ConditionS
PTSD
How Ketamine treats PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when the brain remains stuck in a persistent threat response long after the original trauma has passed. Circuits involved in fear processing, emotional regulation, and memory can become dysregulated, leading to symptoms such as intrusive memories, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and chronic anxiety.
Ketamine works differently from traditional antidepressant medications. Rather than slowly altering serotonin levels, it acts on glutamate signaling—the brain’s primary system for learning, adaptation, and neural communication.
By temporarily increasing neuroplasticity, ketamine may help the brain loosen rigid patterns associated with trauma and open a window in which new, healthier neural pathways can begin to form.
For many patients, this process can reduce the intensity of trauma-related symptoms and create an opportunity for meaningful recovery.
How it works
What ketamine does in the brain
Ketamine works differently from traditional psychiatric medications. Rather than slowly altering serotonin levels, ketamine acts on glutamate pathways—the brain’s primary system for neural communication and learning.
By temporarily increasing neuroplasticity, ketamine allows the brain to loosen rigid trauma-related patterns that can keep patients locked in cycles of fear and stress.
For individuals with PTSD, this process may help rebalance communication between brain regions responsible for emotional regulation, memory processing, and threat detection.
Over time, this shift can reduce the intensity of trauma-related reactions and allow patients to experience greater emotional stability.
Rapid Onset
Unlike traditional antidepressants that require weeks, ketamine can begin improving mood within hours of the first infusion.
Neuroplasticity
Ketamine promotes the growth of new neural connections, giving the brain an opportunity to move beyond entrenched patterns.
Glutamate Signaling
By modulating glutamate — the brain's most active neurotransmitter — ketamine helps restore balance in mood-regulating circuits.
Sustained Relief
With a proper induction series, many patients experience lasting improvement that extends well beyond each individual session.
OUR APPROACH
Treatment That Supports Recovery From Trauma
At Ketamine Uplift, treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder follows a carefully structured medical process designed to stabilize the nervous system while supporting meaningful recovery.
Rather than relying on a single treatment, ketamine therapy works through a guided progression of clinical evaluation and physician-supervised infusions. This approach allows our medical team to understand how each patient responds and adjust treatment accordingly.
Complimentary Telehealth Consultation
Everything begins with a complimentary telehealth consultation. During this appointment, your physician will discuss your symptoms, trauma history, and previous treatments to determine whether ketamine therapy may be appropriate.
This conversation provides an opportunity to understand how PTSD is affecting your daily life and to answer any questions you may have about the treatment process.
First Infusion Appointment — The Deep Dive
Your first infusion introduces ketamine therapy in a calm, carefully monitored environment.
Many individuals with PTSD experience persistent activation of the brain’s threat-detection systems. Ketamine’s neurological effects may help interrupt these patterns, creating a temporary window in which the brain becomes more flexible in how it processes stress and emotional memories.
During this session, your physician closely monitors your response while establishing a baseline for the remainder of your treatment series.
Induction Series & Ongoing Calibration
Following the initial infusion, treatment continues through an induction series designed to build on the neurological effects of each session.
Repeated treatments help reinforce healthier neural patterns while gradually reducing the intensity of trauma-related symptoms such as hypervigilance, intrusive memories, and chronic stress responses.
Throughout the series, your physician continuously evaluates your response and adjusts the treatment plan to support sustained improvement.
Efficacy
What the research shows
Research examining ketamine therapy for PTSD has produced encouraging results, particularly among patients who have not responded to conventional medications. Clinical studies have shown that ketamine infusions can rapidly reduce the severity of trauma-related symptoms, including intrusive memories, anxiety, and persistent hyperarousal.
Across multi-session infusion protocols, more than half of treatment-resistant patients have demonstrated meaningful clinical improvement during an induction series. In larger clinical analyses, a significant portion of patients achieved full remission of symptoms, while separate studies have observed substantial reductions in suicidal ideation following treatment.
Although individual responses vary, these findings suggest ketamine therapy may offer a meaningful therapeutic option for patients experiencing persistent trauma-related symptoms.
Response rate among patients with chronic PTSD receiving repeated ketamine infusions in a randomized clinical trial.
Many participants experienced measurable symptom improvement within 24 hours of their first infusion.
Median duration of symptom relief among treatment responders following the induction series.
A randomized clinical trial conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that patients with chronic PTSD who received a series of ketamine infusions experienced significant reductions in symptom severity compared with those receiving a control treatment. In the study, approximately 67% of participants receiving ketamine met the criteria for clinical response, compared with just 20% in the control group. Many patients experienced measurable improvement within 24 hours of their first infusion.
Additional clinical analyses examining repeated ketamine infusions have shown sustained reductions in intrusive memories, hyperarousal, and trauma-related distress across multi-session treatment protocols. Among patients who responded to treatment, symptom improvements often persisted for several weeks following the induction series.
When ketamine therapy is integrated with psychotherapy or structured intention-based approaches — similar to the model used at Ketamine Uplift — clinical outcomes may be further strengthened. Emerging research suggests that combining ketamine’s neuroplastic effects with therapeutic processing can help patients reinterpret traumatic memories with reduced emotional intensity.
Data drawn from peer-reviewed studies published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry, Translational Psychiatry, and related clinical literature.
Safety
A well-studied treatment with a strong safety record
Ketamine has been used in medical settings for over 50 years—first as an anesthetic, and more recently in carefully controlled, subanesthetic doses for mental health treatment. When administered by trained clinicians, it has a strong safety profile in appropriately screened patients.
At Ketamine Uplift, every infusion is administered under direct physician supervision with continuous monitoring throughout the session. We track vital signs and overall comfort from start to finish, and we tailor dosing thoughtfully—especially for PTSD patients, where the nervous system can already be in a heightened state.
The most commonly reported side effects are temporary and mild—such as light nausea, dizziness, or a brief sense of dissociation. In PTSD care, we prioritize a calm environment and careful pacing to reduce the chance of distress during the session. These effects typically resolve within an hour or two after the infusion, and our team is present the entire time to support you.
Considerations for Use
Is ketamine infusion therapy right for you?
Ketamine infusion therapy can be a powerful option for individuals struggling with persistent PTSD symptoms — but it is not appropriate for everyone. Your complimentary telehealth consultation is designed to help determine whether this treatment is safe, appropriate, and aligned with your specific needs.
Patients living with post-traumatic stress disorder often seek ketamine therapy after traditional treatments such as medications or psychotherapy have not provided sufficient relief. The therapy is most commonly considered for individuals experiencing ongoing symptoms such as intrusive memories, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, or severe anxiety.
Before beginning treatment, your physician will conduct a complete medical history and screening. This includes evaluating cardiovascular health, psychiatric history, and any medications you may be taking to ensure ketamine can be administered safely.
Certain medical conditions may require additional evaluation or may make alternative treatments more appropriate. These can include uncontrolled hypertension, active substance dependence, or specific cardiovascular or neurological conditions.
Ketamine infusion therapy is typically one component of a broader mental health strategy. Your physician may recommend integrating treatment with psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, or other supportive approaches to help reinforce long-term recovery.
Take the first step and talk to a care navigator
Your care navigator will explain the process, discuss costs, and connect you with Dr. O'Neill to explore today’s most advanced mental health treatment.
