Having struggled with PTSD, depression, & Functional Neurological Disorder for more than decade & after trying numerous forms of treatment in addition to therapy, I heard about Ketamine from someone who had a positive experience at this clinic. I was incredibly nervous, as I have struggled with flashbacks & dissociative episodes consistently & the idea of agreeing to a treatment that creates a dissociative episode terrified me. But like many, who have endured mental health issues, I was at wits end w/the daily slog of battling depression, suicide ideation, hypervigilance, flashbacks, & so on, & decided to give it a shot. To increase my chances of success, I decided to follow guidance (below) from those whom have tried this before.
1. To be sure that I had a strong foundation in therapy & was aware of & had worked on many but not necessarily all of the traumas I had endured.
2. That I had developed (with my therapist) a toolbox of healthy coping mechanisms & most important, that my therapist be available to help me process whatever came up. (In my case, I met with my therapist the day after each of the 6 ketamine sessions to process what came up, so that I had a clean slate for the next treatment. One suggestion: While in treatment, I often spoke outload about what I was processing, but I didn't always remember afterward. It was helpful to have either a trusted person, sit with me & take notes on what I verbalized or use an app on my phone to verbally record what I said. I then shared these recording with my therapist & when she mentioned them, I could oddly/instantly recall what I had been going through in the session.
3. That while it is normal to feel fear & resistance about this treatment to let go & let the treatment do its work. (This is so important! I often felt myself resisting at the beginning of treatment. When I decided to let go of control is when I had the best outcome. Someone once told me that, your guide will be your highest self/soul & it knows exactly what you need to heal, so trust it)
4. That I set an intension (a direction or goal) before each treatment. (The intension can be something like: I want to feel a sense of calm inside, or I want to better understand & come to terms with (fill in the blank) a specific feeling, a specific part of your trauma, or relationship challenge. Keep it simple.)
I believe that these suggestions laid the groundwork for what has been an amazingly healing & transformative experience. It has been a year since I completed 6 sessions & follow-up boosters & I feel at least 75% better. I no longer battle crippling depression, I still have down days, but rebound & do not feel stuck in a perpetual battle of depressive & suicidal thoughts. Most of the brain fog has lifted, I have more energy & feel hopeful. I still struggle with anxiety & flashbacks but not near as often or as intense & I now have a better idea about what the source of the triggers are.
I do not know how this treatment works other than to say that my defenses/ego seemed to disappear in each session. This allowed me to feel safe to explore the underlying causes of my PTSD (which happened in childhood) without the terrifying feeling of reliving them. Treatment was not always easy. There were sessions where I explored heavier areas & some were so peaceful I could have stayed forever. It felt like my 6 sessions were equivalent to 6 yrs of therapy (This is not to say therapy isn’t a critical element of healing). I was able to better understand & move thru wounds that seemed impossible to heal. As for the clinic, Tina & her team were incredibly supportive & accommodating. Because my PTSD triggers a movement disorder which sometimes renders me unable to walk, Tina helped me to the car in a wheelchair & was never hesitant to work with me. Other providers were not as welcoming & when I needed to find a provider outside of Spokane, Tina called them personally to explain my unique health issues & ask them to consider. She kindly put my needs above her business & I cannot thank her enough!