Watching someone you love struggle with depression is never easy, especially when you aren’t sure what to do next.
At New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine, Jose De La Torre, MD, and our pain management specialists understand how overwhelming depression can be. We also know how frustrating it is to watch someone close to you carry the weight of depression on their own. That’s why we offer ketamine infusion therapy.
Depression is a serious mental health disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness, unworthiness, and guilt. These feelings are intense and not something a person can just “shake off.” If left untreated, depression can lead to reckless behaviors and suicidal thoughts or actions.
Here are tips to help:
If you want to help someone through their depression, the first thing you can do is to listen to what they have to say.
Though it can be difficult to relate to someone feeling so down and defeated, listening without judgment can help your loved one feel safe to share what they’re experiencing. This opens the line of communication, so you can encourage them to get help from our medical specialists.
You can also become a reliable support system for someone with depression by assisting them with daily chores and other responsibilities. During a depressive episode, even simple things like grocery shopping and doing laundry can seem like an insurmountable task.
If your loved one is willing to seek treatment for their mental health issues, offer to accompany them to their appointment with our team, if possible. Initially, they may feel shame or guilt for seeking treatment, so having a friend who encourages them to follow through with medical care can be a vital part of their recovery.
In many cases, antidepressants, lifestyle changes, and other strategies will work well for people who are struggling with depression. However, some people can have treatment-resistant depression and find that traditional therapies aren’t enough to relieve their symptoms.
That’s where ketamine infusions can help. At New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine, we take a whole-body approach to depression care and offer ketamine infusion therapy in-office to quickly relieve symptoms of depression.
If your loved one isn’t having success with their existing treatment plan, encourage them to not give up. Let them know that there are other therapies out there, including ketamine infusion therapy.
Traditionally, ketamine is used as an anesthetic medication during surgery. In smaller doses, it can also be effective at treating psychological disorders like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder. Ketamine is especially effective at addressing mental health issues that are resistant to other therapies.
Ketamine works by increasing the amount of glutamate, an essential neurotransmitter in your brain. This helps neurons communicate more effectively and positively impacts your thought patterns, mood, and cognitive abilities. The medication may also help create new pathways in your brain, so you feel better.
Treatment involves infusions of ketamine through an intravenous (IV) line that goes directly into your bloodstream. During the 40- to 60-minute treatment, many people begin to feel a significant decrease in their depressive symptoms. In the days after an infusion, your results continue to become more noticeable and can last for months or years.
To find out more about the benefits of ketamine infusion therapy for depression, call New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine today to schedule an appointment, or book a consultation online.
