When it comes to depression, no one is exempt—especially those at the tops of their industries. In fact, as a result of the stress that goes hand-in-hand with their careers, plus the personal characteristics that have enabled them to become successful in the first place, C-level executives, business leaders and entrepreneurs are perhaps more susceptible to depression than other people.
With 50% of entrepreneurs reporting that they suffer from a mental health condition—30% of which have admittedly suffered from depression their entire lives—identifying and treating depression amongst this high-performing group of people is a major health concern, especially with the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain fresh in our minds. And even though celebrities such as Ben Affleck, Demi Lovato, and Noah Cyrus are battling their mental health conditions in the public eye, there is still a sense of shame surrounding depression and other mental health disorders. Reaching out for help can be hard for anyone, but it is especially challenging for those at the tops of their industries, who expect themselves to be invincible or unstoppable.
When an executive, business leader or entrepreneur begins to exhibit behavioral warning signs—disengagement, an inability to concentrate, an obvious degradation in self-care, etc.—they are oftentimes assigned to an Executive Coach. But depression cannot be coached out of someone.
So, how can these “Captains of Industry” feel comfortable reaching out for help about a mental health condition that has been so stigmatized? Mental healthcare providers are bound by law to keep all patient information confidential, unless there is a real concern that the patient will cause harm to himself or others. Seeing a therapist or psychiatrist can be quite helpful at identifying the underlying cause of an individual’s depression or other mental health disorder. In time, talk therapy can yield great results.
Talk therapy and antidepressant medications are the first lines of defense against depression and many other mental health disorders, such as anxiety, PTSD and bipolar disorder. Antidepressants are effective in about 40% of patients, but patience is a must—these pharmacological treatments can take up to three months to alleviate depressive symptoms.
For the 60% of patients who fail to respond to antidepressants, and who are truly debilitated by their depression, ketamine infusions become a viable option. Ketamine treatments are fast-acting, and effective in up to 70% of patients—even those who have resisted antidepressants, psychotherapy, and other forms of treatment. Most patients know whether or not ketamine will work within 1-2 infusions. If ketamine is effective for you, our ketamine clinic recommends an initial series of four infusions, administered over the course of two weeks, with maintenance infusions as-needed after that. Every individual will require a different frequency of maintenance infusions, but many patients can go 3-6 months between infusions.
For the businessperson or executive, moving past the stigma and seeking help for your depression could save your life. There are many therapists who specialize in treating executives and business leaders. Start there, and if you’re unhappy with the results after a few months, consider ketamine infusions as an option. We would be happy to evaluate your situation and determine if ketamine infusions are a good option for you.
Contact Vitalitas Denver
Vitalitas Denver has two ketamine clinics in Colorado—one in the greater Denver area and the other located near Boulder and Fort Collins. Over the years, we have performed thousands of ketamine infusions—our treatment protocol has been proven effective time and time again. If you are suffering in silence, please contact us. We can help determine if ketamine infusions are an appropriate treatment option for your symptoms, and point you in the right direction if they’re not.
