Inside one of NYC's ketamine clinics where hotshots and average Joes are given IV of psychedelic - Daily Mail

A medical loophole means facilities like this one can offer the hallucinogen, which was first developed as a horse tranquilizer and has become popular among ravers, for people with depression.

Far from the party atmosphere that typically surrounds ketamine, the person receiving the infusion at Dr Ditzell's clinic is taken into a dimly-lit room where they are surrounded by plants and colorful abstract art.  .

Dr Jeff Ditzell told DailyMail.com: ‘Essentially, the music and the aromatherapy that we have going as well as the calm setting, warm lights and all that, the comfortable space that's dedicated to the ketamine infusion is really key in getting a good response.'.

It comes after several recent studies indicated a low dose of the drug may help treat depression and PTSD. .

Ketamine infusions are for people with debilitating depression who have tried several other courses of treatment including antidepressant medications with little or no relief. Before it was known as a party drug that could produce out-of-body experiences, ketamine was used as an anesthetic in surgical procedures.

In a treatment room at Ditzell's clinic, patients spend an hour outfitted with a sleeping mask while listening to theta brain waves, which are at the dominant frequency in healing, high creative states, and remembering emotional experiences.

It started being used as a party drug in the late 2000s, with people taking it before raves for a more intense experience. .

Ketamine infusions are for people with debilitating depression who have tried several other courses of treatment including antidepressant medications with little or no relief. .

'And the doses that are used to treat depression are one quarter of the doses used as an anesthetic.'.

But topiramate is commonly used to treat myriad other issues including alcohol and nicotine dependence, bulimia nervosa, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome.

During the Covid pandemic the controversial Donald Trump-backed malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was allowed to be used 'off-label' to treat the virus after showing some early promise in the lab.

At Dr Ditzell's clinic, clients undergo a consultation and screening process before they can be prescribed the infusions.

Defending his clinic, Dr Ditzell said: 'A ketamine clinic is never the first stop for a person looking to treat their depression

Before it was known as a party drug that could produce out-of-body experiences, ketamine was used as an anesthetic in surgical procedures

While he said the treatments were not the cure he was hoping for, he did not dissuade other people from trying them

It comes after several recent studies indicated a low dose of the drug may help treat depression and PTSD

A patient at the Ketamine Clinic of Seattle. Depression is believed to be linked to a loss of synaptic connections between nerve cells, but ketamine has been shown to bolster frayed neural connections caused by chronic stress that contribute to severe emotional distress, depression, and mood disorders

There is a growing body of evidence pointing to low-dose IV ketamine's fast-acting antidepressant effects, but opponents argue that the new craze is a quick fix for severe depression. But clinical research into ketamine as a treatment for mood disorders is scarce and there remain concerns about long-term effects of repeated infusions of ketamine

A group of psychiatrists in India, for example, reported in 2019 that a group of 25 males using a low-dose infusion saw significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms immediately one hour after single dose. 

It is believed to bolster frayed neural connections caused by chronic stress that contribute to severe emotional distress, depression, and mood disorders

But clinical research into ketamine as a treatment for mood disorders is scarce and there remain concerns about long-term effects of repeated infusions of ketamine

Most of the data supporting the use of ketamine as a treatment for depression and mood disorders are based on trials that followed up on patients after just one treatment

Overactivation of glutamate receptors may lead to long-term depression, and ketamine works by blocking those receptors

In order to qualify for the treatments, the would-be client has to prove they have already tried other treatments for their clinical depression without success

But the screening process for ketamine treatments across clinics is not uniform and some experts worry that anyone with money could get them. 

'After the fifth treatment, suddenly, boom, all my depression and anxiety was gone,' he said