Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
One of the most compelling uses of ketamine is for treatment-resistant depression, where conventional antidepressants have failed.
Studies show that approximately 60–70% of patients with TRD experience rapid improvement with ketamine, with some achieving remission within hours. The dissociative state induced by ketamine may help disrupt negative thought loops, providing a much-needed cognitive “reset” for individuals stuck in persistent depressive patterns.
Anxiety Disorders and PTSD
Patients with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also benefit from ketamine.
Anxiety often arises from overactive fear circuits in the brain, and ketamine’s ability to promote neural flexibility may help break these patterns.
In PTSD, ketamine therapy has been found to reduce hyper arousal and intrusive memories, allowing patients to process traumatic events with greater emotional regulation.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Emerging research suggests ketamine may help with OCD, especially when traditional treatments have failed previously.
By increasing synaptic plasticity, ketamine therapy may help with weakening rigid, compulsive thought patterns and increase cognitive flexibility, providing relief for individuals trapped in obsessive cycles.
Mood Disorders
Ketamine is showing promise in treating bipolar, particularly in individuals who do not respond well to conventional mood stabilisers or antidepressants.
Sometimes, medication can trigger manic episodes in bipolar disorder; short-term use of ketamine therapy appears to have a more balanced effect by enhancing mood regulation without significantly increasing the risk of mania.
For individuals with cyclothymia (which is a milder but more chronic form of bipolar disorder), ketamine therapy may help stabilise mood fluctuations and reduce emotional instability. However, careful monitoring is required, as ketamine’s effects on bipolar disorder are still being researched, and its administration must be done cautiously to avoid potential mood destabilisation.
Alcohol Addiction
Research suggests that ketamine therapy may play a significant role in treating alcohol addiction by disrupting harmful patterns of behaviour and reducing cravings.
Traditional addiction treatments typically focus primarily on withdrawal management which is paired with counselling and therapeutic avenues.
However, ketamine’s effect on neuroplasticity may help rewire brain circuits associated with compulsive drinking.
Studies indicate that ketamine, when combined with psychotherapy, can:
- Reduce alcohol cravings and relapse rates
- Improve emotional resilience in individuals struggling with addiction
- Help patients confront underlying trauma that may contribute to their drinking
Because of the above, ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) is now increasingly being explored as a tool for long-term recovery, particularly for individuals who have tried but struggled with conventional addiction treatments.
The Multicentre Investigation of Ketamine for Reduction of Alcohol Relapse (MORE-KARE) is the largest trial of its kind, aiming to assess the efficacy of combining ketamine with psychological therapy to help individuals overcome alcohol dependence.
Led by the University of Exeter and funded by a partnership between the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC), this £2.4 million phase III trial is now being conducted across multiple NHS sites in the UK.
The study builds upon earlier phase II research, which indicated that participants receiving ketamine combined with therapy remained sober for 86% of the six-month follow-up period.