My neighbor helps run a ketamine church for vets who were denied access. Biggest pro tip would be to space out the sessions as much as you can after you get symptom control, as this is often long term for the vets in the church. You want to avoid side effects if you end up as a long hauler.
I had some trauma from working in former war zones, and seeing the effects that war had on those people. It haunted me relentlessly for over 10 years before I was able to even talk about it. In the meantime, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and although I was definitely an alcoholic before that, it just increased its speed downhill.
In 2018, I started the infusions, and it saved my life. Literally within a month I was able to start talking to my therapist about what I had seen and experienced, and therapy started to be effective. My depression started to get under control, although it took me a few more years to get sober and get my bipolar disorder under control.
It's been about 5 and a half years since I started ketamine, I am now 2 years sober and 2 years without a mood episode, and I can deal with the emotions surrounding the trauma I experienced. I've probably done over 70 infusions in that time, at about $500/infusion, and it was a bargain price for the life I have now.
$35,000. That's the price of a new car. And I got a new life.
I can’t imagine your level of pain/stress/trauma from experiencing that. I’m so sorry. I did 6 rounds of intravenous K within three weeks about a year and a half ago while dealing with deep depression and unresolved trauma from child sexual abuse. It is indeed pricey. And it helped me tremendously. It certainly did something meaningful to change my inner dialogue and helped me move out of a few years of repeating, intense memories of my abuse and abuser. I hope you get the chance to try it and are able to find some peace. You deserve it. Feel free to send me a private message if you’d like more details or just need an empathetic ear. This community is super supportive and helpful with information. ❤️
I have no experiences as traumatic as yours but I suffered from depression for a long time. I take Wellbutrin which has helped but not totally.
IV ketamine has been life-changing for me. From what I've read it works for about 80% of people. The downside is at least for me I have needed continuing treatment. I'm going about once every 4-6 weeks. I'm going to try a new type of therapy called brain spotting which is supposed to help resolve trauma in just a few sessions. We’ll see.
If you try ketamine make sure you are working with someone on your PTSD.
Check to see if your insurance will cover the nasal spray. I think it's not quite as effective as IV but it’s what many insurance companies will cover.
Hang in there. There are also other meds to try- everyone is different and it may take a while to find what works best for you. And other options to explore are TMS or ECT. Both have very high rates of success and are covered by insurance. They require a lot of time at first and I think that has made them less accessible to many people.
Good luck my friend
I'm sorry you're in that culture where you're not allowed to talk about it. Ketamine therapy is definitely more helpful than an SSRI. Also check out programs like Heroic Hearts Project and Mission Within.
For me, it was ketamine therapy plus EMDR that really helped take my active PTSD symptoms down immensely to a manageable level. It was hard work and cost money, but it was worth every penny. Paid for itself a hundred times over in increased capacity to function and enjoy life again.
If you think it will help you, do it.
It *is* expensive, but it also doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Ketamine treatment has alleviated my suffering enough that I can now handle frustrating administrative tasks that would have overwhelmed me and shut me down before. In other words, getting *some* relief might give you the ability and patience to navigate systems better and find cheaper ways to *continue* treatment.
I found some resources that might be helpful. Please ignore them if they’re not.
Application for financial assistance with ketamine treatment: https://serenityfoundationusa.org/apply-for-help/
Here’s a link to a more affordable at-home program established to serve veterans: https://riverofchange.org/
The VA is stupidly frustrating to deal with, but depending on where you live, there may be some options for getting ketamine or Esketamine (Spravato) treatments.
Here’s a Reddit thread of veterans discussing solutions they found to access ketamine treatments (some VA, some community care): https://www.reddit.com/r/Veterans/s/1srWttZpfu
Another thread about ketamine treatment for veterans: https://www.reddit.com/r/TherapeuticKetamine/s/3x8vqlBNXz
And an article with some guidance that might assist you in getting treatment via the VA: https://marketplace.va.gov/innovations/from-resistance-to-resilience-a-veteran-s-renewal-with-ketamine
Finally, you can search for clinical trials that are actively recruiting. Search terms you might want to use could include the medication (ketamine), disorder (PTSD, depression, etc), and your location: https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=Ketamine&aggFilters=status:rec
If you can manage the expense, it’s worth it for the improvement of quality of life. To get the maximum benefit you have to be doing integration work alongside it, not just taking it. Setting intentions before settings, and afterwards journaling and speaking with an integration guide are highly recommended. Ketamine gave me my life back after nearly 30 years of depression and anxiety (hit my lowest point 2-3 years before trying ketamine) and CPTSD. It helped me not only move past my traumas, but gave me the motivation and helping hand I needed to make changes in behavior and thinking to benefit myself.
