Resetting Your Mental Health with Ketamine Therapy

Why Standard Antidepressants Fail

‍For over 30 years, the standard treatment for depression and anxiety has been SSRIs (like Prozac or Zoloft). These drugs work on serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain. While they help many, they fail a significant number of people. In fact, up to 30% of patients have "Treatment-Resistant Depression"—meaning they have tried multiple medications with no relief.

If you are in that 30%, you aren't "broken." You may just be treating the wrong system.

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The Science: Glutamate and Neuroplasticity

‍Ketamine works completely differently. Instead of targeting serotonin, it targets the NMDA receptor and the neurotransmitter glutamate.

Think of your brain like a ski hill. If you have depression or anxiety, you have likely skied the same negative path thousands of times. The grooves are deep. It is almost impossible to ski a different path because you naturally fall into the old ruts.

Ketamine disrupts this pattern. It triggers a surge of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is like "fertilizer" for your brain cells. It promotes neuroplasticity—the physical ability of your brain to grow new connections and heal damaged ones. In essence, it puts a fresh coat of powder on the ski hill, giving you the freedom to carve a new path.

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What Does a Session Feel Like?

‍We understand that the idea of a "psychedelic" or "dissociative" therapy can be intimidating. At Magnolia Function Wellness, safety is our north star.

• The Setting: You are in a private, comfortable medical suite.
• The Experience: During the 40-60 minute session, most patients feel a sense of lightness or separation from their body. You remain awake, but your ordinary worries and "ego" seem distant. This "dissociative" state is often where the healing happens—it allows you to look at your trauma or stress without the intense emotional pain usually attached to it.
• The Aftermath: Unlike SSRIs which take weeks to work, many patients feel a lifting of the "heavy blanket" of depression within hours of their first or second treatment.

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Is Ketamine Right for You?

‍Ketamine is a powerful tool for:

• Treatment-Resistant Depression
• Severe Anxiety and PTSD
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Certain Chronic Pain syndromes

It is not a magic pill, but it is a catalyst. It opens a window of neuroplasticity where therapy and lifestyle changes become effective again.

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