Lori, a 72-year-old retiree from Fair Lawn, NJ, has weathered a lifetime of emotional struggles. Diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, she spent most of her adult life searching for treatments that could bring relief.
“I was probably a depressed kid,” she said. “But back then, I just thought that’s how life was.”
First diagnosed with depression in her mid-20s, Lori spent the decades that followed trying to manage her condition through therapy and a multitude of medications. Some treatments offered periods of relief, followed by setbacks. One medication in particular caused unbearable side effects, leading to a traumatic episode that left her deeply distrustful of her medical caretakers.
About four years ago, she started treatment with Spravato, a nasal spray form of a drug called ketamine that’s approved by the FDA to alleviate treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine targets brain chemicals differently than traditional antidepressants and can provide rapid relief when nothing else works.
After a lifetime of suffering, ketamine greatly helped Lori with her depression. But she felt uneasy with the clinic’s inconsistent care and lack of support. “Sometimes the doctor wasn’t even there during the treatment. Once during a session I suddenly got very scared, and no one knew what to do.”
Everything changed when Lori transferred to a clinic called Keta Medical Center.
“Everyone there was wonderful. Dina, this one nurse, was like my angel,” Lori said. “She told me, ‘You need to prime yourself, get yourself in a calm head before the treatment.’ Because when you’re doing this, you get kind of trippy. No one had explained these things to me before.”
Until then, Lori would bring psychological thrillers to read during her sessions, books she loved, but that could trigger disturbing thoughts. Now, she knows to bring lighter reading, and she tucks baby pictures of her daughter inside the book. “Spravato is really bitter and can make you nauseous. Dina gave me chocolate kisses, so after each dose I have something sweet. All these small things matter so much.”
Most importantly, there was always a doctor on-site at the new clinic, ready to help if needed. After one intense session, a physician Lori particularly connected with helped her calm down and made sure to follow up and see how she was doing the next day.
Today, Lori enjoys volunteering regularly, connects more easily with her loved ones, and feels better equipped to manage her health.
“I’m not euphoric,” she said, “but I’m definitely much happier.” To others struggling with persistent depression, Lori has a simple message: “I’d say try ketamine treatment. You have nothing to lose, only to gain.”
Keta Medical Center, where Lori is being treated, recently opened a new clinic in Westfield, NJ. The newest location provides a physician-led, evidence-based approach to ketamine therapy for individuals in Central New Jersey who are living with depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health conditions. By combining the innovative treatment with personalized support and close coordination with patients’ existing providers, Keta Medical Center offers something many people have long been searching for: A path to healing and lasting relief.
