Ketamine: A Game Changer in the Treatment of PTSD for Veterans

Veterans have given their best for our country. Most of the time, they are separated from their loved ones and friends. They live in an environment where danger lurks every second. Unfortunately, these conditions can leave you with mental and physical scars long after your career, and negatively impact your quality of life. If you are battling PTSD in Colorado Springs, Military Matters Ketamine Clinic of Colorado will help you be at peace with your past. Their specialists use ketamine infusions to help veterans who are still living through their traumatic experiences from the battlefield.

Symptoms of PTSD

PTSD can also be caused by other factors such as sexual assault and the loss of a loved one. There are four categories of PTSD including:

• Intrusive memories: Among veterans, this can be gunfire sounds, memories of what they saw on the battlefield, or relieving the war's events through flashbacks. Intrusive memories can make you have severe reactions to sight, smell, or sound that reminds you of the past.
• Negative thinking and moods: This happens when you conceal your fear and anger within you and can make you have negative thoughts about yourself and the surrounding environment, cultivating a sense of helplessness. You become emotionally numb and detached from personal relationships and jobs.
• Change in reactions: Veterans with PTSD can change both physical and emotional responses by being guarded and always alert to danger. This can affect your ability to maintain a relationship, bond with your children, attend classes, or hold a job.
• Avoidance: This is where you can go to any length to avoid thinking about a past event or discussing your time in service. You may become withdrawn and avoid situations that can elicit such memories.

Current Treatment Plans for PTSD

Anti-anxiety medication and antidepressants are useful in treating PTSD, though it takes time before their effect can be manifested. Anxiety management using medication helps create the right environment so that your physician can introduce psychotherapy, which too, takes time. By the time you start getting relief from therapy, you may have to endure significant stress for some months. The use of ketamine in treating depression comes handy if standard care plans fail to provide relief.

What is Ketamine?

Medics first used ketamine for pain relief during the Vietnam War. Further research in the 1990's led to the discovery that the drug is potent in treating depression among patients who do not respond to conventional treatment plans. Ketamine infusions provide rapid results in the treatment of depression.

Use of Ketamine in PTSD Treatment

PTSD is a major depressive disorder among veterans and is a leading cause of suicide. Since standard treatment plans for depression take time, there is a need for a solution that can provide a quick fix to help save lives. Ketamine is a game-changer since it works within hours. The drug prevents the NMDA glutamate receptor from binding with glutamate, an amino acid responsible for controlling behavior and moods.

If you or your loved one has PTSD, visit an experienced physician to learn more about ketamine.