Which Mental Health Conditions Can Benefit from KAP?
PTSD and Trauma-Related Symptoms
Difficulties Experiencing Emotions
Depression
To Relieve Anxiety
Developmental Trauma or Complex PTSD
Relationship Difficulties
Existential Distress
Psychological Reactions to Physical Illness
Psychological Reactions to Life Threatening Illnesses
What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a therapeutic process where sublingual ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with psychedelic properties, is used in conjunction with psychotherapy to help individuals explore and address psychological issues such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and trauma. Ketamine can enhance the therapeutic process, making it easier for clients to access and process difficult emotions and experiences.
The KAP framework includes:
Lowered Psychological Defenses: Ketamine promotes the softening of psychological defenses, such as denial or repression. This can allow for more direct access to emotions and experiences that are typically difficult to reach in a ordinary state of consciousness.
Enhanced Neuroplasticity: Ketamine is believed to enhance neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections. This can be particularly helpful in trauma therapy, as it might support the development of new, healthier responses to traumatic memories.
Emotional Release: Ketamine can enhance emotional processing, making it easier for clients to access and express emotions like grief, anger, or fear. This can lead to significant emotional breakthroughs and a deeper understanding of one’s inner world.
Anxiolytic Effects: Ketamine has anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) properties, which can help clients feel calmer and more open during therapy. This reduction in anxiety can be particularly beneficial for clients with trauma, PTSD, or severe anxiety disorders, allowing them to engage more fully with therapeutic interventions.
Trauma Processing: For trauma survivors, ketamine can help reduce the fear and anxiety associated with revisiting traumatic memories, making it easier to process and integrate these experiences in therapy.
Disruption of Negative Thought Patterns: Ketamine may help interrupt and modulate negative thought patterns, which are common in PTSD, allowing clients to approach their trauma from a different, often less emotionally charged, perspective.
Reduction of Fear Responses: In this non-ordinary state of consciousness, clients may experience a reduction in fear responses, making it easier to engage with and work through traumatic memories during therapy.
Support for Reprocessing Trauma: By enhancing neuroplasticity, ketamine can facilitate the reprocessing of traumatic memories, helping clients integrate these experiences in a less distressing way.
Complementing Existing Trauma-Focused Therapies: When integrated into an overall treatment plan, KAP can complement existing trauma-focused therapies (such as EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, or IFS) by enhancing the effectiveness of these methods.
Non-Ordinary State of Consciousness: Ketamine can induce a non-ordinary state of consciousness, which may allow clients to access and process traumatic material in ways that are not possible in a regular waking state. This can lead to profound insights and emotional breakthroughs.
There are medical and psychiatric conditions that render people unable to receive KAP.
Medical Conditions
- Untreated hyperthyroidism
- Untreated hypertension
- Epilepsy
- Aneurysm or Dissection
- Heart disease including heart failure, heart attacks or arrythmias
- Severe breathing problems
- Kidney disease
- Advanced liver disease Interstitial cystitis (bladder wall inflammation)
- Glaucoma (unless cleared by an ophthalmologist)
- Active illicit substance abuse
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
Psychiatric Conditions
- Schizophrenia Psychotic features
- Mania
- Personality Disorders
- Active suicidal ideation may require a higher level of care
- Severe Dissociation