Ketamine Therapy: Hope or Hype?

by Sara Shariff 

I was recently indulging in one of my favourite procrastinating pastimes, trashy reality TV. My latest hyperfixation has been The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. In it, from time to time, many of the leads would indulge in what they referred to as “ketamine therapy”. Having been mentioned quite often, it piqued my interest, and I decided to look into it.

In recent years, the term “ketamine therapy” has been popping up everywhere from mental health clinics to magazine headlines. Once known only as an anesthetic and, controversially, a party drug, ketamine is now being hailed by some as a groundbreaking treatment for depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But is it really the miracle it’s made out to be, or are we rushing into another medical trend without fully understanding the long-term effects?

Ketamine is a cyclohexanone-derived general anesthetic and NMDA receptor antagonist with analgesic and hallucinogenic properties, used medically for anesthesia and also (illicitly) as a hallucinogen.

Ketamine was first discovered in the 1960s, when it was developed as a safe anesthetic that didn’t slow breathing or heart rate. Doctors noticed something unexpected: some patients reported feeling better emotionally after surgery. Fast-forward a few decades, and researchers began exploring its potential for treating mental health disorders, especially in people who didn’t respond to traditional antidepressants. Today, ketamine therapy often comes in two forms: intravenous infusions administered in clinics, or a nasal spray version called esketamine, which has been FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression.

Advocates of ketamine therapy argue that it offers something revolutionary. Unlike conventional antidepressants that can take weeks to show effects, ketamine can sometimes lift mood within hours. For patients who’ve battled years of unrelenting depression or suicidal thoughts, that speed can mean the difference between despair and survival. Many report feeling a renewed sense of clarity, emotional openness, and motivation after treatment. In some cases, it seems to “reset” the brain’s neural pathways, allowing patients to reconnect with themselves and others in ways they haven’t in years.

However, not everyone is convinced. Critics point out that ketamine’s antidepressant effects may be short-lived, lasting only days or weeks. The treatment often requires ongoing infusions, which can be expensive and inaccessible for many. There are also concerns about potential misuse or dependency, given the drug’s history as a recreational substance. Scientists still don’t fully understand how or why ketamine works on the brain, and its long-term safety remains uncertain. Some psychiatrists worry that enthusiasm is outpacing evidence, and that commercial “ketamine clinics” are opening faster than the research can keep up.

So, where does that leave us? Somewhere in the middle, perhaps. Ketamine therapy undeniably offers hope to those who have felt hopeless for far too long. But like any emerging medical treatment, it deserves careful study, regulation, and respect. It may be a lifeline for some and a cautionary tale for others.

In the end, ketamine therapy reminds us of an important truth about mental health care:

What are your thoughts on using controversial drugs with debated benefits to catch a break from reality? Let us know in the comments.