Lukáš (name changed by the editorial team) struggled for years with depression, which manifested in various ways. He felt that nothing was helping him. He tried antidepressants, different therapists, mindfulness, journaling… Some things helped for a while, but nothing truly worked. Then his condition worsened so much that he began considering hospitalization. “I knew this wasn’t sustainable. Every day felt like walking through a swamp. I had stopped hoping that anything would help me.”
He discovered ketamine-assisted therapy by chance after hearing about it in a podcast. He decided to learn more about the treatment and eventually underwent it. He also completed so-called repeated treatment, totaling five ketamine sessions along with all accompanying sessions (preparation, integration, etc.).
After the therapy, he experienced a significant improvement in mood and a sense of calm, which allowed him to return to activities like running and painting. Today, he speaks about the therapy with perspective and gratitude. He doesn’t say he is “cured,” but he has the tools to live and the desire to live.
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“When they told me I could enter, I was both happy and scared. I didn’t know what to expect. But I had hope, and that was something I hadn’t felt in years.”
“For the first time in years, I woke up not wanting to die.”
“I felt like I was going to another world. But not like an escape – more like a journey in. To places I didn’t normally get to.”
“This [integration] was perhaps even more important than the trip itself. My therapist and I broke down what I had experienced. She helped me to understand and transfer it to everyday life.”
Read the full article at Lui.cz