"Every day was like walking through a swamp." The story of Lukas, who after years of fighting depression in vain, found relief in ketamine therapy
Lukáš (name changed) is the type of person who at first glance appears to be composed. He works in IT, has a good education, a sarcastic sense of humour and a quiet, calm voice. Yet he has carried something of a shadow since his twenties. A depression that has changed over the years - sometimes hiding behind fatigue, sometimes behind irritability, sometimes keeping him bedridden for weeks.
"It took me an awful long time to understand that it wasn't just fatigue or laziness. That it was a disease," he says. "I tried antidepressants, different therapists, mindfulness, journaling... Some things helped for a while. But nothing really worked."
A year ago, his condition worsened to the point where he began to consider hospitalization. "I knew this wasn't sustainable. Every day was like walking through a swamp. I didn't even hope anything would help me anymore."
A coincidence called ketamine
He learned about the possibility of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy by accident - on a podcast. It talked about a clinic in Prague that offers legal treatment using ketamine. "I had no idea that such a thing existed in the Czech Republic," he says. "It sounded a little crazy, but at the same time, something was bugging me. I didn't want to be left in the dark."
After weeks of hesitation, he made an appointment for an initial consultation. A psychiatric and internal exam followed to verify that he was a good candidate for this type of treatment. "When they told me I could enter, I was both happy and scared. I didn't know what to expect. But I had hope, and that was something I hadn't felt in years."
How does therapy work?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy takes place in several phases. The first part is preparation sessions with the therapist, during which the client becomes familiar with the environment and works through expectations.
Then comes the ketamine session itself. In Luke's case, it took place in a quiet room where he lay down on a recliner, was given a mask over his eyes and headphones with music. "I felt like I was going to another world. But not like an escape - more like a journey in. To places I didn't normally get to," he says.
The ketamine experience lasts about an hour. It is intense, but not hallucinogenic in the classic sense. The patient is in what is called a dissociated state - consciousness is separated from normal perception of body and space, which can make it easier to see deeper layers of the psyche.
This is followed by a phase of integration. "This was perhaps even more important than the trip itself. My therapist and I broke down what I had experienced. She helped me to understand and transfer it to everyday life."
"For the first time in years, I woke up not wanting to die."
Luke completed five ketamine sessions in two months. "After the first session I felt a strange calm. Not euphoria, but peace. In the following weeks, his mood stabilised. He started running again. He went back to painting. "For the first time in years, I woke up not wanting to die. That was a turning point for me."
Today, he speaks of therapy with distance and gratitude. He doesn't say he's "cured." But he has the tools to live. And he has the will to live.
What does science say?
Scientific research on ketamine as an antidepressant has boomed in the last decade. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry (2021) showed that a single dose of ketamine led to an improvement in depressive symptoms in 62% of patients with resistant depression - an effect that persisted up to a week after administration. Other research (e.g. Coyle & Laws, 2015) confirms that repeated doses combined with psychotherapy can have long-term benefits.
At the same time, ketamine has been shown to work differently than conventional antidepressants. Instead of modifying serotonin levels, it affects the glutamate system and promotes the growth of new neuronal connections. In layman's terms, it helps the brain "learn differently".
Legally and safely
In the Czech Republic, ketamine therapy is offered, for example, by the Psyon clinic, where treatment is supervised by experienced psychiatrists and psychotherapists. The initial consultation is thorough, as is the supervision during the sessions. The treatment is mainly indicated for patients with resistant depression, anxiety or PTSD.
However, it is not cheap - the entire program can cost tens of thousands of crowns and is not covered by public insurance. Still, even in the Czech Republic there are people like Lukáš who invest in it.
"If it wasn't for the therapy, I don't know where I would be today."
When I ask Lukáš in conclusion what his message would be to people who are considering a similar path, he is silent for a long time.
"Everyone has it differently. But if a person is drowning and nothing is helping... this may be the hand that pulls them out. It was handed to me."