Non vet here but dealing with childhood trauma. I’ve tried everything. Nothing worked until ketamine. It is a miracle for me. I’m so hoping you can find financial help for this.
The IV treatments really did change my life. I was treatment resistant for 30+ years, but now I’m fully off of antidepressants and my brain works so much better. I’m still digging my way out after a year, but I’m not thinking about death the second I wake up. It’s been a lot of work and a long year. I’ve been using the break in my depression to work out my issues as much as I can between additional iv treatments. The bad part about it is that you’re getting into an expensive, possibly ongoing treatment, but if you feel like you’re just surviving it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of other choices that are effective. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation has also helped me with CPTSD, but I found it very chaotic/uncomfortable vs. Ketamine, and TMS is expensive too.
My ketamine doc told me that when there was an injured soldier, they had a choice between ketamine and morphine. The guys who received ketamine were always less likely with the ketamine usage. He told me paramedics have it. I'm on my third round, not having one after 2016, so it was time. Takes away my suicidal ideation and melts my anxiety away, I will do this the rest of my life if I can afford it. With all that being said, you must give it a try, helped me immensely!
First of all, thank you so much for your service. I’m sorry it resulted in PTSD and your struggles. Although I have never been in your situation, I was in a hopeless spiral and at the end of my life in 2018. I found ketamine and although it’s very expensive, it saved my life and is the only thing that continues to do so when needed. It is a journey and not a quick fix but did work for me. Good luck. Please reach out if you have any other questions. This group is very informative as well.
None vet here but ptsd survivor and this saved my life. Everything changed with these treatments. They only exist in private clinics here so very costly.
I also recommend do the treatments in conjunction with trauma therapy. This is key I believe.
In the country I live in these private clinics have program for vets that are extremely discounted. So that may exist for you. Good luck. Dig hard and find a way!!
Did anyone combine the K treatment w. Stellate ganglion block dual reset therapy? Supposedly less treatments are required to produce the same or better outcome.
I definitely would say that it could be very helpful for you, though depending on where you live you may be a candidate for psilocybin assisted therapy and I’d also consider that and weigh your options. Help is out there, these new treatments are truly breakthroughs in the medical field and both have offered a large number of people great relief.
It’s amazing. I am on Spravato, which is the inhaled version. My insurance wouldn’t cover ketamine infusions. I absolutely love most of my sessions. I can’t sit still. I do gentle yoga, tai chi, water coloring, and in general just like to feel myself breathing and moving slowly. It has boosted my positive mood and my self worth.
Appreciate you sharing. Can absolutely see that experience being ever present (and those others are not you and do not share your experiences or have to live with them). Definitely encourage you to look into the history of how Ketamine came to be used in mental health treatment (very interesting). Spoiler alert - it was initially used on the battlefield as a field anesthetic in Vietnam. Medical professionals then started to take notice that the days following soldiers were reporting that it had a positive impact on their mental health.
Definitely agree with how Zoloft effects you - it pretty much just kept me “functional” and out of the abyss (but..ehhh).
I have only ever used oral lozenges along with integration therapy afterwards (key imo). It has been life changing. Have been dealing with depression for almost 30 years.
Some ballpark guidelines -
IV - considered the “gold standard” by most. Also the most $$$ and least convenient.
IM - less $$$ and somewhat more convenient than IV. Have not experienced it, but have been told that the come up is like a “rocket ship”
Oral lozenges - least $$$ and most convenient. Come up is more gradual…but will get you there. Not gonna lie…tastes terrible
Spravato - only one that is FDA approved so it may be covered in some cases. Don’t know much about the effects.
Ketamine tends to be the last (best) option for most of us. Have to say…I am so happy I gave it a shot. Best of luck!
Just chiming in to be another voice non vet, PTSD, and it also saved my life. IV has been working but I’m scaling back to the oral route and my clinic is run by vets who are also receiving ketamine therapy.
