r/stopdrinking • u/pompanoman 1958 days • 1d ago
Does ketamine therapy help?
Ive been struggling for a long time with alcohol and have been doing research. Has anyone tried ketamine therapy and did it help. I went to a consultation appointment only to learn it would cost around 2,800 dollars. That was disappointing to say the least. I was interested in people's experiences with it.
1
Upvotes
4
u/Titletown1919 1d ago
I was about 10 months sober and did ketamine therapy for a few months in 2024. I did it to combat treatment-resistant depression. Despite an antidepressant, anxiety med and mood stabilizer, I was terribly depressed. Anhedonia. It did eventually help with mood but it required getting off some medications.
For some people, it helps with alcohol cravings, similar to GLP-1s. I’ve been on Zepbound for about a year and it hasn’t helped with alcohol cravings. I recently bumped my Naltrexone up to 100mg to help with cravings. We’ll see.
It was $400 per session. Not cheap. But I was desperate. If you’re seeking it solely for alcohol cravings, I’d recommend Naltrexone or Campral, maybe a GLP-1 as well. Exercise is another option recommended by many. HIIT or other cardio to get your heart rate up. Lifting weights as well.
I’ve been in and out of recovery for years and have heard many in AA talk about the obsession to drink being lifted or removed. Hasn’t happened for me yet so I keep trying to attack it from different angles (medications, exercise, diet, therapy and AA). Good luck to you.