Onetime party drug hailed as miracle for treating severe depression

The Washington Post:
After a lifetime of profound depression, 25 years of therapy and cycling through 18 antidepressants and mood stabilizers, Hartman, then 46, had settled on a date and a plan to end it all. The clinical trial would be his last attempt at salvation. For 40 minutes, he sat in a hospital room as an IV drip delivered ketamine through his system. Several more hours passed before it occurred to him that all his thoughts of suicide had evaporated.

A Vaccine for Depression?

Nautilus:
Ketamine's remarkable effect bolsters a new theory of mental illness. Depression is the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 30 percent of Americans at some point in their lives.

Ketamine Shows Signs of Efficacy in Treating PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent in the United States military forces, with rates as high as 31% and 20% for Vietnam War and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans, respectively. An estimated 50% of patients diagnosed with PTSD also present with chronic pain.

The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence

Are low serotonin levels really to blame for depression? Probably not, according to an umbrella review of 17 studies. (Molecular Psychiatry)

Repeated Ketamine Infusions Reduce Symptom Severity in Individuals With Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Repeated intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions significantly reduce symptom severity in individuals with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the improvement is rapid and maintained for several weeks afterwards, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Are anti-anxiety meds making your life worse?

Lena Dunham isn't alone in going overboard on benzos. Many fans felt her pain on Monday when the 32-year-old "Girls" creator revealed on a podcast that she's newly clean after a harrowing period of misusing the prescription sedatives, which are commonly prescribed to treat panic disorders and insomnia.