I know this is extremely long but I feel like I need to be thorough. Shortly after the start of the pandemic, I began having issues with anxiety. I’d never experienced it before in my 35 years of life and it was debilitating. I was already struggling with depression pre-pandemic but that worsened as time went on as well. I have a great therapist who helped me figure out ways to cope as best I could and a psych who tried her damndest to come up with the right drug combinations and dosages to mitigate the symptoms. Meds helped with the anxiety but the depression was untouchable. I had no emotions, no joy, no drive, no desire for anything. It was affecting my job, my marriage, my relationship with my son, everything. I had only ever heard of Ketamine therapy very briefly from my mother, warning me to never do it because it was dangerous. It didn’t cross my mind again until March of 2022 when I met a couples therapist who had worked with other patients in similar situations. She recommended I look into it so I did.After learning more about it, I decided to give it a shot. I knew it would be a significant financial investment but was desperate. I told myself if this didn’t work, I’d just have to work on accepting feeling the way I did forever. I underwent 8 sessions over a course of 4 weeks (two more than is typical which was my choice). For the first few weeks, I didn’t see much of a difference. I had read some people felt things shift after even just a couple of sessions but I tried to not get discouraged. I started to get hints of change in daily activities but nothing that truly stuck out. Nine days after completing the first round of sessions, my husband and I traveled to Europe. I had been stressing about the trip for months, worrying that it would be wasted on me and that it would only be a source of stress. After about 4 days into the trip, I started to relax and my anxiety lessened. I was actually enjoying myself and looking forward to the things we had spent months planning. The trip ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. I actually sent a postcard to the Austin Ketamine Clinic team from Santorini, Greece to thank them for giving me the ability to experience joy again. In the months since returning, my depression and anxiety have lifted entirely. I feel like me again. I’ve dropped all but one psych med which is at a very low dose for me. I’m not out running marathons or anything but I have more (any!) motivation, am playing and interacting with my son more, struggling less with close relationships, finding more satisfaction in my job, and enjoying the things I used to. I’m not going to lie and say it isn’t a significant investment and it is something you have to maintain over time. It’s not a magical permanent fix, you have to keep up with treatments just like with any other medication, though sessions are spread much farther apart after your initial group. Truthfully, it’s one of if not THE best decisions I’ve ever made in my life and I’m very blessed to be able to have the ability to obtain the treatments. The AKC team is wonderful. Lisa and Jon have built an amazing place of healing. I love literally everyone there but Lalo, especially is a doll. They are all so friendly, easy to talk to, and genuine. They really do care about your well being and root for you. I look forward to seeing them every time I go in. They’re an integral part of my psychological well-being. They do everything they can to ensure I have a great experience every time. In my darkest moments, AKC gave me a second chance at life. I am eternally grateful to them.