Current medicine for depression , like SSRI , do minuscule to address a patient ’s unfitness to have pleasure , a symptom known as “ anhedonia . ” But ketamine – a recreational drug and common veterinary anesthetic – seems to offer sufferers of depression a regenerate capacity for enjoyment .
https://gizmodo.com/why-ketamine-makes-you-feel-really-damn-good-5812418
Here ’s psychiatrist Emily Deans forPsychology Today :
In arecent composition , research worker key out how they used anoncompetitive inhibitorof the NMDA sensory receptor and fond Dopastat receptoragonistketamine to rapidly reverse the symptom of anhedonia in depressed patients . Ketamine has been featured on CBS newsfor its ability to quickly relieve Great Depression unlike any other pharmacological factor we have . It is typically used intravenously , and can cause hallucinations and disassociation ( in fact it is also make out as the society drug “ Special K ” ) . However , it seems to be able to invert scathe to the synapses triggered by chronic accent , and relieve the symptom of depression very speedily , within 30 - 40 moment .
The down side to ketamine ( besides lack of FDA approval for depression , the hallucinations , and lack of ecumenical accessibility ) is that the burden do n’t last . If you are lucky , you get a distich of weeks , then the depression number back . researcher and Doctor , however , are hoping ketamine could be used as a bridging agent in earnestly grim , hospitalized patients , permit them to sense better immediately while other , longer acting but much slower onset agents have a chance to get into the organization and do their oeuvre . The contiguous reversal of the fundamental symptom of anhedonia may be an even more important lesson we can teach from the consumption of ketamine .
A deeper understanding of ketamine ’s mechanics of action , however short lived , could improve our power to plow anhedonia long - term . It ’s the kind of research that could benefit from a cessation of the Drug War ’s restrictions on psychotropic drug research , a stoppagemany have visit forin the brass ofgrowing evidencethat illicit drugs like ketamine , MDMA , psilocin , LSD , marijuana , and others could provide therapeutic benefit to sufferers of psychiatric illness .
https://gizmodo.com/what-can-we-actually-learn-from-the-uks-first-weed-ov-1513393117
https://gizmodo.com/two-new-scientific-studies-reveal-hallucinogens-are-goo-5617273
[ psychological science TodayviaBoing Boing ]
Photo Credit : Psychonaut viaWikimedia Commons
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