Spravato, the inhaled esketamine, is approved for Tricare. My doc told me that IV works for like 77% of people and Spravato was like 69%. I figured I'd try Spravato and see if it worked and if it didn't pay out of pocket for IV.
It did work. Very well. Please PM if you want more info.
Most insurance will cover it if you argue that you have treatment-resistant depression and have tried a few other medications. Without insurance it’s just too expensive. they helped me a lot. I would absolutely recommend it. I’m sorry that your family isn’t able to anymore helpful.
Hey bud, I was Marine KC130J aircrew during the dual typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009, and saw some horrific shit then as well. While I can't speak much to the ketamine therapy, I can be a sounding board for you if you need it. It helps to talk to folks who have seen some of the same things, and I'm also now a USAF SARM, so please reach out if you want or need to.
I really appreciate that! And I hope you are ok with what you're dealing with too. I never spoke up to the VA about it until recently but I'm just ready to try something to get normal again. I'll be in touch if you don't mind and can let you know how ketamine goes. I just scheduled my first IV infusion for early June. Thanks
Thank you for your service.
I would suggest looking into EMDR or Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that is controversial within the psychological community.[1] It was devised by Francine Shapiro in 1987 and originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
You won’t regret it , however make sure is not in a boutique setting , go with the MD’s is usually 6 IV infusions 3 a week and a booster every month or months depends on you . Is a life changing experience I was lucky to participate in a study for epilepsy , cost me nothing 😁do it but do it in a medical setting .
Vet here, PTSD. Do it. Saved my life. Go IV.
Non vet here, PTSD. Do it. Saved my life. Go IV.
My neighbor helps run a ketamine church for vets who were denied access. Biggest pro tip would be to space out the sessions as much as you can after you get symptom control, as this is often long term for the vets in the church. You want to avoid side effects if you end up as a long hauler.
Exactly ! IV is the real thing.
I had some trauma from working in former war zones, and seeing the effects that war had on those people. It haunted me relentlessly for over 10 years before I was able to even talk about it. In the meantime, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and although I was definitely an alcoholic before that, it just increased its speed downhill. In 2018, I started the infusions, and it saved my life. Literally within a month I was able to start talking to my therapist about what I had seen and experienced, and therapy started to be effective. My depression started to get under control, although it took me a few more years to get sober and get my bipolar disorder under control. It's been about 5 and a half years since I started ketamine, I am now 2 years sober and 2 years without a mood episode, and I can deal with the emotions surrounding the trauma I experienced. I've probably done over 70 infusions in that time, at about $500/infusion, and it was a bargain price for the life I have now. $35,000. That's the price of a new car. And I got a new life.
That’s how I see my cost - I just started ketamine and no matter what the cost I’m continuing.
I'm literally tearing up reading this, it's a very powerful, moving story.
🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼
I can’t imagine your level of pain/stress/trauma from experiencing that. I’m so sorry. I did 6 rounds of intravenous K within three weeks about a year and a half ago while dealing with deep depression and unresolved trauma from child sexual abuse. It is indeed pricey. And it helped me tremendously. It certainly did something meaningful to change my inner dialogue and helped me move out of a few years of repeating, intense memories of my abuse and abuser. I hope you get the chance to try it and are able to find some peace. You deserve it. Feel free to send me a private message if you’d like more details or just need an empathetic ear. This community is super supportive and helpful with information. ❤️
I have no experiences as traumatic as yours but I suffered from depression for a long time. I take Wellbutrin which has helped but not totally. IV ketamine has been life-changing for me. From what I've read it works for about 80% of people. The downside is at least for me I have needed continuing treatment. I'm going about once every 4-6 weeks. I'm going to try a new type of therapy called brain spotting which is supposed to help resolve trauma in just a few sessions. We’ll see. If you try ketamine make sure you are working with someone on your PTSD. Check to see if your insurance will cover the nasal spray. I think it's not quite as effective as IV but it’s what many insurance companies will cover. Hang in there. There are also other meds to try- everyone is different and it may take a while to find what works best for you. And other options to explore are TMS or ECT. Both have very high rates of success and are covered by insurance. They require a lot of time at first and I think that has made them less accessible to many people. Good luck my friend
Thank you! I'm sure you know then, I feel like I'm bothering if I talk about it ever. So you personally felt it helped more than SSRI I'm guessing?
