Ketamine treatment for depression doesn’t require a psychedelic experience. Many clinics prefer to keep doses low enough to avoid full psychedelic experiences. Of course, some clinics blast patients with excessive doses and send them into full-blown psychedelic trips, but it’s definitely not necessary for the anti-depressant effect.

Ketamine’s effects on depression are almost certainly mediated by something other than any psychedelic effects. Ideally we’ll find a safer medication which accomplishes the same thing without disorienting the patient

Unfortunately, the effects of this therapy are rather short lived. There’s a growing industry of ketamine clinics that are happy to continue charging patients for endless ketamine infusions. Some offer outpatient prescriptions of ketamine. However, repeated treatment isn’t quite as effective as tolerance develops.

The best approach appears to be using ketamine as a way to kickstart more sustainable, long-term depression treatments, such as therapy programs.