Mitigating Migraines with Alternative Treatment Methods

by | | Anxiety, General, Mental Illness, Stress

Stress in America is at an all-time high as we grapple with changes in how we live that have an impact on our minds and bodies. There are new and shifting cultural and environmental landscapes that are challenging us and stretching our resources too thinly. Mental health has reached a public health crisis as we contend with an increase in stress and a rise in physical and mental illness, while we face a shortage of mental health providers able to take on new patients. We will continue to live with high levels of stress as we readjust to a post-pandemic life, as well as contend with the economic fallout of COVID-19, and climate change, that will continue to reshape the contours of our environment. So too, the lack of access to mental healthcare providers, and in some rural areas a lack of access to healthcare altogether, will continue to ripple through society in the years to come.

Providing alternative, cutting-edge treatment in mental health is imperative with the increase in stress and traumas in our communities. Ketamine Health Centers has positioned itself to address these pressures by combining proven psychotherapeutic methods alongside alternative treatment options that provide more immediate relief to a wide range of mental and physical health challenges. We now offer a new treatment for migraine relief.

Headaches (in particular tension headaches) are associated with stress and many of the negative trends that are on the rise such as excessive screen time, as well as lack of restorative sleep. Although a literature review shows that more studies are needed to work through the causal connections between stress and headaches (migraines in particular), there appears to be a more direct connection between high-stress events and the chronic migraines, the transition of infrequent, episodic migraines to chronic or frequently experienced levels.

Migraines are often comorbid with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Migraines affect 35 million Americans and about 10% of the world population experience migraines or other headache disorders. Migraines remain second among the world’s causes of disability, and first among young women, leading to lost productivity and decreased quality of life for billions of individuals. The discrepancy for women regarding health outcomes is not surprising given the realities that women face no matter where in the world they find themselves. Healthcare (at the research, prevention, and care levels) and economic instability, alongside a changing climate, affect women disproportionately around the globe.

The impact of stress-related headache disorders disproportionately impacts women around the globe as well. COVID and the economic fallout due to job loss with loss of access to child care have impacted women most heavily. The potential for increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression will be felt throughout many homes, for years as we contend with a loss of over 1 million women in the US labor force alone. The blurring of work and home life that still affects so many today is generally more burdensome for working mothers. But all individuals facing these conditions face increasing stress, and fewer opportunities for self-care and tension release, potentially inducing a predisposition to mental health disorders. Additionally, the UN has detailed over the decades the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, in particular poor women around the world. Access to healthcare also affects women disproportionately, even in the US, as a Kaiser Women’s Health Survey details. Still, the deleterious effects of migraines affect all demographics.

Ketamine Health Centers, dedicated to providing cutting-edge treatment for today’s mental health challenges, offers several alternative approaches to treat migraine and headache disorders. A new migraine relief method using Botox (botulinum toxin) is an effective FDA-approved treatment for chronic migraines, in many cases providing up to three months of preventative relief. A tailored Botox treatment can reduce the frequency of episodes by 50-80%. Learn more about the process and qualifications for treatment.

Ketamine infusion therapy is another alternative treatment option known to help mitigate headaches and helps reduce migraine severity, especially when accompanied by other mental health disorders alleviated by ketamine treatment and psychotherapy. Experiencing relief of symptoms of depression and anxiety can lead to preventative relief of migraines. An additional approach to headache and migraine relief offered through our clinics is through our partnership with Alive providing specialty infusion treatments for acute (abortive) migraine relief.

Contact us today to learn more about these various cutting-edge treatment methods that can provide you with immediate and lasting migraine relief.

Creating Balance through Grace and Purpose

by | | General, Mental Illness, Self-Love, Stress

Many of us feel as if we are walking a tightrope at present, trying to manage our overloaded plates while teetering on the edge of uncertainty, upheaval and loss. Harnessing the energy that comes from creating purpose can provide us with balance, along with building connections with supportive people in our life. No matter how divided we may appear to be, there are strenuous states of affairs that we are experiencing collectively, and it is bringing many to a breaking point. Being mindful of this can help us confront each other with grace instead of a short fuse. Making it all the more necessary to take time for self-care and to build our support network around us so that we can develop that grace within.

