Ketamine & Depression: How it Works

Depression affects millions and often resists standard treatments, but ketamine offers new hope. Originally an anesthetic, ketamine works on glutamate and GABA, neurotransmitters critical to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and recover. Researchers at Yale Medicine found that ketamine not only improves symptoms rapidly, sometimes within 24 hours, but also helps the brain regrow connections between neurons. This groundbreaking approach differs from traditional antidepressants, making it especially effective for patients who haven't found success with other treatments. Combined with therapies like CBT, ketamine represents a major leap forward in understanding and treating depression.