Depression can feel like being trapped in a loop you can’t escape. Sharp self-criticism and doubt replay in your mind. Getting through each day is a struggle. Even simple actions start to feel impossibly heavy. For some, it comes on suddenly. For others, it builds slowly over years of pushing through.

If you’ve lived with depression, you may have already tried more than one antidepressant. Sometimes they help, but sometimes they don’t. They can take weeks to work. Even if depression hasn’t put your life on hold, constantly carrying the weight takes a real toll. This is called high-functioning depression—and it can be just as draining as more recognizable forms of depression.

That’s why ketamine has become such an important option. Instead of targeting serotonin alone, ketamine works on a different system in the brain. This breakthrough treatment offers fast relief and makes space for deeper, longer-term change.

How ketamine treats depression

Depression usually floods your mind with thoughts of doubt, self-criticism, worry, or hopelessness. These are linked to the brain’s default mode network (DMN)—its “background narrator.” In depression, the DMN becomes overactive, until negativity seems like your brain’s only setting.

Ketamine disrupts this cycle by:

1. Quieting the DMN: Ketamine reduces overactivity in the DNM, easing the mental noise and making space for something new to emerge.
2. Promoting neuroplasticity: Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt by building new pathways for thoughts and feelings. Ketamine boosts glutamate, a key neurotransmitter, and BDNF, a growth protein in the brain. Together, they help your brain reconnect and rebuild, like remembering how to move again after being frozen.

In other words, ketamine helps your mind detach from the old loop, reconnect with self-affirming thoughts, and remember what hope feels like.

How soon can you see results from ketamine?

Traditional antidepressants may take four to six weeks to work. Ketamine is different. Many notice relief within a day or two, and most within the first couple of weeks. 

The changes aren’t always dramatic at first. Sometimes it’s a calmer mind, an easier conversation, or just a little more breathing room. What matters is that your brain is entering a period of openness, ready to form new patterns that support change.

Because ketamine interrupts the cycle of negative thoughts and behaviors, it can have a profound effect over time. Rather than masking symptoms, ketamine can help you address the underlying cause of depression, leading to powerful, long-term transformation.

Can you take ketamine on antidepressants?

Yes, most SSRIs and other antidepressants are compatible with ketamine therapy. Be sure to let your provider know exactly which medications you’re currently taking.

Ketamine can potentially make other medications more effective. For some, ketamine supports reducing or eliminating SSRIS or other drugs. Any medication changes should always happen with your provider’s guidance.

How long do the antidepressant effects of ketamine last?

Many people feel relief within hours of their first dose, and those effects can last from several days to a few weeks. With consistent sessions and the right support, benefits can expand and deepen over time.

The path to lasting change

Ketamine doesn’t erase depression; it creates space inside it. It doesn’t make the hard parts disappear—it gives you room to meet them differently. Making these changes stick requires guidance, reflection, and ongoing care.

This is where at-home ketamine therapy can be valuable. At-home sessions allow you to experience treatment in a familiar, comfortable space, helping you bring insights into everyday life and reinforcing healthier patterns. Mindscape’s at-home program pairs medical safety with practical tools, so each session becomes part of your long-term transformation.

🌿 Take the first step toward feeling more like yourself again.