The more we bring community action into our daily life, the more purpose we can create in our world. A simple practice that gets you out of your home and into nature, while building community connections, is sitting or playing at your neighborhood park striking up a conversation with someone new. Or consider hiking a nearby trail with a friend, with a garbage bag in gloved hand to collect trash, as you walk and listen to one another providing support while serving your community along the way. Take your child for a walk around the block picking up trash and recycling as an alternative. Introduce yourselves to new people at the far end of your neighborhood, if given the opportunity during your walk. You’ll be inclined to say (or wave) hello the next time you see them.

There are also subtle ways to build community. Now that the weather is warming, and we can comfortably relax into a new maskless routine, we can appreciate the small things that help us reconnect. Seeing people’s smiles and full faces and recognizing acquaintances better is something to take notice of at this moment. We can hear each other better, too! Perhaps that experience of having a hard time understanding each other while we were masked can teach us to listen to each other better. That level of grace can keep us balanced to endure these challenging steps ahead.

The anecdotes and the research are clear – we face a critical moment as we walk this tightrope. There are too many aspects of our lives that create conditions of sustained stress and the compounding increase of negative coping skills. The APA’s Stress in America poll reveals the many layers and unveils many vulnerabilities that signal a mental health crisis that we must address. Principle among them is the public health concern with the drastic increase in stress, financial strain, rise in substance abuse (and other detrimental coping behaviors), and the spillover effects into crime and violence in our communities. A recent article in The Atlantic details the recent spike in erratic behavior among Americans and suggests Durkheim’s concept of “anomie, or a lack of social norms that leads to lawlessness,” as the driver of “weird behavior” as of late. The social isolation due to the pandemic and the shifts in societal norms as a result of changing cultural and political landscapes do play a role. Making self-care, through wellness and the development of purpose-driven agency and community building, most important considering these factors.

The best way to begin to rebuild our connective tissue is to focus on the relationships around us. Doing our best to show up as our better self, especially when someone else needs a little more grace than you do. And give yourself the grace you deserve to let go of unreasonable expectations that everything is OK. It is alright to acknowledge that you are not OK, that all is not well, if that is the case. Together we will regain our personal agency and come back stronger than before with all that we have gained despite (and because of) all that we have lost.

Ketamine Health Centers is your community mental health partner here to walk with you in this process of growth, healing and self-care that is especially important for us now. Contact us today to learn about our cutting-edge alternative treatment methods, tailored to meet your specific support needs. Our multifaceted approach to addressing mental health challenges can provide you, or your loved one, the support network necessary to create your healing path and generate that grace within.

The Future of Mental Health Care is Now

by | | General, Mental Illness

Mental health is part of the care and development of overall well-being that addresses the whole person. Our energetic, physiological, emotional and mental wellbeing together build up our sense of self and relationship with the world and others. Everything from what you eat, to how you play and relax becomes important in understanding your overall needs, to then meet them and establish wellness.

We are experiencing a convergence in the field of consciousness studies where a deeper understanding and applicability of research and technology are dovetailing to provide more targeted and effective mental health treatment. Expanded research in brain mapping and increased understanding of brain states and corresponding neuronal patterns is expanding our knowledge of mental wellness. We are also learning more about how the methods that we advocate for in mindfulness and general wellness practices play into the mental health spectrum.

Rewiring the neural network in conjunction with psychotherapy is one of the most effective tools today in helping clients who experience depression, anxiety, PTSD and other forms of trauma. Brain mapping and studies helping us understand the various activities that we engage in through electromagnetic modeling has helped create the clinical application of TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy. It targets and manipulates the brain’s rhythmic wave patterns and allows for specific changes in the electromagnetic structure leading to changes in one’s state of mind. The implications of neurofeedback therapy for mental health will continue to expand as we develop more sophisticated knowledge about the intricate and complex relationships that make up our (extended) bodies and our minds.

