Ketamine is known to be one of the few effective modern treatments for treatment resistant depression (TRD). What’s so interesting about ketamine is that it continues to work even after you've received your treatment. Your time after treatment is of utmost importance and you need to make the most out of it.
What makes ketamine such an effective treatment?
KETAMINE’S INVOLVEMENT IN BDNF
Ketamine, possibly the most widely used anesthetic agent in the world, is an NMDA-receptor antagonist. What happens is that ketamine breaks down into multiple metabolites. And what ketamine and these metabolites do is it blocks activity of the glutamate neurotransmitter on the n-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. That activity leads to a whole cascade of events in your neurons. One of them being that there is an increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) into your brain.
Why is an increase in BDNF so important for ketamine treatments?
HOW BDNF MAKES OUR BRAINS OPEN TO CHANGE
BDNF is a protein that plays a role in the growth and maintenance of neurons. This protein is involved in ketamine’s mysterious therapeutic effects. What makes BDNF so important for our brains is that it allows for neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity, in simple terms, means that our brains can be flexible and it can change after you receive your ketamine treatment. Ketamine treatments allow you to have this zen moment of neuroplasticity.
How does neuroplasticity help in forming better habits after treatment?
MAKING THE MOST OUT OF NEUROPLASTICITY
During this zen moment, you really want to take advantage of your brain being more susceptible to change. This might look like changing your diet, introducing a new habit, or even breaking an old habit that no longer serves you.
Be very cognizant of the time right after your treatment when you are in this zone. This can last for a day up to four days after your treatment. It is crucial that you are conscious of what you're putting into your mind and what you're taking out of it. Think of this time as an opportunity to somewhat reprogram your brain into the way you want it to be. That way, your beliefs will help serve you at its highest level.
So let me know what you think about this. Leave me any questions or comments below!
What’s so interesting about ketamine is that it continues to work even after treatment. Find out how ketamine’s neuroplastic effects on the brain can help you become more susceptible to good and positive change.
