Pompano Beach South FL: Ketamine Clinic South Florida (954-320-4944) has been treating Veterans for free as a way to give back to the community

June was dedicated to raising awareness of those living with PTSD, and our goal was to help reduce the stigma related to mental health. We encourage people to reach out to one another and open the doors to discuss the struggles we deal with every day. We want everyone to know that they are not alone.

Mental health status affects our emotions, physical well-being, and how we interact in society. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

In 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 19.86% of adults experienced a mental illness, equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans.

After the last two years of pandemic living, many people are realizing that stress, isolation, and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being.

In June, Ketamine Clinic South Florida, based in Pompano Beach FL, added its voice to the national movement to raise awareness about mental health and PTSD. They delivered a presentation to Veterans in the Miami VA Healthcare system and have been offering free treatments for veterans suffering from PTSD.

What is Ketamine and how do we administer it? Ketamine, long used as an anesthetic agent, produces rapid antidepressant effects even when administered at low doses. With a series of six low-dose ketamine infusions, patients are better able to tolerate and utilize other therapeutic modalities. Although not yet FDA-approved ketamine is effective in many patients when given in a carefully monitored medical setting under strict protocols to ensure safe delivery.

Ketamine is a widely used medication first developed after World War II and approved for human use as an anesthetic in the 1970s. Researchers first studied ketamine’s potential use for treating major mood disorders in the early 2000s. Since then, it has gained popularity as an off-label treatment for various mood disorders like treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.  While traditional treatments focus on increasing levels of monoamine neurotransmitters, new research suggests an earlier imbalance exists in the excitatory/inhibitory transmission involving glutamate and GABA.

Glutamate is part of the major excitatory neurotransmitter system in the brain and is hypothesized to play an important role in the pathophysiology of this disorder. When the neurotransmitter glutamate binds to NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor sites, the production of certain proteins is limited.

These proteins make it easier for signals to be transmitted between neurons. Suppressing their synthesis may cause depressive effects by reducing communication between neurons in the prefrontal cortex. Ketamine works by blocking NMDA receptor activity, thus blocking the presynaptic inhibition of glutamate release and restoring normal levels of protein synthesis, thereby improving communication between neurons in the cortex.

About Ketamine Clinic South Florida 

Ketamine Clinic South Florida is a mental health clinic that offers intravenous ketamine as a medication for PTSD, depression, anxiety, OCD, and many other diagnoses.

“Recent data suggest that ketamine, given intravenously, might be the most important breakthrough in antidepressant treatment in decades.” - Thomas Insel - Former Director, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

The treatment is administered by medical professionals overseen by anesthesia providers in a safe, therapeutic environment.

Visit their website here: https://ketamineclinicsouthflorida.com/

Not only that, every month, they have yoga practice on the beach for their patients. According to Founder/Owner Khali Reed, this is because “it helps to bring clients together to celebrate their progress and achievement towards improving their mental and physical well-being”.

Those interested in learning more about Ketamine can visit their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVwmy5L_wbnetOxUCNxxLuA

This channel has educational videos about becoming a new patient, addresses FAQs, explains what Ketamine treatment is and what their ketamine integration coach's role is, and much more.

Ketamine Clinic South Florida was established in May of 2020 by Sonia Cotto, Khali Reed, and Dr. Delvena Thomas with the mission of empowering patients to take control of their mental health.

Follow them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/infusionclinicofsouthflorida

If you have patients that have exhausted traditional treatment modalities and are still unresponsive, we may be able to help. Patients who visit us will receive six low-dose infusions, paired with ketamine integration coaching. This combination of ketamine and coaching allows patients to more easily participate in and integrate other therapies, like CBT, EMDR, talk therapy, or IOP services.