There is great interest in the electrochemical make-up of our brains with the psychedelic therapeutic landscape changing so quickly. There is a mental health revolution underway, but we must remain cautious in maintaining research standards that do not blur the line with medicine’s primary oath, to do no harm. There will be research, which is thankfully beginning again. Possibly applying these breakthroughs within a clinical setting is soon underway with the technology to better understand our electrochemical pathways, such as more sophisticated knowledge of the serotonin neurotransmitter. Still we must approach the benefits of psychedelic psychotherapy carefully.

Ketamine acts upon the brain’s neural network through a different way pathway. Ketamine infusion therapy targets the glutamate neurotransmitter, which is an overarching neuronal network system. This electrochemical pathway in the brain is more encompassing and thus helps more globally in rewiring entrenched neural networks, while also producing a “downstream” effect on the serotonin neurotransmitter. Ketamine is not a psychotropic substance, it has dissociative properties that engage the default mode network (the DMN is an aspect of the mind-brain landscape that helps us map out our cognitive, meditative and subconscious activities). As opposed to psychotropic therapy, Ketamine infusion therapy is short-acting, making it more appropriate for outpatient clinical settings to incorporate more easily into a treatment plan. But the effects are longer-lasting due to the overarching reach that the glutamate pathway has in creating that change in perspective necessary to move out of an entrenched behavioral pattern.

Any alternative treatment, whether it is TMS or Ketamine infusion therapy, is more efficacious when combined with other therapeutic modalities and lifestyle changes. Mental health falls on a spectrum that requires a multifaceted approach, just as mental wellness is a process that includes the whole person in all relational aspects. Using a variety of modalities to adjust your relational stance with the world and with others can lead to sustainable changes allowing you to live to your potential.

Our dedicated staff at Ketamine Health Centers can help create a targeted treatment plan that addresses your unique challenges or that of a loved one. Contact us today to learn more about the cutting-edge treatments Ketamine Health Centers offers alongside traditional psychotherapy at 1-833-964-9750. We support your telehealth needs upon request and are happy to answer questions about insurance coverage. We look forward to working beside you.

Managing Mental Illness with a Healthy State of Mind

by | | Anxiety, General, Mental Illness

We welcome a different rhythm in this new year as we begin to create a sense of normalcy and establish new routines. While we continue to adjust how we live in order to contend with renewed waves of contagion and an endemic state of affairs, it is essential that we learn to navigate even the most difficult experiences with grace, compassion and resilience. We can find strength in the knowledge that creating a life of mental health is attainable while managing chronic stress or even mental illness.

Mental health is defined as a state of mind, a perspective if you will, that allows for a thriving and fulfilling development of oneself. It does not mean the absence of mental illness, crisis or challenges that we all face at some point in our path in life. Rather, mental health allows us to respond with compassion and create a sense of calm in the face of adversity, built on resilience to navigate the bumpy roads that inevitably emerge.

The first step in developing a thriving state of mental health is to be kind to yourself, to allow yourself the space and the time to reflect on various aspects of life, recognizing without judgement that we all have shortcomings to address. But naturally, mental illness or diagnosed mental disorders make this process more challenging, and yet even more necessary. There are numerous resources in your community that can provide the necessary support to develop coping skills that will create a thriving state of mind. Just as there are many simple tools that you are most likely already aware of that will help establish robust mental health.

I will briefly touch on ten aspects that you can focus on more in-depth to develop resilience, which is the ground that will carry you forward during the most tumultuous moments you may encounter. Resilience is the key to establishing emotional strength and creating happiness for oneself even in the face of adversity. Remember that all things do pass, and so too will that perfect storm when you begin to thrive mentally, physically and emotionally.

1 – Shift your negative thinking patterns: We all fall into negative thinking patterns such as all-or-nothing statements or jumping to conclusions assuming the worst. The key is to become aware of these emotional pitfalls and to label them. This allows for non-judgmental shifts in how we think so that we can change how we feel.

2 – Engage positive emotions: Hobbies and activities that bring us joy can generate positive emotions that engage our energetic and neurological states of wellbeing. We can also create positive associations by listening to music, sitting in a natural setting or looking at images or photographs that evoke joy. When we feel sad or anxious, it is best to re-center with a pleasurable connection to someone or something.

