Treatment-Resistant Depression and the Promise of IV Ketamine Therapy

What Is Ketamine Therapy?

Ketamine was originally developed as an anesthetic and has been used safely in clinical settings for decades. In recent years, researchers and clinicians have discovered that, when administered at carefully controlled doses, it can produce rapid, meaningful improvements in mood and mental health symptoms. For some patients, symptom relief begins within hours or days of the first ketamine infusion.

What makes ketamine unique is how it works. Unlike traditional antidepressants, which typically target serotonin or dopamine pathways and can take four to six weeks to produce results, ketamine works by influencing glutamate.

Glutamate is a key neurotransmitter involved in brain connectivity and mood regulation. This mechanism promotes the formation of new neural connections, essentially helping the brain "rewire" pathways that depression and trauma have disrupted.

Who Seeks Ketamine Therapy and Why

Ketamine therapy isn't for everyone, but it may be the right next step for individuals who find themselves in one of several situations:

• Treatment-resistant depression: When a patient has tried two or more antidepressant medications without adequate relief, their condition is clinically classified as treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
• Other mental health conditions: Research increasingly supports ketamine's potential for conditions beyond depression, including anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar depression, and OCD.
• People in acute crisis: Because traditional antidepressants take weeks to work, they aren't always well-suited for someone experiencing severe or urgent symptoms. Ketamine's rapid onset can help stabilize patients who need relief sooner.

Ketamine Therapy Patient Stories & Experiences

Marcus, 41 — Indianapolis

Marcus spent most of his thirties managing what he called "a low hum of darkness.” He could hold down a job and show up for his family, but he rarely felt present for any of it. Over the years, he'd tried four different antidepressants, each with diminishing returns and side effects that created new problems.

After his psychiatrist described his condition as treatment-resistant depression, he began researching alternatives. After his third ketamine infusion, he described the shift as feeling present in his own life for the first time in years, which was something he hadn't realized he was missing until it came back.

Diane, 34 — Avon

Diane came to Accentus following a PTSD diagnosis after a traumatic loss. Traditional medications had taken the edge off, but intrusive thoughts and emotional numbness persisted. She was hesitant about ketamine because she'd heard things that made her nervous. But after a thorough intake consultation, she felt confident in the team's approach.

By her second session, she noticed a meaningful reduction in hypervigilance and emotional reactivity. "It felt like the volume on my fear just turned down," she said.

Sophie, 27 — Greenwood

Sophie had been in and out of therapy since college, managing what she and her providers had long assumed was anxiety. It wasn't until her mid-twenties, after two antidepressants failed to improve her symptoms, that she received a clearer picture: major depressive disorder with a treatment-resistant pattern emerging early. The diagnosis was clarifying but also deflating. She'd hoped the medication adjustments were just a matter of finding the right fit.

A friend who worked in healthcare mentioned ketamine therapy, and Sophie, equal parts curious and cautious, scheduled a consultation. What surprised her most wasn't the speed of the relief (though that was significant); it was how different "okay" felt from what she'd been calling "okay" for years.

Robert, 58 — Plainfield

Robert had lived with depression long enough that he'd made a kind of peace with it. He'd tried medications in his thirties, gone through periods of therapy, and eventually settled into managing symptoms rather than expecting to ever overcome them.



When his daughter suggested ketamine therapy, his first instinct was skepticism. It sounded, he admitted, like something for people who hadn't tried everything he had. He agreed to a consultation mostly to satisfy her. He decided to give it a try, and after three sessions, he told his daughter it was the first time in twenty years he'd woken up without the weight of his depression being the first thing he noticed.

What to Expect from IV Ketamine Therapy

Every patient who comes to our clinic brings a different story, but a common thread is that they have all tried what was available to them and needed something more. If that sounds familiar, here's what getting started with IV ketamine therapy at Accentus Mental Health looks like from start to finish:

• Pre-treatment assessment. Before your first infusion, our clinical team reviews your medical history, current symptoms, and treatment goals to determine whether ketamine is the right fit for you. Any decision to prescribe or administer ketamine is made solely on the professional clinical judgment of the licensed practitioner.
• The infusion. Each session lasts 40 to 60 minutes. A small catheter is placed in your arm, like receiving IV fluids in a hospital setting, and you'll remain awake and relaxed throughout, with a member of our medical team present the entire time.
• Side effects. Some patients experience temporary dizziness, nausea, or mild dissociation during or after the session. These effects are normal and typically resolve quickly.
• After your session. Because ketamine can temporarily affect coordination and perception, you'll need someone to drive you home. Most people can resume normal activities the following day.

Find the Relief You Deserve at Our Local Ketamine Infusion Clinic in Indianapolis

If you've been struggling with depression, PTSD, anxiety, or another mental health condition and traditional treatments haven't given you the relief you need and deserve, ketamine therapy may be worth exploring.

Call us at (317) 721-4169 to schedule a consultation today. We serve patients throughout Indianapolis, Avon, Greenwood, Plainfield, and the surrounding communities.

Local to Indianapolis? Call us to discuss your options. (317) 721-4169