How to get the most out of your ketamine infusion

By Shannon Keane, NP-C

1.  Prepare​​​

• ​Set an intention before getting started on your ketamine series. Each and every ketamine infusion will be different. It is important to set a goal of what you hope to accomplish or attain from your ketamine infusions. 
• Clean your room, house or wherever you will be decompressing after your ketamine infusion. By physically decluttering your space, this will help maximize relaxation and reflection after your infusion.
• Fast 6 hours before your infusion, and drink 64 ounces of water the day before your infusion. This will help prevent unwanted side effects. ​

2. Create your Playlist

• Fast 6 hours before your infusion, and drink 64 ounces of water the day before your infusion. This will help prevent unwanted side effects.
• We have found that what you hear during your infusion will directly influence your ketamine experience. So it’s important to listen to sounds that are non-stimulating and relaxing!
• Some people choose to listen to instrumental music, nature scapes, binaural beats, or downtempo music. We typically suggest avoiding lyrics in your music as they could greatly influence the direction of your treatment. 
• If music isn’t for you, some people choose to wear ear plugs, or noise canceling headphones to decrease auditory stimulation. 

3. Journal

• It is vital that you write down your ketamine experience. The ketamine experience is similar to a dream-like state. In the way that we tend to forget our dreams, we tend to forget what happens during the ketamine experience. And a lot is happening! 
• The ketamine experience allows for you to access subconscious emotions, feelings and memories. Writing down what comes up during a ketamine experience will help you integrate the experience more easily into your life.

4. Integrate 

• This step is important to induce longer lasting changes and transformation into your life.
• To "integrate", is to make sense of your ketamine experience. 
• The ketamine experience can induce intense introspection, reflection and sometimes be difficult to interpret. 
• All emotions, feelings, images and even physical sensations can be important messages. Spending time to integrate with your therapist, or loved one is especially important, because it allows one to make meaning of the ketamine experience.