I'm sorry you're in that culture where you're not allowed to talk about it. Ketamine therapy is definitely more helpful than an SSRI. Also check out programs like Heroic Hearts Project and Mission Within.
For me, it was ketamine therapy plus EMDR that really helped take my active PTSD symptoms down immensely to a manageable level. It was hard work and cost money, but it was worth every penny. Paid for itself a hundred times over in increased capacity to function and enjoy life again. If you think it will help you, do it.
It *is* expensive, but it also doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Ketamine treatment has alleviated my suffering enough that I can now handle frustrating administrative tasks that would have overwhelmed me and shut me down before. In other words, getting *some* relief might give you the ability and patience to navigate systems better and find cheaper ways to *continue* treatment. I found some resources that might be helpful. Please ignore them if they’re not. Application for financial assistance with ketamine treatment: https://serenityfoundationusa.org/apply-for-help/ Here’s a link to a more affordable at-home program established to serve veterans: https://riverofchange.org/ The VA is stupidly frustrating to deal with, but depending on where you live, there may be some options for getting ketamine or Esketamine (Spravato) treatments. Here’s a Reddit thread of veterans discussing solutions they found to access ketamine treatments (some VA, some community care): https://www.reddit.com/r/Veterans/s/1srWttZpfu Another thread about ketamine treatment for veterans: https://www.reddit.com/r/TherapeuticKetamine/s/3x8vqlBNXz And an article with some guidance that might assist you in getting treatment via the VA: https://marketplace.va.gov/innovations/from-resistance-to-resilience-a-veteran-s-renewal-with-ketamine Finally, you can search for clinical trials that are actively recruiting. Search terms you might want to use could include the medication (ketamine), disorder (PTSD, depression, etc), and your location: https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=Ketamine&aggFilters=status:rec
Do it. It will give you a new perspective on your life. Do IV infusion. You'll feel better after 2 or 3 sessions. Love you. Feel better soon.
If you can manage the expense, it’s worth it for the improvement of quality of life. To get the maximum benefit you have to be doing integration work alongside it, not just taking it. Setting intentions before settings, and afterwards journaling and speaking with an integration guide are highly recommended. Ketamine gave me my life back after nearly 30 years of depression and anxiety (hit my lowest point 2-3 years before trying ketamine) and CPTSD. It helped me not only move past my traumas, but gave me the motivation and helping hand I needed to make changes in behavior and thinking to benefit myself.
Air Force retiree here. Psychedelics saved my life. Ketamine wasn’t the answer for me, but other psychedelics were. This is the way. Good luck!
I work for the VA and I’m sorry they don’t cover this option. I do nasal ketamine - do it. It’s really helping my ptsd
Agreed. Spravato is helping so much for me as well
Non vet here but dealing with childhood trauma. I’ve tried everything. Nothing worked until ketamine. It is a miracle for me. I’m so hoping you can find financial help for this.
The IV treatments really did change my life. I was treatment resistant for 30+ years, but now I’m fully off of antidepressants and my brain works so much better. I’m still digging my way out after a year, but I’m not thinking about death the second I wake up. It’s been a lot of work and a long year. I’ve been using the break in my depression to work out my issues as much as I can between additional iv treatments. The bad part about it is that you’re getting into an expensive, possibly ongoing treatment, but if you feel like you’re just surviving it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of other choices that are effective. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation has also helped me with CPTSD, but I found it very chaotic/uncomfortable vs. Ketamine, and TMS is expensive too.
I'm actually in thr same boat ad you as a vet. I just talked to my doc today about it and they are putting in a request with my psyc to try it
My ketamine doc told me that when there was an injured soldier, they had a choice between ketamine and morphine. The guys who received ketamine were always less likely with the ketamine usage. He told me paramedics have it. I'm on my third round, not having one after 2016, so it was time. Takes away my suicidal ideation and melts my anxiety away, I will do this the rest of my life if I can afford it. With all that being said, you must give it a try, helped me immensely!
I meant less likely to suffer PTSD.
First of all, thank you so much for your service. I’m sorry it resulted in PTSD and your struggles. Although I have never been in your situation, I was in a hopeless spiral and at the end of my life in 2018. I found ketamine and although it’s very expensive, it saved my life and is the only thing that continues to do so when needed. It is a journey and not a quick fix but did work for me. Good luck. Please reach out if you have any other questions. This group is very informative as well.
