When standard treatments haven’t worked
Ketamine Treatment for Mental Health
Low-dose ketamine, administered clinically, for depression, anxiety, and other conditions that have not responded to conventional medications and therapy.
About this therapy
Ketamine for mental health
Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic since 1970. At sub-anesthetic doses in a clinical setting, it has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects — people often report relief within hours of an intravenous infusion, with the benefit of a single treatment lasting up to about two weeks.
As an NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine blocks glutamate receptors involved in pain, memory, and emotion signaling. Exactly how it helps mental health is still being worked out; the leading view is that it promotes new neural connections and rebalances neurotransmitters like glutamate. That makes it a promising option for people who have not responded to typical medications or therapies — offered at Ambrosia as an add-on to inpatient and outpatient treatment, not a standalone cure.
Ketamine treatment is offered as an add-on service across Ambrosia’s West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, and Singer Island programs, complementing inpatient and outpatient care.
Conditions it may help
Treatment-resistant depression
The best-established use: rapid relief from symptoms like hopelessness and loss of energy, in as little as hours — though effects typically last one to two weeks before another treatment is needed.
Anxiety disorders
Ketamine has been shown to reduce symptoms of social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD by dampening the brain’s stress response.
PTSD
Demonstrated relief for people who have not responded adequately to conventional treatments.
OCD and bipolar disorder
Emerging research suggests possible benefit for OCD symptoms and mood stabilization in bipolar disorder — in both cases, more research is needed.
Honest expectations
Specialists are clear that ketamine should not be the first choice for depression or suicidal thoughts — other medications and therapies have longer track records and should generally be tried first. Where ketamine earns its place is with people those treatments have not helped.
In early research groups, roughly half of patients responded and about one in five reached remission of depressive symptoms; results vary from person to person. Relief is real but time-limited, which is why ketamine works as part of a treatment plan — with therapy attached — rather than on its own.
Who is — and isn’t — a candidate
Ketamine therapy is not for everyone. It may not be recommended if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, are pregnant, or have a history of psychosis; heart disease and thyroid conditions call for extra caution. Be upfront with your doctor about your full medical history.
Beyond the medical screen, it asks something of you: the experience can be intense if you have no history with psychedelics, the full course requires a real time commitment — consultations, treatment sessions, integration sessions, and recovery time — and the treatment works best when you are genuinely open to new ways of thinking. Your care team will walk through all of this before anything is scheduled.
Cost and insurance
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic and used off-label for mental health, so insurance coverage is inconsistent — some plans cover it for certain conditions, others treat it as experimental. Infusions typically cost between $500 and $2,000 each. Contact your insurer directly, ask providers about financial assistance, and let our admissions team help you verify what your plan will actually pay.
Ready to talk with admissions?
Admissions is available 24/7 to answer questions about mental health and substance use treatment options.