3 – Develop relaxation coping skills: Meditation and breathing techniques help us slow down and create the necessary space to listen to our bodies. The more practiced we become, the less reactive we respond in moments of stress. Relaxation techniques are the key to building resilience. There are so many meditation methods available to us, some are passive, some involve movement. Explore different meditation and breathing techniques to discover what resonates with you.

4 – Create moments of reflective thinking: When we begin to develop the skills to calm our mind and body, we create the stillness necessary to listen to our intuition. Journaling is one way to look at our thoughts and actions without judgement. Within this reflective space we can begin to adjust subtle changes in how we approach ourselves and others. The process of reflection, and then adjusting, allows us to become our better self.

5 – Strengthen your community connections: We are not an island unto ourselves. We are social beings and we need the connections that relationships afford us. Altruistic behavior, helping others, is the cornerstone to creating happiness within. The act of connecting with other individuals, especially those who move us into a space of growth. In particular, when we move out of our comfort zone we begin to expand our notion of caring. It can even be as simple as smiling at those you pass you, spreading your love.

6 – Create a sense of purpose: An important factor in living a fulfilling life is to create a sense of purpose. For some, talents help move us in that direction. However, most of us won’t simply discover it, we need to create our purpose in life. We create it by deciphering what moves us, what brings us joy, what generates that energetic recharge that allows us to thrive. Sharing our passions helps build that web of community.

7 – Find your happy place: Sometimes the choices we make in our relationships or career paths increase our level of stress, despite the love we share or the satisfaction we receive. Life is never easy nor always pleasant. Recharging our spirit and energetic connections to the world is essential to staying balanced and maintaining strong mental health. Explore the myriad activities and spaces available to you to create those necessary moments of recharge at an energetic, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. Nature and water sources can provide profound renewal and happiness.

8 – Establish a course of action: Physical health is a primary source of energy renewal necessary to develop a thriving state of mind. Stay active, stay engaged. The physical and energetic strengths we develop translate into mental and emotional benefits. Ask a friend to join you or connect with a community member action on your own.

9 – Help others less fortunate: Extending your helping hand to another individual is a powerful way to create community and find that we can be a source of light for someone, even when we feel less than brilliant. Helping others less fortunate than ourselves allows us to shift our perspective and feel gratitude despite the pain of adversity and tragedy.

10 – Communicate with a mental health professional: Reach out to a trained professional who can provide more in-depth guidance and targeted techniques to face mental health challenges. Wellness practices are essential for proper self-care and building resilience. However, some individuals will need professional support in order to establish that thriving mental health.

Ketamine Health Centers offers highly effective alternative therapeutic methods to address some of the most challenging mental health conditions, such as suicide ideation, treatment resistant depression and chronic pain. Our goal is to help you establish mental health while navigating the added stressors of mental illness or chronic pain. Contact us today to learn how we can be of service to you and your family. Wishing you a thriving year ahead!

Set an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ to Balance Mental Health this Holiday Season

by | | Anxiety, Depression, General, Mental Illness, Self-Love, Wellness

Entering the second holiday season with Covid brings a new set of challenges for how we balance our mental and emotional health, considering yet another adjustment to our changing public health landscape. This year feels more purposeful in our month of giving as we enter the Thanksgiving season with the aim of healing and regaining some ground under our feet.

The fact that there are two lived realities to contend with complicates matters. Individuals who are vaccinated and are planning gatherings with friends and family are in a different position to navigate the holidays than individuals who have chosen, for their personal reasons, to remain unvaccinated. This aspect of the endemic phase of Covid-19 is something we will continue to grapple with as we celebrate and move into the new year. While the lived realities of how we go about our daily lives may differ depending on our physical safety measures, there are mental health and emotional steps that we can all practice. By focusing on several modes of love-in-action this season we can also increase our resilience amidst stress and tragedy, while building community ties that are essential for our personal and social welfare.

Creating an ‘attitude of gratitude’ as a guiding principle is a powerful tool to bolster our mental, emotional and spiritual health, which feeds back into the community building aspect of our personal growth – fostering meaning, happiness and enriching relationships.

