Two clinical psychologists from the United States, Stephen Gold and Michael Quiñones,...
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. It is usually treated with antidepressants, but unfortunately, not all patients benefit from these drugs.
📊 A ccording to a study (Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2021), almost a third of patients do not respond to first-line treatment within 1-3 months after starting therapy. This condition is called treatment-resistant depression (TRD) or pharmacoresistant depression.
TRD is usually diagnosed in cases where:
The patient was taking at least two different antidepressants in adequate doses;
Each course lasted at least six weeks;
There was no noticeable improvement.
Such situations require a review of treatment: changing the drug, combining medications, or using alternative methods. However, even this does not always give the expected result.
🎯 Although it is difficult to predict TRDs in advance, some groups are at higher risk:
Women;
Elderly people;
People with severe or frequent depressive episodes;
Patients with concomitant diseases (physical or mental);
People with sleep disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
Among the main reasons:
Incorrectly selected therapy (dose, drug, duration);
Failure to follow doctor's recommendations due to low motivation;
Psychological secondary benefits of depression;
Side effects of antidepressants;
Strong external stressors (conflicts, financial problems);
Insufficient or inaccurate diagnosis;
Interaction with other drugs that reduce the effectiveness of treatment.
Common approaches include:
Combined drug therapy;
Intensive psychotherapy;
Electroconvulsive therapy;
Transcranial magnetic or electrical brain stimulation.
However, a particularly promising method is the use of ketamine
Ketamine is the only psychedelic drug approved for medical use. Its effectiveness in the treatment of ADHD and PTSD has been confirmed by numerous studies.
In particular, the article "The concept of resistance reduction in the treatment of depression: focus on ketamine" (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022) describes the potential of ketamine as a tool that restarts neural connections and alleviates symptoms.
Fast onset of action - a noticeable effect is possible after the first infusion;
Impact on the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of depression;
High tolerance and controlled side effects;
A real chance for recovery for patients who have not been helped by other methods.
Ketamine not only reduces symptoms, but also changes the approach to treatment, opening up new opportunities for millions of people.
Since 2018 Expio Center - is the first and only medical institution in Ukraine that legally uses ketamine psychotherapy.
We combine:
Ketamine infusions;
Psychotherapeutic support;
Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES);
Rehabilitation neuroprograms;
Body-oriented techniques.
The TFA is not a sentence. It is a challenge that can be overcome with a comprehensive, modern and humane approach.
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Two clinical psychologists from the United States, Stephen Gold and Michael Quiñones,...
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