Last updated: October 2026
On Saturday, October 10, people around the globe mark World Mental Health Day 2026. The World Federation for Mental Health’s theme for this year is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.” “Lived experience” simply means knowing something because you’ve been through it yourself. For a long time, mental health care has been designed about the people who receive it rather than with them.
Research on people who tried ketamine for depression that hadn’t lifted describes cautious hope beforehand, worry about giving up control, and a range of results afterward. You’ll hear from Nushama members who chose to share their stories, and from people who spoke with researchers about their own treatment.
What does the World Mental Health Day 2026 theme ask of us?
The theme asks everyone who provides care to listen to people who have been through treatment, and to let what they say change how care works. The need is real: about 19.7 million U.S. adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2025, according to a national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. That’s about 7 in every 100 adults in a single year. A major depressive episode means at least two weeks of low mood or lost interest in daily life, along with other symptoms such as problems with sleep, eating, energy or concentration.
In everyday terms, it means asking people what treatment was really like for them, and using their answers to shape care.
“I’ve tried everything.” How do people feel before starting ketamine?
Some people come to ketamine after trying many other treatments, seeing it as a last resort. Ketamine is a medicine the FDA approved as an anesthetic, the kind used to put people to sleep for surgery; it isn’t FDA-approved for depression, though doctors can prescribe it for that. When depression hasn’t lifted after at least two antidepressants, doctors call it treatment-resistant depression, and a 2021 study estimated that about 2.76 million U.S. adults live with it.
A 2025 review brought together 24 studies in which people described ketamine treatment in their own words. Before treatment, many felt frustrated after medicines that hadn’t worked, but also cautiously hopeful. From there, each person’s experience was different.
In a member story published in 2024, Brittany described where she was before treatment: “My mental health has been declining for my entire life, but in the past couple of years, it’s rapidly spiraled downward.”
“What if I lose control?” What does a ketamine experience feel like?
Ketamine can make you feel detached, floaty or dreamy, which clinicians call dissociation. For some people it’s mild, and for others it’s strong and vivid. Some people in published research describe giving up control as one of the hardest parts of the experience.
Spravato, a nasal spray made from esketamine (a close relative of ketamine), gives a sense of how common this is. In clinical studies of adults with treatment-resistant depression, 41% of people taking Spravato felt dissociation, compared with 9% taking a placebo (a look-alike with no medicine). That’s roughly 4 in 10 people, which is why someone is always watching over you. The FDA-approved label calls for a health care provider to monitor you for at least two hours at each session, and a 2021 paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry notes that the detached feeling from ketamine typically fades within one to two hours.
Patrick S., a member in New York, said: “I went to a different place, a different world where all these doors started opening.” Adam P. described “revisiting beliefs and questioning negative characteristics through a new lens.”
In published research, people named three things that helped them feel safe:
- Preparation, so nothing came as a surprise
- A calm, quiet room, without interruptions
- A trusted, caring person nearby, including clinicians who checked on them
Brittany wrote: “I have the medicine to thank, but the staff to thank for that too.”
Before anyone recommends ketamine, a medical screening looks at your health history, including heart and blood pressure concerns. You can learn more in Nushama’s guides to assisted Spravato sessions in NYC and preparing for your first ketamine treatment.
“What if it doesn’t work for me?”
Ketamine works differently for different people. Some people feel a shift early on, while others need more time or a different approach. The 2025 review found that some people felt disappointed, and their experience matters just as much as the success stories.
If one treatment doesn’t help you, that isn’t a personal failure, and it isn’t the end of the road.
Progress can also be uneven. “Even though sometimes I feel myself pulling back, I see that I’m still moving forward,” Brittany wrote.
A good care team checks in often, asks how you’re really doing, talks you through other options and stays in touch with your therapist or psychiatrist. Nushama’s article ketamine-assisted therapy: a promising tool, not a cure-all explains what ketamine can do.
“What changed?” What do people describe after treatment?
In the member stories, change shows up in everyday life. Brittany wrote: “I’m starting to live, not just observe the world around me. I’m getting out of bed.” She also described eating more and sleeping more consistently.
Patrick said that before treatment he was “depressed, down… seriously thinking about suicide.” Afterward, he said: “I became a better Father to my children.” If you’re having thoughts of suicide right now, you can call or text 988 at any time. You can read Patrick’s story and seven others in real-life experiences from eight members.
These are individual stories, not predictions. Everyone’s response is their own.
What can you take from these voices if you’re starting treatment?
Four steps stand out from these stories and the research:
- Ask what to expect. Ask how you might feel during a session and in the hours after.
- Ask about bringing someone you trust. Find out whether someone can come with you to your first visit and take you home.
- Track how you feel in your own words. A few lines in a notebook each day can help you and your clinicians notice change.
- Make space for integration. Integration is time after a session, often with a therapist or guide, to make sense of the experience and carry it into daily life.
FAQ
Is it normal to feel nervous before a first ketamine experience? Yes, completely. Worry about giving up control comes up often in the research, and people said preparation and a quiet, supportive room helped them feel safe.
Does ketamine help everyone with depression? Responses vary. Some people improve quickly, some need more time, and some do better with another option. A good care team will talk with you honestly about what to expect.
Can I drive home after a session? Not after Spravato: the FDA label says not to drive until the next day, after a restful sleep. For IV ketamine, plan a ride home and ask the care team what applies to you.
How does Nushama listen to its members?
At Nushama, every infusion comes with preparation beforehand and integration support afterward, so there’s time to talk about what you felt. Integrationists, guides who help members make sense of their sessions, work alongside therapists, while a team of physicians, nurse practitioners and registered nurses takes care of your screening and watches over you during sessions.
If you have a story to share, or a question you’ve been afraid to ask, you can reach out through nushama.com.
If you’re in crisis or feel unsafe, please don’t wait for a consultation. Call or text 988, or in New York City use NYC 988, which offers call, text and chat support in more than 200 languages. You can also go to the nearest emergency room.
When you’re ready, talk with Nushama’s care team about the center and treatment that fit you.
