Surprising Solution for Severe Depression

Finding effective treatments for depression can be… well… downright depressing.

Sometimes drug treatments work, sometimes they don’t.

Or they work for a little while and then stop.

Often combinations of treatments are necessary to find any significant relief.

But sometimes, the solutions that work the BEST are the ones you’d NEVER expect.

Anesthetics are used to reduce our sensitivity to pain. You’re probably familiar with them because they numb sensations in parts of your body or put you to sleep during surgeries.

Most of us would never consider using an anesthetic to treat MENTAL health. But it turns out that one, in particular, is surprisingly effective at battling severe depression.

In fact, this drug can often work when NOTHING else does.

A recent study included folks with treatment-resistant depression who had been referred for electroconvulsive (EC) therapy.

EC therapy is a type of brain stimulation that involves putting a patient under anesthesia. An electric current is then sent through the brain, causing a brief surge of electrical activity.

It can sometimes improve difficult-to-treat depression or severe psychosis. But it’s a harsh treatment ONLY used in cases of major depression that haven’t responded to other forms of treatment.

Think of it as a last resort.

For the study, one group received electroconvulsive therapy three times a week for three weeks. While the second group received IV infusions of a drug called ketamine twice a week for three weeks.

Ketamine is still controversial for treating depression because it has hallucinogenic effects. But studies are mounting that show that the drug often works for depression when nothing else does.

The new study shows that BOTH groups experienced improvements in their symptoms—but the ketamine group got the MOST relief.

Fifty-five percent of the ketamine group had significant improvements in their depression compared to 41 percent in the electroconvulsive therapy group.

In addition, the ketamine group had fewer memory problems.

This study adds to the growing evidence that ketamine is a worthwhile alternative treatment option for depression.

If it were me, I’d want to try it BEFORE resorting to something as severe as electroconvulsive therapy.

 

P.S. According to a recent study, taking one simple step to boost your gut health can SLASH depression symptoms like anxiety, poor sleep, and difficulty concentrating. CLICK HERE for all the details.

SOURCE:

“Ketamine versus ECT for Nonpsychotic Treatment-Resistant Major Depression,” The New England Journal of Medicine, May 24, 2023, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2302399