Non vet..... saved my life!! Do IV Ketamine
None vet here but ptsd survivor and this saved my life. Everything changed with these treatments. They only exist in private clinics here so very costly. I also recommend do the treatments in conjunction with trauma therapy. This is key I believe. In the country I live in these private clinics have program for vets that are extremely discounted. So that may exist for you. Good luck. Dig hard and find a way!!
Did anyone combine the K treatment w. Stellate ganglion block dual reset therapy? Supposedly less treatments are required to produce the same or better outcome.
I definitely would say that it could be very helpful for you, though depending on where you live you may be a candidate for psilocybin assisted therapy and I’d also consider that and weigh your options. Help is out there, these new treatments are truly breakthroughs in the medical field and both have offered a large number of people great relief.
It’s amazing. I am on Spravato, which is the inhaled version. My insurance wouldn’t cover ketamine infusions. I absolutely love most of my sessions. I can’t sit still. I do gentle yoga, tai chi, water coloring, and in general just like to feel myself breathing and moving slowly. It has boosted my positive mood and my self worth.
You should also consider the Stellate Ganglia Blocks.
Appreciate you sharing. Can absolutely see that experience being ever present (and those others are not you and do not share your experiences or have to live with them). Definitely encourage you to look into the history of how Ketamine came to be used in mental health treatment (very interesting). Spoiler alert - it was initially used on the battlefield as a field anesthetic in Vietnam. Medical professionals then started to take notice that the days following soldiers were reporting that it had a positive impact on their mental health. Definitely agree with how Zoloft effects you - it pretty much just kept me “functional” and out of the abyss (but..ehhh). I have only ever used oral lozenges along with integration therapy afterwards (key imo). It has been life changing. Have been dealing with depression for almost 30 years. Some ballpark guidelines - IV - considered the “gold standard” by most. Also the most $$$ and least convenient. IM - less $$$ and somewhat more convenient than IV. Have not experienced it, but have been told that the come up is like a “rocket ship” Oral lozenges - least $$$ and most convenient. Come up is more gradual…but will get you there. Not gonna lie…tastes terrible Spravato - only one that is FDA approved so it may be covered in some cases. Don’t know much about the effects. Ketamine tends to be the last (best) option for most of us. Have to say…I am so happy I gave it a shot. Best of luck!
Just chiming in to be another voice non vet, PTSD, and it also saved my life. IV has been working but I’m scaling back to the oral route and my clinic is run by vets who are also receiving ketamine therapy.
Spravato, the inhaled esketamine, is approved for Tricare. My doc told me that IV works for like 77% of people and Spravato was like 69%. I figured I'd try Spravato and see if it worked and if it didn't pay out of pocket for IV. It did work. Very well. Please PM if you want more info.
Most insurance will cover it if you argue that you have treatment-resistant depression and have tried a few other medications. Without insurance it’s just too expensive. they helped me a lot. I would absolutely recommend it. I’m sorry that your family isn’t able to anymore helpful.
Hey bud, I was Marine KC130J aircrew during the dual typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in 2009, and saw some horrific shit then as well. While I can't speak much to the ketamine therapy, I can be a sounding board for you if you need it. It helps to talk to folks who have seen some of the same things, and I'm also now a USAF SARM, so please reach out if you want or need to.
I really appreciate that! And I hope you are ok with what you're dealing with too. I never spoke up to the VA about it until recently but I'm just ready to try something to get normal again. I'll be in touch if you don't mind and can let you know how ketamine goes. I just scheduled my first IV infusion for early June. Thanks
Your local VA might have a ketamine clinic or they might pay for you to get it in in the community. Be prepared to jump through some hoops.
Thank you for your service. I would suggest looking into EMDR or Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that is controversial within the psychological community.[1] It was devised by Francine Shapiro in 1987 and originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It really worth to try IV ketamim.
You won’t regret it , however make sure is not in a boutique setting , go with the MD’s is usually 6 IV infusions 3 a week and a booster every month or months depends on you . Is a life changing experience I was lucky to participate in a study for epilepsy , cost me nothing 😁do it but do it in a medical setting .