Conditions We Treat
When the diagnosis is right but the treatment isn't working.
We treat five conditions, all with the same underlying problem: the brain has stopped responding to standard care. Our patients have typically tried multiple antidepressants and several rounds of therapy before they find us.
- Treatment-Resistant
If standard care hasn't worked, you're not alone.
Around 30% of people with depression, anxiety, PTSD or OCD don’t respond fully to standard treatments. The reason isn’t personal — it’s biological. Conventional antidepressants only target a limited set of chemical pathways, like serotonin. For many people, that simply
isn’t where the root of the problem lies.
A condition is generally considered “treatment-resistant” when:
- Treatment-Resistant
Treatment-Resistant Depression.
For people who’ve tried multiple antidepressants — sometimes for years — without lasting relief. Often high-functioning on the outside, but emotionally exhausted, numb, or unable to feel pleasure in things that used to matter.
Who this is for
- You've tried 2+ antidepressants without sustained improvement
- You've engaged with therapy but feel stuck
- You've been struggling for 2 years or more
- You feel persistently empty, flat, or exhausted
- Sleep, energy, or motivation are chronically depleted
How we help
Ketamine works through the glutamate system — a completely different pathway from SSRIs. By promoting rapid neural growth, it restores the brain’s ability to adapt and form healthier patterns. Most patients begin to notice change within the first few sessions.
75%+
clinical response rate (a 50%+ reduction in PHQ-9 scores) in our patient case studies.
50%
of patients experience a significant drop in symptoms after just their second session.
1 to 3 weeks
weeks (typically 4–6 sessions) for most responders to lock in sustained, clear benefits.
- Refractory
Refractory Anxiety.
Chronic, treatment-resistant anxiety that hasn’t responded to medication or therapy. The kind that doesn’t have a clear trigger — it’s just there, every day, in your chest, your stomach, your sleep, your decision-making.
Who this is for
- Generalised anxiety that's persisted despite SSRIs or SNRIs
- Panic disorder unresponsive to CBT
- Health anxiety, social anxiety, or constant rumination
- Physical symptoms — chest tightness, tremor, GI issues — with no medical cause
- Inability to sleep or relax even when nothing is wrong
How we help
Ketamine modulates the overactive neural circuits behind hyperarousal and rumination. By enhancing synaptic plasticity, it helps the brain step out of the loop that keeps anxiety running on autopilot — often within the first two to three weeks of treatment.
Severe → Mild
typical GAD-7 movement during treatment
2–3 weeks
for many patients to feel the shift
75%+
overall response rate at Save Minds
- Trauma-Related
PTSD & Complex PTSD
For trauma-related conditions where standard treatment alone hasn’t been enough. Whether the trauma was a single event or sustained over years, the underlying neurology is similar — the brain’s threat system stays switched on long after the danger has passed.
Who this is for
- Diagnosed PTSD or Complex PTSD — including those whose C-PTSD involves emotional dysregulation, identity disturbance, or relational difficulties
- Persistent flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
- Hypervigilance that interferes with daily life
- Emotional numbness, dissociation, or difficulty with relationships
- Veterans, emergency-services personnel, survivors of abuse, or those exposed to chronic stress
- Tried EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, or other treatments without lasting change
How we help
Ketamine quiets the dysregulated circuits in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex that drive hyperarousal and traumatic memory recall. By creating a window of neuroplasticity, it allows the brain to encode safer, more adaptive patterns. PTSD can take longer to respond than depression — we plan accordingly.
Below Threshold
typical NSESSS shift over treatment
6–12 weeks
typical window for sustained change
- Obsessive-Compulsive
Treatment-Resistant OCD.
For OCD that hasn’t responded to high-dose SSRIs. The condition that quietly consumes hours of a person’s day — often invisible to everyone around them.
Who this is for
- Diagnosed OCD with significant daily impact
- Tried SSRIs at the high doses OCD typically requires, without response
- Intrusive thoughts that dominate your mental life
- Compulsions consuming hours per day
- Pure-O presentations — mental compulsions, rumination, scrupulosity
How we help
Ketamine directly targets the brain’s glutamate system to rapidly interrupt the hyperactive “error-checking” loops that drive OCD symptoms. By enhancing synaptic plasticity, it helps quiet intrusive thoughts and weakens the compulsive urge to respond to them.
35%
minimum drop in Y-BOCS scores required for a clinical response
50%
of patients achieve this significant relief within the first week of treatment
1 to 2 hours
time it takes for many patients to feel a noticeable break from constant intrusive thoughts
- Rapid Intervention
Severe Suicidal Ideation.
For people experiencing active suicidal thoughts despite medication. This is the area where ketamine works fastest — and where we see the most striking changes.