Acts of kindness build a community web of support and help raise our happiness meter.
This month of giving begins with Veterans day, an important day to give thanks for the enormous sacrifices that military families carry for us. As well as Giving Tuesday campaigns for raising awareness and financial support for the multitude of programs that aim to help those in need. A focus on gratitude this month shines bright within us as we strengthen our community through loving actions, big and small, that also increase our own sense of well-being through happiness and connection that comes from spreading kindness. We have seen people step-up in creative ways to support each other in times of crisis. The pandemic has brought out our better angels in many corners of the world. An article in Frontiers in Psychology points to several “silver linings [which] revealed sources of strength that included finding a sense of community, closeness, gratitude, and a belief that the pandemic may spur positive social change.” Acts of kindness generate the greatest amount of emotional healing and community connection.

Love and gratitude towards acquaintances, neighbors and passersby in our life, can also come through simple acts, such as smiling at everyone you pass by throughout your busy day. Thanksgiving week is not simply time to be with family. Especially for those who are not traveling this year but want to have a fellowship gathering for the holiday, consider a small Friendsgiving feast. It would be healing to spend the holidays amongst whatever sense of community is available to you within the safety measures that you are comfortable with. Perhaps setting up an outdoor neighborhood potluck to connect individuals who would otherwise celebrate alone. Or consider supporting the most vulnerable in your area through sharing your talents or simply your time and presence, if you are able to safely. Through these actions that help us build our support systems beyond that of friends and family units, we begin to see the role of community in a new light. Now these terms, love and gratitude, are so broad they have room for myriad forms of relationships that enhance our well-being, especially when we extend that love to ourselves. Self-love is an important aspect of being able to give love to others in a healthy manner. And for individuals who are struggling with depression, the connection with self-love is often lacking. This study views gratitude and well-being in a psychotherapeutic setting. But self-love encompasses a broader concept, as well, as we look at wellness from the perspective of self-care.

Self-care in the context of balancing our mental health during the holidays means giving ourselves the time we need to relax, recharge to manage the hectic schedule of work demands, family life and holiday preparations. Fitting in moderate exercise, eating a balanced diet, getting proper sleep and carving out time for leisure activities such as reading, sitting by the fire, giving long hugs, taking long walks, reflecting during quiet moments or filling up on music and dancing whenever possible, are all important aspects of self-care. There are countless outlets that can provide you a recharge. Laughter is a wonderful remedy, of course, but not everyone is in a festive mood. It’s OK that you do not feel OK. You are not alone. Too many of us are experiencing grief.

Seek professional help if you need support to manage grief at this time. Contact

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call 1-800-279-8255 if you need immediate assistance.
For a free consultation to learn about various cutting edge mental health treatments for depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and other mental health challenges contact one of our professional staff at 1-833-542-3030 or https://ketaminehealthcenters.com.

Mending hearts and managing grief when faced with an empty seat at the table makes the holidays especially difficult. If you are not experiencing loss, help those around you with your presence, simply offering silent support is what is most needed. You can help someone find solace by finding a unique way of remembrance this holiday season. Below are a few examples of how to pay tribute to a loved one that encourages a personal touch.

Build a Centerpiece.
Set a Place at the Table for Them.
Attend a Service of Remembrance.
Create a Memory Table.
Share the Memories You’re Thankful For.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly as we enter a season of reverence, is remembering our spiritual connection to traditions and ancestors. The essence of traditions in our social makeup is the source of universal love and our larger communal web of humanity, experienced uniquely and intimately with our families. Our personal experience of these traditions gives us a direct connection to our ancestors, our motherland, and oftentimes elucidates our place in nature. Create those nature-focused moments in our downtime, or an electronic-free day to create quiet space that helps us balance holiday demands with deeper meaning-making experiences. This is a perfect year to begin new traditions that harness energy stemming from new perspectives taking shape during the pandemic. Holidays always represent a mix of memory-making and energy-draining scenarios. It is important to read our emotions and give ourselves the permission to escape it all with our quiet moments of stillness that rejuvenate and reconnect us with a deeper sense of self. That quiet moment in front of a fire, or at dusk immersed in the beauty of a sunset, can provide the energetic refueling necessary to come back to your surroundings with grounded focus and openness. A spiritual connection to traditions or sacred space can provide a similar energetic recharge when we immerse all our senses and let the joy of the season fill our spirit. Peaceful holidays from Ketamine Health Centers!

