If you’re struggling with alcoholism or alcohol use disorder (AUD), you already know how it infiltrates and negatively affects every part of your life.
At Wyckoff Wellness Center, psychiatrist Dr. Michael Gentile, and our team know that recovery is not easy. That’s why we take an integrative approach, offering medical care, psychotherapy, and innovative treatments such as medical marijuana to manage symptoms and ketamine infusion therapy to support healing from the inside out.
AUD is more than just partying occasionally or drinking too much. It’s a chronic medical condition that changes the way your brain responds to stress and reward, making it hard to control or stop drinking, even (and especially) when you want to.
As time goes by, alcohol can worsen any anxiety, depression, or sleep issues you have, creating a cycle that’s hard to break.
Here at Wyckoff Wellness Center, Dr. Gentile always personalizes treatment for AUD. Depending on your symptoms, goals, and health status, your care plan may include therapy, psychopharmacology, medical monitoring, medical marijuana, or ketamine infusion therapy.
You may have heard about ketamine’s potential to treat depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but did you know it’s showing great promise as a therapeutic intervention for alcohol use disorder to help address the physical symptoms and emotional roots of addiction?
Here’s what we want you to know before considering this option.
Ketamine was originally developed as an anesthetic, but in lower doses, Dr. Gentile uses it to help treat a range of psychiatric conditions, including AUD.
During a ketamine infusion, you receive a low dose of the medication intravenously in a calm, monitored environment. You remain awake the whole time, but you’re very relaxed. Most of our patients describe it as peacefully floating on a cloud.
Ketamine works on your brain’s glutamate system, helping to create new connections between neurons and restoring balance to your moods and thought patterns. You can feel ketamine’s effects within a few hours of treatment.
The rapid impact may help you feel more stable and motivated as you work on recovery.
Ketamine may be appropriate if you’ve tried traditional treatments without success or if depression and anxiety are driving your drinking.
Before starting, Dr. Gentile conducts a thorough evaluation to determine if ketamine is right for you. This includes reviewing your medical history, alcohol use patterns, medications, and overall stability.
In some cases, he may recommend detox or other medical interventions before considering ketamine infusions.
You may not be a candidate for ketamine if you’re actively drinking or in withdrawal. Certain medical conditions, such as hypertension or heart issues, can make ketamine unsafe. You need to commit to therapy and follow-up care for the best results.
Under Dr. Gentile’s supervision, ketamine may help you build emotional resilience, manage cravings, and reconnect with your reasons to pursue sobriety.
We believe that recovery requires compassionate care. If ketamine infusion therapy is part of your plan, it will always be integrated with:
After your infusion sessions, we follow up closely to monitor your response and adjust your treatment plan as needed. We’re here to ensure you feel supported, not just during infusions, but throughout your entire recovery journey.
Take back control of your life by calling our Wyckoff, New Jersey, office to schedule an in-person or virtual consultation. You can also use the online option to request an appointment.
