Though it feels it, this treatment is neither a miracle nor magic, but science.
I have been in and out of therapy since 2010. After my first week of infusions, all suicidal ideations evaporated. I still have the ups and downs of life but the downs feel less extreme. I feel emotionally lighter. No longer do I feel fettered by my depression.
My past struggles with depersonalization and derealization have, thus far, remained absent. My baseline functioning was autopilot but not once have I slipped back into that cold state of functioning. I feel more connected to myself and the world around me than I can ever remember being. After my first infusion, I felt the gap between my thoughts and emotions begin to bridge. For years I have fought against my body; I now feel my body is my home.
Each journey afforded me such immense therapeutic progress it was as if an entire year of therapy was fit into one afternoon. I acknowledge my gains stem from my time spent in therapy, honing my coping mechanisms and grounding skills. I highly recommend regular mindfulness practice to make the most of this effective, but expensive, treatment. Nushama’s journey integrators are so helpful with setting an intention for, and processing, each journey. At all times, I felt comfortable and safe; Nushama’s staff is friendly, helpful, and professional. At Nushama, ketamine is just part of the overall treatment—a tool for improving wellbeing.
Since 2010, I have tried more antidepressants and auxiliary medications than I have fingers and toes. It’s almost comical to think I had resigned myself to that. The difference I feel is immense. My spouse says I have been reinvigorated; my friends and family have noticed the positive shift as well. After treatment, I find myself engaging in hobbies not in an attempt to cope or distract myself from depression but for enjoyment.
It was a several-month struggle for me to commit to ketamine infusions. The price was my biggest hurdle. I realized if someone I loved needed this treatment I’d pay, no question. Plus, I’ve spent much more over the years in copayments and prescription fees, emotional labor and days missed from work due to severe depressive episodes. I grew up in a household with a scarcity mentality. I got free meals at school. The cost of this was half of my entire savings but I can wholeheartedly say it was worth every penny.
When I first visited Nushama, I was pleasantly surprised at the ambience of the place. The integrator, approached me to try ketamine therapy, and I have heard it from another friend who said many good things about it. I was a bit skeptical at first because I’ve only seen people do ketamine at party scenes and I wasn’t too educated in it. However, I trusted the integrator from previous experience with him and I knew with him, it was a safe space to be in. I have been in a period of shedding, and coming to awareness with myself and my patterns and my trauma, and going to Nushama really has stepped me onto the next level of spirituality. Everything was exactly what I needed to feel safe, explore my inner self, and connect. I really appreciate all the efforts they put into making you feel comfortable—from friendly, gentle staff to beautiful decor, to setting the mood while you journey. Their music choice is also excellent during the therapy, and I love when they light different smells to elevate your senses.
The facilitator is someone I feel as though is my twin flame. Every word that comes out of his mouth, I feel as though he is stealing my thoughts in some ways. They make you really feel connected. They are gentle, soft, sensitive, compassionate, wise, and radiating light. They have a way of reaching into your soul.
Aside from my integrationist, everyone from the nurses, to the doctors, and other facilitators are all soft, and pleasant. I highly recommend this to anyone in need of reaching out. Thank you to everyone in Nushama for such a wonderful experience. I’ll be back again.
Nushama is a very unique place. It gave me the tools and community to begin the journey of introspection after my brain became stuck and stagnant after trying everything that used to work for me (like yoga and meditation). I have suffered from OCD since a kid and have been stuck in the same repetitive dysfunctional patterns in my life that kept me stuck in the same place.
The safe container created through the Nushama group made me feel journeying wasn’t so lonely but a real group experience. A group member and now friend of mine even experienced some shared journeying. That was an unmatched experience.
All the nurses and staff at Nushama make you feel very welcome. It is a very vulnerable moment to be in the unconscious state you are in when you try ketamine but with the care of the team, I felt that I was able to get through all the super awesome journeys and even the unpleasant ones that gave me a third person perspective on my life. OCD is a lifelong battle. But the ketamine treatment gave me enough perspective to completely change my life to move and start a new job in the city, something I otherwise would have never considered. With this newfound freedom and after a trip of speaking my higher self, I’ve realized change is needed to get out of your deeply ingrained patterns that do not serve you.
A lot of work with the integration specialists (who are all fabulous) is inner child work. Work I didn’t even realize I needed to do, which was deeply healing but also uncomfortable. On the other end of it, you realize how you are able to break free of some of your trauma by getting to know it in a state where you can process it more than in everyday life.
I highly recommend using other healing modalities before and after treatment to keep progress long-lasting (along with continuing talk therapy). The group was helpful because they provided some therapeutic and spiritual resources and tools! I recommend taking the step to join the next group cohort at Nushama. Psychedelics are the next frontier In mental health treatment. I suggest you take your journeys with a team that understands this transformative work.