Speaking Out for Suicide Prevention

by | | Depression, General, Mental Illness, Suicidal Ideation

The convergence of many traumatic events that continue to challenge and stretch us too thin requires that we confront hard-hitting topics such as suicide straight on. September marks suicide prevention month, during which we deepen our social outreach to those in need by speaking up and lifting the taboo.

We strive to raise awareness of the mental health continuum at Ketamine Health Centers, an industry leader providing support and treatment for suicide ideation with proven results. As we face an unprecedented increase in the suicide rate here in the United States, and around the globe, we seek to provide a pathway to healing.

Our veteran population remains a high-risk group, especially as we begin to wind down 20 years of war fatigue. The elderly are suffering more in an era of increasing geriatric mental health care needs, as the boomer generation ages. And our (mental) healthcare options shrink while we absorb other pressures on our healthcare system just as the need for services expand.

Ultimately, our youth remain the most vulnerable to an increased rate of substance abuse and depression, strong indicators of potential suicidal ideation, in particular when the future seems so bleak. As a society, it is our responsibility to balance the realities of the world with the beauty and possibilities that have always existed in tandem. To highlight the hope that humanity is capable of and to inspire change at all levels. To help bring our youth into the fold as agents of change.

By providing alternative treatments for a wide range of mental health disorders, Ketamine Health Centers helps curb suicide and refocus mental health as overall wellness. Ketamine infusion treatment guided psychotherapy is a powerful new therapeutic that effectively reduces suicidal ideation by 98%. Individuals who suffer chronic pain and illness are also at high risk for suicide and can most benefit from ketamine infusion therapy.

What to look out for if a loved one is in a high-risk group or has suffered trauma

The challenge with identifying suicidal tendencies is the variety of signs that differ across each individual. However, often the most prominent emotion is hopelessness and a subtle or not so subtle denial of self, such as feeling a burden to others, giving away prized possessions, or being extremely withdrawn.

Some signs could be rationalized away as “teenage” behavior such as increased risky behavior, diving recklessly or taking unnecessary risks often. And again, though not always present, for older individuals nor for youth, often starting or increasing substance use, or using other unhealthy modes of coping skills such as gambling, are warning signs that should not be overlooked.

Recent events such as a job loss, great financial loss, or trauma (individual or collective) can lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior as well. If you or someone you know is in this position, reach out to a professional for guidance. Contact your mental healthcare provider, a clinician at Ketamine Health Centers for information (1-833-964-9750) or for immediate assistance call

1-800-273-TALK (8255) the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Do not be afraid to talk about suicide with someone who you fear is having suicidal thoughts, or possibly planning a suicide. Break the taboo.

Directly ask what plans have been made, if any? How far have they prepared according to set plans? Talking about it helps to destigmatize and disarm possible suicidal ideation.

Talking about your concerns directly provides the individual with much-needed support and a direct confrontation with their thoughts that is crucial but requires the support of others. The best way to help is to connect them with a professional.

I wish to highlight valuable information and support provided by volunteers around the country to help curb this mental health crisis. We must address the lack of necessary mental healthcare facilities and providers for the level of care that is currently needed. We must especially mobilize to meet the demands for the increased need that is on the horizon.

For in-depth information or for ways to offer direct help as a volunteer, please visit: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/how-we-can-all-prevent-suicide/

To schedule a free consultation to learn more about IV Ketamine infusion therapy, call 1-833-964-9750 or email us at info@ketaminehealthcenters.com.

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Mitigating Migraines with Alternative Treatment Methods

Creating Balance through Grace and Purpose

The Future of Mental Health Care is Now

Managing Mental Illness with a Healthy State of Mind

Set an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ to Balance Mental Health this Holiday Season

Speaking Out for Suicide Prevention

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