Anhedonia. The inability to experience pleasure from something that once was enjoyable. Can you think of anything more dreadful? Our lives are supposed to be filled with peaks and valleys of emotion—that is what gives it its richness. For many of us, it is actually quite hard to imagine living differently than this. So, when you hear about a condition that sucks away all of life’s contrast, it’s hard to imagine when or how we would tackle it. Scientists don’t know the exact biology behind it, but believe that it is closely linked to a dysfunction in the circuitry of the brain’s reward system.
If you asked around, some would suggest a doctor, while others would suggest traditional medications—both are useful. But, surprisingly, they may not be the only option. For conditions as dramatic as anhedonia, exposure therapy—using virtual reality—combined with radical pharmaceutical treatments—like ketamine infusions—could prove to be more effective.
According to a number of doctors, traditional treatments have done an okay job at reducing negativity, but a poor job at helping patients become more positive. This is where exposure therapy, virtual reality, and ketamine comes in.
Through the simulations, a person can experience different scenarios in a controlled environment. This means they can use it to safely overcome a fear—like a fear of heights, or to receive more stimulation—perhaps from walking through a rich green forest that is filled with chirping birds above, and other animals walking below. During these procedures, which are done with a doctor, patients are encouraged to explore and discuss their experience in explicit detail. This helps retrain their brains to focus on new, positive, useful, and interesting things. Through repeated exposure, an individual can see life in all its color, once again.
Ketamine infusions make successful treatments even easier. Research has shown it to be an effective tool for dislodging bad memories, overcoming phobias, and replacing unhealthy behavior. Through its unique effects on memory formation, the drug replaces and relocates dendrites in the brain’s synapses, and repairs old damaged pathways. When combined with exposure therapy, it is leaps and bounds closer to being a true silver bullet.
Contact Ketamine Greater Boston
Ketamine Greater Boston is the leading provider of ketamine infusion therapy in the Greater Boston area and West Hartford, CT areas. We have performed thousands of infusions, and have seen ketamine treatments change the lives of countless patients. If you or a loved one is struggling, contact us today using the form below. We’re happy to answer your questions and point you in the direction of health and wellness.
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