Advancements in mental health treatment have grown exponentially in recent years, expanding what support can truly look like. Breakthroughs are emerging not only in oral medications but also in the evolution of psychotherapy itself.
In the last decade or so, an additional treatment for mental health conditions has been garnering more attention: ketamine. Ketamine is primarily an FDA-approved general anesthetic for diagnostic and surgical procedures used most often for pain relief, sedation, and amnesia. But over the past 10 years or so, researchers and physicians have been exploring the use of ketamine to help with mental health conditions.
One FDA-approved ketamine-based medication, esketamine, or brand name Spravato, can be prescribed for adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
However, low doses of ketamine can also be administered medically through infusions as an “off-label” treatment for conditions such as TRD and acute suicidal ideation. Ketamine infusion therapy has also been used by doctors to treat conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, chronic pain, and migraines.
One of the pioneers in bringing this treatment option to Northwest Arkansas is psychologist Dr. Kathleen Wong. Dr. Wong originally moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2005, opening her own practice in 2007. In 2013, she opened Bridges to Wellbeing in Fayetteville with Licensed Professional Counselor Cheryl Williams, and, in 2017, their clinic became one of the first in the area to add ketamine infusions as a treatment option.
Dr. Wong began researching the treatment options with ketamine for mental health after being approached by a patient who had received their original ketamine treatments in New York and were looking for a clinic that offered boosters locally.
She says the studies she found from organizations like the National Institute of Health and that patient’s own testimony of how much the infusions helped them drove her pursuit to learn more about the treatments.
Initially, the clinic could only treat one patient at time, but demand grew quickly. The clinic now offers five infusion treatment rooms. Dr. Wong says she gets referrals from other therapists, psychotherapists, and personal doctors, but is also contacted by individuals who have done their own research and are interested in the treatment for themselves or a family member. She says typically the patients she sees for ketamine treatments have been dealing with mental health issues for a very long time. For some, it is almost the last resort.
The infusion treatments are offered as an add-on treatment, which means it can be done in conjunction with traditional mental health treatments like regular medications and therapy. The cost for the infusions are out-of-pocket for patients.
Dr. Wong recommends the infusion schedule tested and reviewed by the National Institute of Health, which consists of six initial infusions followed by booster infusions as needed. And while the infusions can be given as a stand-alone treatment, she highly recommends that patients continue seeing their regular therapists or try psychotherapy again while receiving ketamine treatments, even if they have not had success with therapy in the past. She says that is because ketamine has been studied for its effect on neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and form new neural connections.
“Some of mental illness is being stuck in a way of thinking. This (treatment) invites a new space so that the patient can know their own efficacy and power,“ she says.
Dr. Wong says ideally, there’s a whole team in place to support the patient. But she says every patient is different in their approach to mental health and they honor all paths of the individuals.
“As a psychiatric practice, we bring something else to our treatments. We bring more understanding and a more supportive environment,” she says.
As part of the treatments, Dr. Wong’s clinic tracks their patient’s symptoms of depression and anxiety to see how the ketamine treatments affect them emotionally. But along with the reduction of what they call bad indicators, the team also likes seeing new indicators of growth. She says the real gain is seeing the patient start to flourish in new ways, such as going out and trying new things or developing new healthy patterns that they did not have before.
Dr. Wong says after the initial course of treatments, about half of her patients return for periodic booster treatments. But, like all aspects of mental health treatment, results can vary greatly from patient to patient.
“Every person is dealing with their own story. So each person is different in their healing process," she says.
Those wanting more information about the treatments should visit www.bridges2wellbeing.com. Prospective patients or family members are also encouraged to call the office with any questions.
“Every person is dealing with their own story. So each person is different in their healing process."