how does ketamine therapy work

When people ask, “How does ketamine therapy work?”—they’re asking about the drug and if it’s real. If it can help. If the science backs it. And, most importantly, how it rewires a life unraveling from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain.

At Rewired Ketamine, we’ve spent years mastering the true answer to how does ketamine therapy work. Our Aventura-based clinic doesn’t settle for generic protocols. We use cutting-edge science, real-time monitoring, and individualized treatment strategies that activate deep, lasting neurobiological change. It’s ketamine and transformation, methodically guided.

Let’s unpack exactly how does ketamine therapy work from a cellular level up to what it feels like inside your mind.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: The Neurobiological Foundation

Here’s the biology behind the magic:

  1. NMDA receptor antagonism – Ketamine blocks NMDA receptors, disrupting overactive glutamate activity that’s often found in depressed brains.
  2. BDNF and synaptic growth – It stimulates BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a key protein for growing new synapses.
  3. mTOR pathway activation – Ketamine kicks off a cascade involving the mTOR pathway, which promotes cellular repair and growth.
  4. Neuroplasticity on demand – Your brain starts forming new, healthier neural connections while pruning away harmful ones.
  5. Rapid mood reset – Unlike SSRIs, ketamine impacts right now, because it doesn’t wait for slow receptor recycling—it alters how your neurons talk to each other in real time.

This, in essence, is how ketamine therapy works: by hijacking the rigid chemistry of mental illness and opening the door to new neurological pathways.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: Rewired’s Precision Protocol Process

Rewired Ketamine doesn’t do one-size-fits-all. Every patient goes through a deep-dive assessment to tailor the journey.

  • Custom dosing based on body weight, metabolism, mental health history, and current medications.
  • IV infusion protocols designed for maximum absorption and effect.
  • Automated Self-Association Training (ASAT) used mid-infusion to redirect neural associations toward healing.
  • Live monitoring during the session to adjust in real-time.

This is where how does ketamine therapy work becomes how does it work for YOU—and that’s what makes Rewired different.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: Brain Chemistry Transformation

Ketamine floods your brain with glutamate, triggering a domino effect across neurotransmitters. Dopamine lifts. GABA calms. Serotonin resets. Within hours, many people report a “cognitive reset”—a lifting of the fog that’s been clouding their thoughts for years.

Here’s the chain reaction:

  • Neurotransmitter spike → synapse strengthening → default mode network disruption → rumination shutdown → clarity.

If you’ve been stuck in obsessive or self-defeating loops, this is where how ketamine therapy works becomes visible.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: The Rewiring Process in Action

This is where Rewired earns its name.

Post-infusion, your brain enters a rare state of heightened plasticity. With the right guidance, we help patients:

  • Break out of old patterns.
  • Form new neural loops around hope, safety, and motivation.
  • Process trauma without retraumatization.

Therapeutic support during this window is key. Our trained clinicians use this opportunity to guide psychological healing in real time.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: Condition-Specific Mechanisms

Here’s how ketamine therapy works based on what you’re dealing with:

  • Depression: Restores connectivity in regions like the prefrontal cortex and amygdala.
  • Anxiety: Reduces hyperactivity in the fear-response circuits.
  • PTSD: Allows safe reprocessing of traumatic memory with lower emotional charge.
  • Chronic pain: Interrupts pain signaling at the cortical and spinal level.
  • OCD: Breaks obsessive-compulsive loops by modulating glutamate pathways.

Again, Rewired doesn’t generalize—we personalize each protocol to the condition and the individual.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: The Treatment Session Mechanics

A session with us looks like this:

  1. You arrive and settle into a private, calming treatment room.
  2. We place an IV and begin the measured infusion.
  3. Throughout, your vitals, cognition, and psychological state are monitored.
  4. ASAT techniques are used to guide positive thought formation.
  5. Post-infusion, you’re gently guided back, with aftercare to help process what emerged.

This is getting through it and something from it.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: Timing and Progression

The most effective outcomes come from spacing treatments strategically, usually over 2 to 3 weeks. Each session builds on the last, compounding the neuroplastic change.

We also schedule:

  • Integration sessions in between infusions.
  • Maintenance infusions monthly or quarterly to preserve gains.

This is how ketamine therapy works over time—not a one-shot miracle, but a structured reboot of your brain’s architecture.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work: Choosing Expert Administration

Ketamine therapy can open a door, but it matters who holds the key. Rewired Ketamine is led by Dr. Silverstone and a team of neuropsychiatric experts who understand the full spectrum of how ketamine therapy works—from neurotransmitters to human emotion.

If you’re ready to explore this level of healing, call Rewired Ketamine at 786-465-8175 or visit us in Aventura. Come experience how ketamine therapy works when it’s done right, done safely, and done with your transformation in mind.

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