The answer appeared to be yes, because with no real sense of time, I began to feel as though months were passing. “Was I going to be locked in forever?” I thought to myself, floating through space, untethered to my family, friends and my cocker spaniel at home. “This is my lifeline,” I thought to myself, holding on to his hand for about 15 minutes as I tried to use Morse code to communicate “SOS.” (Alas, I don’t know Morse code so I’m not sure what I communicated.) The doctor’s notes say I reached out to him with my left hand, a manifestation of my distress. That leaves 25 percent, like me, who are not so fortunate. (You would not want to take it, for example, if you were suicidal, or standing on a rooftop.)Īccording to reputable studies, ketamine can be life-changing for a significant majority - as much as three-quarters - of those who take it for depression. And so I went ahead and made an appointment for my first treatment session - together we would determine how many I’d need or want - remembering the importance of “set and setting,” which refers to a healthy mind-set and a relatively safe environment. In looking back I realize I didn’t fully appreciate what all that meant. and feelings of connection, joy and peace.” The nine-page consent form also included this sentence: “At the dosage level administered to you, you are likely to experience mild anesthetic, anxiolytic, antidepressant and, potentially, psychedelic effects.” The form also included commonly reported side effects such as “loss of sense of self, changes in the perception of time, dreamlike visions. “At the dosage level administered to you, you are likely to experience mild anesthetic, anxiolytic, antidepressant and, potentially, psychedelic effects.” - Consent formĪfter determining that I was a medically healthy and otherwise eligible candidate, the psychiatrist - who trained at Yale’s School of Medicine, where much of the early ketamine research originated - briefed me in detail on all the possible side effects, short-term spikes in blood pressure, headache, nausea and vomiting.
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