Ketamine therapy for my mental health, part 2

The treatments I did in 2024, how I liked it, and how it worked

This post contains affiliate links for Mindbloom. That means I make a commission when you sign up through my link. All 24 of my ketamine treatments thus far have been paid for with my own money. I spent a full year testing their program before writing about it, because I take my endorsements and your trust seriously. XO

I first wrote about my experience with ketamine therapy for mental health in December 2023. (The article has been locked for paid subscribers only for the last year, because I prefer to share deeply personal stories in a private community space. I’ve unlocked it today, however, so everyone can read it.)

My experience with ketamine therapy (part 1)

Since then, I’ve continued that therapy in a different format—at-home treatments via lozenges, versus in-clinic treatments with a shot in the arm. Here is a breakdown of the positives, the negatives, and what’s next.

Same therapy, different format

As I shared in Part 1, the intra-muscular ketamine shots worked incredibly well for me. Each session gave me 6 months (or longer) free from depression. However, I hated the experience, and dreaded going. With each session, my anxiety became worse, and the after-effects (nausea, disorientation, and malaise) lingered longer, and became less tolerable. After my last clinic visit, I came home crying and swore I would never do it again, no matter how well it worked.

My therapist and I had discussed the idea of lozenges before. Ketamine lozenges offered a much lower dose than the injections, which my therapist thought would be a far more pleasant experience for me. She also conjectured that they might work well, considering how primed my brain seems to be for this medicine.

A friend of mine had introduced me to Mindbloom about a year prior. Mindbloom is the leader in next-generation anxiety and depression treatment. Mindbloom’s at-home ketamine therapy goes well beyond dispensing medicine—it’s a combination of premium care (including guided integration sessions), expertly-developed programs, mindful technology, and an encouraging community.

Research: The two largest-ever peer-reviewed clinical studies on psychedelic therapy followed over 10,000 Mindbloom clients. The results, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, clearly demonstrated that Mindbloom drove significant improvements in anxiety and depression. In fact, 84% of clients reported improvement in their depression and anxiety symptoms after 4 sessions, and 95% of clients reported no side effects from their ketamine treatment with Mindbloom.

At the time, I was still feeling great from my last shot. After speaking with my therapist about the potential of lozenges, I gave Mindbloom a closer look. I liked the idea of a lower dose, and doing it in the comfort of my own home. I was impressed with how thorough the program was. In literally every way, it was more structured and supportive than any of my clinic experiences.

I was game—but I didn’t need their services yet. My ketamine shots held until fall of 2023. I struggled through my depression on my own, but I felt like I was drowning. In November 2023, I reached out to Mindbloom to see if I was a good candidate. After a clinical consultation, I officially began treatment. I took my lozenges at home, comfortable on the couch or resting in bed, every 5-7 days for six consecutive sessions.

Aside: I’ll share the details of a typical Mindbloom session in another article. Here, my goal is to share the pros, cons, and the results I achieved with the program.

The positives

TL;DR: Mindbloom kicked my depression to the curb, and every session was delightful.

First, the sessions were 1000% more pleasant than the injections, in that I never once wondered if I was dead. (Which I did every single time I got the shot.) It felt like a pleasant, relaxing, expanded consciousness vibe without actually tripping. I drifted mentally, my vision and auditory senses skittered, and my sense of time became distorted. But it was very comfortable and not at all scary, and I never lost sensation in my limbs. (Under the injections, I could not move at all, not even to lift a finger.)

I did my sessions around 3 PM, mostly on Sundays. (I couldn’t always find time mid-week for the treatment.) I’d finish my session in about an hour, then have dinner. I found it very easy to relax and get to bed early after a Mindbloom session. I experienced absolutely no nausea with the lozenges, something I really struggled with after the injections. The next morning, I had no lingering effects—none of the dizziness or mental health dips I experienced with the injections. I’d wake up, feel energized, and head straight to the gym as usual.

I also found so much more support through Mindbloom than I did in-clinic, despite Mindbloom being entirely virtual. I had both a psychiatric clinician to monitor my dosing and experience, and a guide to help me integrate my treatments. I had conversations with both often, especially earlier in my treatments. Through Mindbloom, I learned that the 1-2 days following ketamine therapy are just as important as the session itself. My guide explained that the neuroplasticity your brain experiences during the treatment stays with you for a few days, allowing you to gain additional insights and healing.

