Ketamine is not like your traditional SSRIs (such as Zoloft or Prozac) or Benzodiazepines (Valium or Xanax), which are commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety. This is why researchers consider the discovery of Ketamine as “a new, rapidly acting class of drug with a completely novel mechanism” as “arguably the biggest breakthrough in the field of depression in over 60 years.”

Dr. John Krystal, chief psychiatrist at Yale Medicine and one of the pioneers of ketamine research, further explains the difference between Ketamine and traditional drugs for depression and anxiety. He comments, “with most medications, like Valium, the anti-anxiety effect you get only lasts when it is in your system. When the valium goes away, you can get rebound anxiety.” In comparison, Dr. Krystal explains, “When you take Ketamine, it triggers reactions in your cortex that enable brain connections to regrow. It’s the reaction to Ketamine, not the presence of Ketamine in the body that constitutes its effects.”

Antidepressants regulate chemicals in the brain. Ketamine does not influence those chemicals. Instead, Ketamine promotes the production of glutamate. Glutamate impacts neuroplasticity. It allows the brain to physically restructure itself by creating new neuropathways. In other words, Ketamine enables the brain to “rewire” itself. Ketamine helps create new pathways (that facilitate new ways of thinking) which are resilient to depression, stress, and anxiety.

Ketamine’s novel mechanism of action is one reason why it helps people who do not respond to anti-depressants.