It’s not hard to find a plethora of articles describing the desperate need for new depression treatments.
As depression continues to plague more people around the world, the lackluster results of serotonin-based antidepressants and talk therapy is more problematic than ever before. Concerning our depressed youth, The Boston Globe described it best: pediatric beds in hospitals used to be for kids fighting off pneumonia; now they’re full of kids who don’t want to live.
The last 30 years have not offered much with regard to breakthrough depression treatments. It has become increasingly obvious that serotonin-based antidepressant treatments are only marginally effective—only 40% of patients finding adequate relief from their depressive symptoms through the use of traditional SSRIs. Fortunately, several small medical discoveries have shown that there are a number of other biological contributors—beyond serotonin—to regulating mood.
One medical group recently found that a neuropeptide called Galanin plays a major role in regulating emotion. In their tests, they found that an increase of this signaling molecule reduces desire and responsiveness to rewarding stimuli—like reaping joy from savoring your favorite meal, or reveling in the joy of watching the sun set over the ocean. Another group found that the presence of a protein named RGS8 actually promotes the development of depressive symptoms. Certainly this sounds like an explanation for why some people find themselves depressed without good reason. A third research group conducted a study involving both depressed & non-depressed patients. They found that those who were depressed had elevated levels of a brain protein called MAO-B. According to their research, the presence of these elevated protein levels also resulted in the development of depressive symptoms.
These three small studies have opened our eyes to new potential sources of depression. However, what still remains a mystery, is how these three biological puzzle pieces are connected to one another—and how we can use this new knowledge to develop new, more effective depression treatments. Clearly, understanding how the grand scheme of proteins and neurotransmitters meet within the brain would paint a much clearer picture of depression as a whole. It’s also worth mentioning that having this picture would likely lead to swifter development of more robust depression treatments than what we currently have available. Hopefully this kind of medical development is closer, rather than farther away.
Obviously, we still have a ways to go with depression research—three new contributors is hardly exhaustive—but findings like these are surely still encouraging. Especially for those who have struggled with treatment resistant depression, a new standard of treatment could be on the horizon. However, in the meantime, trying newer, alternative treatments—like ketamine infusions—may be an equally safe and effective way to overcome their depressive symptoms. Ketamine has been the biggest breakthrough depression treatment that we’ve seen in decade, effectively alleviating depressive symptoms in up to 70% of patients…and working rapidly, to boot.
It’s quite clear that depression is a dynamic condition that can be treated from a number of equally dynamic angles, all with varying levels of effectiveness—everything from lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical supplements, and even holistic applications. However, regardless, is each that case is wholly unique. As such, each treatment, in order to be successful, requires a bit of trial and error. Talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms and discuss your options. If you have tried everything to no avail, we’d be happy to answer questions about ketamine for depression and how it could help you find the relief you’ve been searching for.
Contact Vitalitas Denver
For more information about ketamine for depression and anxiety, contact Vitalitas Denver. We are one of Colorado’s leading ketamine treatment centers, with locations near Denver and Boulder/Fort Collins. Contact us using the brief form below and we’ll help get you started on the path towards health, happiness and wellbeing.
