ANXIETY
What is it?
Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health states that people with anxiety disorders may feel anxious most of the time or for brief intense episodes, which may occur for no apparent reason. They may have anxious feelings that are so uncomfortable that they avoid daily routines and activities that might cause these feelings. Some people have occasional anxiety attacks so intense that they are terrified or immobilized. Categories of anxiety disorders include: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias.
Symptoms can include:
- Irrational and excessive fear
- Difficulty managing daily tasks and/or distress related to these tasks
- Physical symptoms when not faced with objective threats, such as racing heart, sweating and hyperventilation or shortness of breath.
Current treatments include:
Psychological treatments, such as relaxation training, meditation, biofeedback, stress management and counseling, can help. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven most effective. Medications, such as anti-anxiety medication buspirone, benzodiazepines (sedatives) or certain antidepressants, may be prescribed, alone or in combination with psychotherapy.
If you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and have had partial or no success with current treatments, you may be a candidate for IV ketamine infusions.
How can IV Ketamine infusions help?
While most studies focus on ketamine as a treatment for depression, there are promising results for other chronic mental-health conditions. In the case of anxiety, a few recent studies found that ketamine treatments were safe and well tolerated, and patients with generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder reported marked improvements.
If you feel this could be a suitable treatment for you, and have questions, contact us. If you would like to be referred by your doctor to the Toronto Ketamine Clinic, you can print out this form for your doctor or forward this link.
The information found on this website is not to be construed as medical advice. Please see a licensed health-care professional for help with your medical condition.