cause, the right preparation is critical. Learn from Dr. Kaveh the 4 steps to preparing for your healing experience.

#1 Evaluate Your Doctor and be Confident in Your Decision

Many patients ask me "is Ketamine the right therapy for me?" There are actually 2 parts to this question:

1. Is Ketamine the right treatment for me?
2. Is this the right time to start my IV Ketamine journey?

The answer to question 1 depends on several questions you need to discuss with your doctor, like:

• Have you felt "stuck?" Particularly in ruminations or perseverations?
• What medications have you tried in the past? Did you have side effects? Did the antidepressants work?
• How else have you managed your mood? What are your dietary, exercise, and social environments like?
• What other health conditions do you have, and what medications are you taking?

Question 2 is incredibly important because even if you are a good candidate for Ketamine therapy, you need the right doctor to guide you on the journey. There are important questions you should be asking, including:

• Do I feel comfortable with this doctor? Are they board-certified? How many patients have they treated?
• Is this doctor asking about my holistic health goals?
• How is this doctor and clinic helping prepare me for my journey?
• Does the clinic have an anesthesiologist or emergency room doctor to keep me safe?
• Will someone be with me in the room, if needed?
• Is the clinic rushing my decision?
• Is the clinic encouraging me to do my research so I feel confident?

The Ketamine experience is right for you when your gut instinct tells you it's right. Your confidence in the doctor and center are key to getting the maximal benefit from your experience.

#2 Prepare Your Mind and Learn How Ketamine's Neuroplasticity Can Help Your "Rigidities"

The neuroplasticity of the Ketamine journey plays a major role in your healing. The better you understand how your brain works, and why it has become "stuck," the greater you can benefit from Ketamine's therapeutic effects. It's important to have a dedicated preparation session with your doctor to review your medical history and individualize your treatment plan.

The goal of IV Ketamine is to promote cognitive flexibility. This "flexibility" allows your brain to break free of "thought loops," such as:

• When your mind is "stuck" with racing thoughts at 3 in the morning
• "Stuck" in loops of addiction
• Feeling "stuck" as a victim to triggers in your environment

Your doctor needs to prepare your mind and body with a foundation to build resilience and flexibility throughout your treatment. This also involves educating you on other adjunctive therapies, including:

• NAD+ therapy to improve cognitive performance and reduce fatigue
• Stellate Ganglion Block, specifically for PTSD
• Nutrition
• Supplements

You can learn more about how IV Ketamine can induce cognitive flexibility by reading Dr. Kaveh's articles.

#3 Start Your Ketamine Infusion With the Right Intention

Your intention with every Ketamine journey is important in guiding you through the "trip." A flexible and non-judgmental intention can make a tremendous difference in where your Ketamine infusion takes you. Your doctor needs to assist you in developing your intention before your first infusion. You can read more in Dr. Kaveh's guide to intention setting for Ketamine.

Most of our patients prefer to have privacy during their infusion. Having a well-crafted intention can allow your journey to give you healing insights and perspectives in this private setting.

#4 Integrate Your Ketamine Experience for Long-Term Benefit

The Ketamine experience will likely give you insights from your subconscious. What you do with these insights influences how sustained your healing will be. There is a "critical window" of neuroplasticity in our bodies after each IV Ketamine Infusion. We want our patients to take full advantage of this powerful "healing window" by working with their therapist to "unpack" and "process" the experience.

This therapy is called "Ketamine Integration Therapy." It is important that you select a therapist before starting your Ketamine journey so you can be ready to engage in your "healing window" as soon as it opens.

Are You Ready to Start Your Ketamine Healing Journey?

Your confidence with your doctor is critical to how effective your Ketamine Therapy is. You deserve to find your sustained healing potential. Schedule a free consultation with Clarus Health to learn if IV Ketamine Therapy may be effective in uncovering your healing capacity.