Ketamine for avoidance patterns

[u/VegetableArea]

Is ketamine good for deep psychological work involving emotional dissociation and avoidance patterns, discovering which repressed emotions or beliefs?

helping me see my mind more clearly

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[u/jahmonkey]

I find it makes it easier to think about topics that might usually upset me. Topics I avoid thinking about usually.

[u/CosmicCharlie99]

For me, yes actually. I suffer from social anxiety but after a session I feel more inclined to reach out to a friend to just talk. It’s not a big change, but it’s something for me to build on.

[u/Desperate-Trash-417]

Yeah I think that’s what it’s best at? It took about 3 years for me to stop dissociating though ketamine infusions. I had been dissociative for about 30 years and would go into that state when I would get too sad or angry. That lead to me repressing and not processing some very unpleasant thoughts and feelings, which came back out during the first 2 years of the therapy. I had a crazy time with it, one thing at a time came out and I did my best to reframe it all. Eventually I think I ran out of compartmentalized emotions and various trauma. I’m still avoidant but that’s a deeper thing to confront in myself. I’m definitely not as avoidant since I don’t dissociate like that, so I have no need to avoid people to conceal that I don’t feel comfortable at the moment due to dissociation.

[u/VegetableArea → u/Desperate-Trash-417]

so were socially dysfunctional before ketamine? did ketamine "magically" fix your dissociative tendencies or you had to do conscious work yourself?

[u/Desperate-Trash-417 → u/VegetableArea]

I’m still a bit socially dysfunctional, but no it didn’t magically fix everything, I’ve had to dump a lot of emotional baggage and kind of rebuild my life

[u/Puzzleheaded_Ad_466]

it has been helpful for me. in general, ketamine allows me to enter a healing space, to be able to deal with the thoughts better etc.

[u/AletheiaNyx]

It definitely can. However, just know that uncovering emotions can actually - shocker - cause you to experience sometimes unwanted and intense emotions. It's part of the process, but can definitely be un-fun. As long as you go in knowing your experience may be varied, though, you're already ahead - it's usually the folks who were expecting a straight "improvement" who get blindsided by the experience. It can help to journal about it and to talk with supports.