Ketamine Diagnoses
Dr. Meaney’s goal is to provide relief to your soul and work to minimize your pain. She has expertise
in treating the following diagnoses:
Fibromyalgia:
This is a neurological disorder that effects the entire body manifesting in musculoskeletal pain, cognitive difficulties, numbness, stiffness, tender points, as well as anxiety and depression, and often fatigue. Fibromyalgia may be linked to genetic mutations in the brain that affect the action of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and glutamate. Often it develops after extreme trauma, and manifests as a neurological memory within the body. It can be treated with pain medication, and muscle relaxants, and CBT. But often times, the psychological aspect of trauma must be treated to effect long lasting relief.
Fortunately, ketamine offers pain relief physically and allows for greater access to the ability to release the psychological scars of trauma. Ketamine assisted psychotherapy along with ketamine infusions has been found to be very effective in the relief of fibromyalgia pain.
Neurological pain:
Neurological pain is especially hard to treat, as it involves neurological memory of pain, central sensitization, and is often related to other chronic diseases that keep feeding into the reason for the pain, such as diabetes. As well, long term pain, such as CRPS, or chronic regional pain syndrome, phantom limb pain, and even migraines, are all related to trauma, at some point in your life, in the neurological system. All of these must have a reset of the default mode network in the brain to allow for healing of the central sensitization. They do this by blocking the NMDA and glutamate receptor sites, those responsible for receiving signals about pain from the outer reaches of your body. When blocking these receptors, the pain cannot transmit. There is also a process of neuroplastic change that occurs with subsequent infusion treatments that will change the way the signals are transmitted to the brain. In doing this the pain cycle can be interrupted and changed into that of a different end result: no pain. Of course, along with these, treatments, therapy will help release the trauma emotional scars that are the root cause.
Depression:
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is becoming more and more of a problem in the psychological community. Because, no matter which medication you begin to use for depression, if it initially works or not, it will eventually need to be switched to another medicine that might work better, or added to a regimen that inevitably ends in TRD. What do you do then? Well, research shows that TRD treated with ketamine can be successful, and bring the medications down to a minimum, with many clients who are able to be maintained on only one medication, or even no medications.Ketamine and therapy is, again, often the best result for having relief from TRD. Many find after just one treatment, they are feeling better and hopeful.
Anxiety:
In 2020-2022, the percentages of adults with anxiety who reported it was 31-37%. The pandemic affected the world in a way that increased depression, anxiety and substance abuse. But, we are at an all-time high for anxiety. The looming fear of a virus infecting our families had us all in a tizzy. Anxiety is a response to stress, long term, that is unrelenting. It can be hard to remember a time when we didn’t feel stress. When the danger has lessened, how do we get back to our normal state? We can eat right, exercise, take a vacation-but it may still be there. If so, ketamine can offer the reset that we need to get back on track. One treatment can offer instant relief, and subsequent treatments can allow for healing of the trauma that spurred the escalation of the anxiety. When you decrease your anxiety and get back to normal function, you will be surprised to see how renewed your life can be!
Addiction:
When a person has addiction, their lives may seem hopeless, and often the person feels there is nowhere to turn. Addiction is using a specific thing or substance to make ourselves feel better in a situation where we cannot hope to feel better, because of trauma, depression, or anxiety. After a period of time, our bodies become used to the specific substance that helps us get through. We can be addicted to many things: cigarettes, vaping, alcohol, opioids, other substances, shopping, food, gambling, and even our cell phones.
Ketamine used in micro-doses is anything but addictive. Ketamine actually helps people overcome addiction. However, persons using daily high doses of ketamine, self-administered, unmonitored, and uncontrolled, can cause renal dysfunction, and may lead to addictive tendencies. Research has long been showing that psychedelic experiences often quench the “thirst” for substances in a way that finds a person able to turn away from their oppressive vice, and move toward a life of sobriety, and recovery. Ketamine and psychotherapy, with addiction recovery counselling is the best way to overcome any addiction, in a multimodal approach.
Chronic pain:
Pain resulting from injury, that is sustained and unrelenting, over a long period of time is called chronic pain. With the opioid epidemic now at an all-time high, those with chronic pain are left to find alternative methods to relieve this pain. Ketamine has long been one of the best pain relievers available. It is classified as one of the World Health Organization’s list of necessary medications. It was approved by the FDA in 1970 for its use in pain and anesthesia. It can and does relieve pain in a way most pain medicines cannot. Because of this, ketamine infusions are a wonderful alternative to treat chronic pain. People with ketamine therapy in their regimen are better able to attend physical therapy, get back into their daily routine and find freedom from their pain pill regimen. Ketamine provides relief for those in hospice care for terminal cancer allowing patients to rest and relax enough to be able to see their loved ones and tolerate their daily routines. It often helps these patients find self-actualization, and acceptance of death in a way that is very spiritual.
PTSD:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition in which a person has difficulty recovering after personally experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. Trauma is possibly not only an event, but an
ongoing situation, over time, that causes emotional scars. These scars result in flashbacks, nightmares,
hypervigilance, paranoia, irritability, feelings of guilt, and isolation. It can result in problems with sleep, interpersonal relationships, concentration, and even keeping a job. It is often treated with cognitive
behavioral therapy and medications. Trauma can be treated with Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and often treats the anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideations that often accompany PTSD.
Suicidal Ideations:
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults 15-24. Nearly 800,000 people die
by suicide in the world each year, which is roughly one death every 40 seconds. Ketamine is one of the
few medications you can give to immediately treat someone who is intent on suicide. With repeated
infusions, an inductions series, you can save a life. Ketamine treats depression that is prone to suicidal
ideations.
If you are considering suicide, please reach out, tell someone. Dial 988 on your cell phone to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If suicide invades your thoughts daily, please consider ketamine. It may just save your life.
