How does Ketamine therapy work? Cost and all about the latest sensation among the elite

Wealthy Americans and elites of the Hamptons are turning to the dissociative anesthetic drug, Ketamine, for therapy and mental health purposes. Media outlet Avenue Magazine published an article titled, "Mind-Altering Substances are the Chic New Trend in the Hamptons," on July 20, 2023. It talks about how rich people are now switching to doctor-assisted ketamine, which was once known as Special K in the clubs.

In the article, Dr. Lea Lis, who is a part of the team at Hampton Insight for Psychedelic Therapy in Southampton, is said to “offer comprehensive assessments and guided spiritual journeys, in addition to professional psychotherapy.”

The doctor said that they generally recommend "six sessions to really feel the effects” since it takes time to process it. The patients are seated in a soundproof room in comfortable reclining chairs to relieve years of trauma.

“You drop your ego and can really see where your adopted ideas have come from. The process rewires the brain to believe that anything is possible.”

Dr. Lea Lis said that she meets patients with a wide range of issues faced by them, from depression to learning to communicate with others in a more loving way. According to the Washington Post, therapeutic ketamine may assist with eating disorders, PTSD, anxiety, and depression, but it is not FDA-approved as of yet.

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Ketamine therapy cost depends on a number of factors

The cost of an individual ketamine infusion treatment varies depending on a variety of factors. These factors include geographic location, the number of infusions needed, the facility where the treatment is administered, the type of clinic, the specialists involved in providing care, the safety protocols implemented during the therapy session, and other relevant considerations.

Certain healthcare centers have implemented a policy wherein patients may be eligible for discounts depending on the payment method they choose to utilize. In a typical session, individuals can expect to pay anywhere from $400 to $1300, according to industry averages.

As per Psychedlics Spotlight, this type of therapy for depression typically costs $400-$800 for each treatment and needs a course of 6 sessions spread over 2-3 weeks or 4 treatments stretched over 1-2 weeks.

While speaking to Page Six, Dr, Lea Lis said that a person can't just undergo a Ketamine therapy "for fun" and requires a proper diagnosis for a $800 per session treatment.

This type of treatment has no standard recommendations, and clinicians treating conditions like PTSD, anxiety, alcohol-use disorder, etc., with ketamine rely on a variety of dose methods to adapt to their patient's particular needs. As a result, it is critical that anybody seeking this form of therapy considers the quality of care they will get rather than just the expense.

Insurance companies generally do not provide coverage for such treatments, as the use of this drug for medical purposes is considered off-label. In certain cases, it is possible that insurance companies might offer partial coverage for the overall expenses.