Who this is for
- Active or recent suicidal thoughts despite ongoing treatment
- Previous suicide attempts
- Recently discharged from psychiatric admission
- Family members or clinical teams concerned about safety
- Need for rapid intervention while longer-term treatment is established
How we help
Where ketamine truly differs from standard antidepressants is in how rapidly it reduces suicidal ideation. For severely suicidal patients, meaningful relief is often visible by around the fourth session — sometimes sooner. It works alongside, not instead of, ongoing psychiatric care.
~Week 4
typical window for meaningful relief
60%+
of severely suicidal patients experience significant reduction or full resolution of ideation within 6–8 sessions
Continuous
monitoring throughout — never alone with the experience
We’ve treated patients referred to us directly from NHS inpatient units. If you or someone you love is in immediate crisis, please call 999 or contact the Samaritans on 116 123 first — then come and speak to us about what comes next.
- What To Expect
Different conditions respond on different timelines.
Individual response varies. Around 75%+ of patients who complete 20 sessions achieve a good response across their primary condition.
- The Science
Five conditions. One mechanism.
Treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD and severe suicidal ideation look very different on the surface — but underneath, they share something in common: chronic stress has reduced the brain’s ability to adapt and rewire itself.
Ketamine works on the glutamate system — the pathway that governs how the brain learns, adapts and forms new connections. By rapidly promoting neural growth, it gives the brain back its natural ability to change. That’s why a single mechanism can help with five different conditions.
1 hour
to trigger neural growth
80%
of the brain ketamine reaches
75%+
overall response rate across all conditions
- Measured Outcomes
Real numbers from published clinical research.
50–54%
Depression response rate
patients achieving a 50%+ reduction in PHQ-9 scores (published aggregate clinical trial data)
50%
Anxiety reduction
median GAD-7 scores reduced by up to 50% across cohort studies
50%
OCD reduction
patients achieving a 35%+ drop in Y-BOCS scores (Rodriguez et al., landmark RCT)
63%
Suicidal ideation remission
patients reaching full remission of severe suicidal ideation at day 3 after two infusions (double-blind RCT vs 31.6% placebo)
47/70
Wellbeing score (WEMWBS)
representing a clinically significant rise from a severely low baseline in our patient group
Aggregated from published clinical research. Individual results vary.
Photo is an anonymised representation to protect patient privacy.
“I tried five different antidepressants over more than a decade. Nothing held. Within nine weeks at Save Minds, my depression score dropped by 80% — and the suicidal thoughts I’d lived with for years simply went.”
Anonymised — 42-year-old London professional · Treatment-resistant depression
- Self-Assessment
Not sure which condition fits you?
Many of our patients come to us with overlapping symptoms — depression with anxiety, PTSD with chronic depression, OCD with suicidal thoughts. The good news is that ketamine works across all of these conditions through the same underlying mechanism. The starting point is a short eligibility check, then a free discovery call.
20 seconds
quick eligibility check
Free
discovery call with our team
No referral
required
- Common Questions
Questions about the conditions we treat.
What if I have more than one condition?
Most of our patients do. Depression with anxiety, PTSD with depression, or OCD with rumination are all common combinations. Because ketamine works on the underlying neural plasticity rather than on a single symptom, it tends to help several co-occurring conditions at the same time. Your consultant will design a programme around your full clinical picture.
Do I need a formal diagnosis to be considered?
Not necessarily — but most of our patients have been diagnosed by a GP or psychiatrist, often years ago. What matters more is whether you meet the treatment-resistance criteria: multiple medications tried, therapy attempted, and the condition still significantly affecting your life. Our consultant psychiatrist will confirm everything at your assessment.
What if my main issue is something else — bipolar, ADHD, eating disorders?
Ketamine therapy at Save Minds is currently focused on the five conditions on this page. We don’t treat primary bipolar disorder, ADHD, psychotic disorders, or eating disorders. If your bipolar depression has been managed and you’re now stable but stuck with treatment-resistant depressive symptoms, that’s a different conversation — please reach out and we’ll be honest about whether we can help.
Will I have to come off my current medication?
In most cases, no. You typically continue your existing medications throughout treatment unless your consultant advises otherwise. Decisions about tapering happen later, gradually, and only in collaboration with your prescribing doctor.
What if I'm currently very unwell or in crisis?
If you’re in immediate crisis, please call 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123 first. Once you’re safe, we can help — and we treat people who have come directly from psychiatric inpatient units. We never replace emergency care, but we work alongside it.
Is this for me if I've never tried medication or therapy?
Probably not yet. Ketamine therapy is designed for people who have already tried the standard options and not got the results they need. If you haven’t yet tried antidepressants or therapy, your GP or NHS psychiatrist is the right place to start — we’d encourage that route first.
Whatever the condition, the first step is the same.
Take the eligibility check, or book a free discovery call. We’ll listen, ask the right questions, and help you understand whether we’re the right fit.