I got a 1 month ban from Facebook last month.  Bored Panda ran a poll that said: what drastically improved your mental health? I answered as above, “Legal Ketamine Treatment.”

Boom. Banned for violating community standards! Appeal? We read it. Haha, stuff you. We don’t care that Ketamine is legal in South Africa and Lithuania, where Bored Panda is based.

We are Facebook! We are American! And we are offended!!! And we don’t care that it’s legal in the USA, it’s been 17 minutes since our last snack, and we are hungry! “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

Anyway, I wrote the following for the Ketamind Clinic in Paarl after receiving treatment for more than 2 years and finally recovering from severe mental health problems.

(Full Name Removed), Male, 41,

Ketamine Treatment, Ketamind Clinic Paarl

Over 30 infusions to date

I have given permission to Dr. (Name Removed) and Ketamind Clinics to share my full name, relevant medical history and ketamine treatment information. 

I am not a medical professional and do not offer the below as any kind of medical advice, but simply a summary of my personal experience. 

The Nerves

I was incredibly nervous about starting ketamine treatment, and it took some serious prodding from my psychiatrist to finally get going. 

I have never been a recreational drug user, so the thought of “losing control” while being treated with a heavily regulated synthetic substance did not appeal to me at all.

Suffice to say my first treatment, once I finally got going, put these fears to rest. Although you are heavily sedated, I can only describe it as “not that kind” of sedation. You are still very much aware of your senses and completely in control of your bodily functions. 

One of my biggest fears was losing control of my bodily functions and wetting myself in the chair or something similarly embarrassing. I obviously can’t say for certain but this is basically impossible, and it’s no more likely to happen in the treatment chair as it is in your normal day to day life. 

It’s important to remember that for the duration of your treatment you are literally being watched by a doctor and a nurse, so you are basically in a completely safe space. If anything does happen, just take the heart rate monitor off your finger. This will set off a little alarm and someone will be with you in seconds.

Fortunately I’ve never had to put it to the test, but I am certain if the building were to catch on fire I would be able to remove my own drip and make my way to an exit. It would be a wobbly trip though! This is a complete hypothetical of course, as the whole team would be on hand to assist in the event of an emergency. 

My Diagnosis

(Short answer: severe, treatment resistant, clinical depression)

My official diagnosis: Patient presented with treatment-refractory major depressive disorder, recurrent, severe without psychotic features, including low mood, anhedonia, fatigue, concentration difficulties, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

Previous psychiatric history: Recurrent episodes of major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant, with possible comorbid anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (managed historically without formal psychometric assessment). Multiple failed medication trials (e.g., venlafaxine, mirtazapine, vortioxetine, aripiprazole, pregabalin, methylphenidate combinations) prior to 2023.

Treatment: Medication: As above, with historic ECT (February-March 2023), TMS (October 2022-January 2023), ketamine infusions (August 2023-February 2024 transitioning to maintenance).

Psychotherapy: Regular sessions with psychiatrist (frequency: multiple reviews 2022-2025; qualifications: FCPsych (SA), MMed (Psych)).

Compliance: Full.

Response and Course: Full remission achieved; symptom-free period approximately 9 months (since early 2025). Residual symptoms: None (fit as per CAR 61.01.6(2)(b)). Course: Recurrent, treatment-resistant, now remitted with maintenance therapy.

I was in a really, really bad space for several years. So bad that I was boarded by my insurance company and have not gone back to my previous career in IT. 

I did get some relief from medication, but nothing that got me back to anywhere near “normal.” Once I was boarded I basically spent 2 years in bed and hardly left the house. Suffice to say, my symptoms were extreme!

The Treatment Experience

As you can imagine I had no idea what to expect from the actual treatment experience. I’m sure there is research and testimonials out there that I could have read, but I was not in a great space at the time, and also did not want to bombard myself with possibly conflicting information. 

Long term mental health benefits aside, the best part about ketamine treatment for me when I was very depressed, was that for about 1 hour I got to be completely symptom free. If you have severe depression like I did, you’ll know it feels like you can never escape your symptoms, even when you’re sleeping!

I imagine everyone has a slightly different experience with ketamine, but for me it is just an incredibly relaxing experience, combined with what I can only describe as hallucinations. In day to day life I struggle to sit still, but under ketamine treatment I hardly move for an hour. It’s wonderful. 

It’s an eyes-open experience for me, although I have been told some people fall asleep while under treatment. 

With my first few treatments, I was always worried something would disturb the experience; an alarm going off, someone entering the room etc. This was a completely wasted concern, as I quickly learnt that if you just ignore everything, it all becomes part of the experience, and you get more value from your treatment.

Initially I tried to focus and think very hard, in an attempt to “see what the ketamine is telling me.” Again, another wasted task as I learnt over time that the best way to maximize the value of your treatment (in my opinion) is to relax, not think too hard, and just kind of follow your thoughts lightly? 

I think it’s important to note that there is not meant to be an “outcome” from your infusion. The benefits are there regardless of how you experience it. Although not my experience initially, my maintenance treatment feels like I get to step outside of myself for a bit, rearrange the files, and put it all back together again neatly. I’m sure this will be different for everyone. 

Immediately post treatment, I tend to “come to” in a very quiet and relaxed state, although it has happened a few times where I am extremely talkative. I’m not yet sure if this amuses or terrifies the medical team.

It has been documented that some people are nauseous immediately post treatment, but I fortunately do not struggle with this. The doctor is on hand to provide an anti nausea injection immediately, should it be required. 

Apart from being a little dazed and slightly unsteady on my feet after treatment, I suffer from very few side effects, and am usually recovered within a few hours. One humorous side effect is I become very aware of my teeth both during and after treatment. Incredibly bizarre but hardly life altering. 

It is with very, very good reason you are told not to drive after treatment. It is basically a death wish and could also land you in a lot of trouble. My wife works full time so I just use Uber to and from the clinic. This has never been an issue and I recover quickly enough to have my wits about me when booking the trip home.

Summary

I can’t say that ketamine treatment was the holy grail of all treatments, but it definitely helped! The fact that I committed to it long term was ultimately the big win.

I was fortunate to have a very good doctor, and some good therapists. I also had the bonus of family support, and the means to take an extended period off from work.

I was also treated with multiple anti depressants, but have now gone from “handfuls” of pills to a single 20mg dose of Fluoxetine in the mornings, which basically has no side effects for me.

Fun to note I have essentially been declared medically fit to fly a private plane recently, pending a decision from the board around the use of ketamine treatment for pilots. They do not specifically have an issue with it, but I am the first to request clearance in South Africa, and pilots do everything by the book (thankfully). I have come a long way from the bloke who could hardly get out of bed!

Just a note on addiction for those that might be worried. Although I have never really abused illegal substances, I would definitely consider myself as someone who tends towards an addictive personality. I am a life long smoker and tend to enjoy my beers a little too much. 

Although I definitely look forward to my treatments, I have never found myself to be craving anything. As like most smokers, I try and quit regularly, so I know exactly what real cravings are! I look forward to treatment more like one would look forward to a holiday or a really good pizza when you’re very hungry.