Because of this guidance, I spent extra time the morning after my treatments in meditation, thinking about what came up during the session and exploring those learnings. I felt like I made just as many (if not more) gains in the days following the session as I did in the session itself. My guide in particular was incredibly skilled at helping me identify themes in my sessions, and helped me put a few pieces together in a way that was incredibly impactful.

The injections I used to get felt like the shot was doing all the work. Mindbloom helped me realize that the medicine unlocked a part of me to do the work. That made a huge difference in how I thought about my depression, and my self-efficacy.

I wasn’t sure I noticed a huge difference after the first few treatments. However, after my third session, my husband and I took a trip to NYC. During that trip, my husband observed (out loud) how different I seemed. I was surprised, but asked him to say more. He said I was visibly less stressed, more outgoing and talkative, and rolled with the challenges of traveling far better. He said I was even laughing more, and that my laugh was different; more open and relaxed.

When I thought about it, I realized he was right! I did feel all of those things. Those benefits, though small and gradual compared to the injections, definitely added up. I felt more like myself than I had in months, and people in my life (not just my husband) were noticing.

By the end of my six prescribed sessions, I felt just as good (if not better) as I had post-injection, with a far more pleasant treatment experience. This felt like a huge win, and something I’d happily keep up with long-term, if I needed to.

The negatives

I have zero negatives from the six-session package. None, zip, zero—only benefits. In fact, it worked so well I bought a continuation of 18 more treatments immediately. However, how to proceed after my initial six sessions wasn’t quite as clear-cut.

There is solid research supporting a six-treatment series to kick off ketamine therapy—but there isn’t much research on what to do afterward. I definitely wanted to continue treatment, but I wasn’t sure of the frequency. My therapist and I discussed two strategies: Either continuing with regular sessions every week or two; or “letting it ride,” and not doing further sessions until I felt like I really needed them.

I decided on the latter, wanting to maintain the minimum dose that would give me the desired benefits. I didn’t take another dose for about five weeks, at which time I realized I was back to feeling unmotivated, disconnected, and underwater. The amazing benefits the lozenges had provided didn’t last as long as the shots had. (Understandable, as the dosage is far lower.)

I consulted with my Mindbloom clinician, who recommended doing one session a week, and upping my dose (which I was comfortable with—I was still at a moderate level). I returned to weekly treatments at home, which kept the worst of the depression at bay, but didn’t leave me feeling as good as I did after my sixth session.

I made another appointment with my clinician. Maybe I waited too long between treatments? Or maybe I had become somewhat desensitized to ketamine therapy, which can happen. She also wondered if increasing the dose again would help. Given all of these various factors, I decided to take a break for a few months, then return to my standard dose weekly (as I’d done before) and see how things felt.

In those off months, my depression was up and down, but nowhere near “drowning,” especially given that it was still winter. Some part of the treatment had stuck with me! When I went back to it, I found that first session worked incredibly well. The next morning, I felt distinctly better. By the second day, I was back to my energetic, outgoing, motivated self. It seemed like taking a break was the right decision for me.

Cost: While Mindbloom does not accept insurance at this time, some clients are able to get reimbursed by their insurance provider. (After your first virtual visit, Mindbloom can provide you with an itemized invoice to submit.) Additionally, as some Mindbloom treatment services could be considered qualified expenses, it may be possible to utilize your HSA or FSA to pay for treatment. Treatments with Mindbloom are far more affordable than my clinic visits, running anywhere from $130-$200 per session. Mindbloom also offers easy payment plans with no interest, which I took advantage of.

Click the button to see if you’re a good candidate for ketamine therapy. (You’ll get a full refund if it turns out you’re not.)

The summary

I’m back to doing Mindbloom sessions once a week for a few weeks, then taking a month or two off. It’s still a little trial-and-error at this point, but my last two treatments were immediately impactful, so I think we’re in the right groove. My clinician has been incredibly helpful in figuring out my scheduling, but has also empowered me to trust my body and my needs. Again, rather than “the medicine” doing all the work, I feel as though I’m actively playing a role in my mental health, which in and of itself is making a difference.

Would I recommend Mindbloom? One hundred percent, without reservation. Between the efficacy of treatment, the science-backed program structure, the vast number of Mindbloom’s resources, and the comfort of doing treatments at home, Mindbloom’s ketamine therapy has been a home run for my mental health.

Learn more about Mindbloom’s program and see if you’re eligible for ketamine therapy today.

XO, MU