Ketamine Infusions For Mood Disorders & Chronic Pain

Private Ketamine Treatment in The UK

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Professional Ketamine Therapy Provider in the UK Offering Safe, Private Care

When depression, anxiety, or PTSD hasn’t responded to conventional treatments, it can feel like you’ve run out of options. At Save Minds, we provide private ketamine treatment for patients throughout London and the surrounding areas. Our medically supervised approach offers an evidence-based option for individuals who continue to struggle despite trying other therapies.

Ketamine has been used safely in medical settings for decades. More recently, research has demonstrated its effectiveness in treating certain mental health conditions, particularly when other treatments haven’t provided adequate relief. Our clinic offers this therapeutic option in a controlled, professional environment with proper medical oversight.

What Is Ketamine Treatment?

Ketamine was originally developed as an anesthetic and remains widely used in medical practice. At lower doses than those used for anesthesia, ketamine has shown therapeutic benefits for specific mental health conditions.

The treatment works differently than traditional antidepressants, affecting the glutamate system in the brain rather than serotonin pathways.
Research indicates that ketamine may help promote neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. This mechanism appears to contribute to its therapeutic effects in treating depression and related conditions.

Conditions We Treate With Ketamine Therapy in The UK

Depression Treatment

Lift the weight of depression with IV ketamine therapy. This rapid-acting treatment can restore hope and joy when traditional antidepressants fall short. Many patients feel relief within hours, experiencing renewed energy and rediscovering pleasure in life’s moments.

Anxiety Treatment

Calm the constant worry with IV ketamine therapy. Find quick relief from racing thoughts, restlessness, and fear that disrupts your daily life. Experience a sense of peace and control that helps you sleep better and face each day with confidence.

PTSD Treatment

Reclaim your life after trauma with IV ketamine therapy. This breakthrough treatment helps quiet flashbacks and nightmares, allowing you to process painful memories and move forward. Break free from hypervigilance and rediscover safety in your own body and mind.

Suicidal Ideation Treatment

Find immediate hope with IV ketamine therapy. When darkness feels overwhelming, this fast-acting treatment provides critical relief from suicidal thoughts, offering rapid stabilization and renewed reasons to stay in a compassionate, supportive environment.

OCD Treatment

Break the cycle of obsessions and compulsions with IV ketamine therapy. This innovative treatment weakens the grip of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors, helping you reclaim your time and find freedom from controlling patterns

How Ketamine Works for Mental Health

Ketamine represents a revolutionary approach to treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Unlike traditional antidepressants that can take weeks or months to show effects, ketamine works through a completely different mechanism in the brain, often providing relief within hours.

Yale Medicine Breaks Down How Ketamine Offers Relief for Depression

The Science Behind Ketamine

Traditional antidepressants work by increasing levels of serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine in the brain. Ketamine takes a different path. It primarily targets NMDA receptors and triggers a cascade of neurological effects that promote rapid healing and symptom relief.

When administered at controlled therapeutic doses, ketamine blocks NMDA receptors, which leads to a surge of glutamate—the brain’s most abundant neurotransmitter. This glutamate surge activates AMPA receptors, triggering the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Think of BDNF as “fertiliser for the brain.” It stimulates the growth of new neural connections and helps repair pathways damaged by chronic stress, trauma, and depression.

Repairing Neural Pathways

Depression, anxiety, and PTSD physically change the brain. Chronic stress and trauma cause neurons in key areas like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus to shrink and lose connections. These areas control mood, memory, and emotional regulation. Ketamine helps reverse this damage by promoting neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections and reorganise itself.

This process is called synaptogenesis, and it’s like rebuilding bridges between brain cells that have been damaged or destroyed. Within hours of treatment, ketamine can restore these connections, which is why many patients experience such rapid improvement in their symptoms

Why Ketamine Works When Other Treatments Don’t

About one-third of people with depression don’t respond adequately to traditional antidepressants. Ketamine offers hope for treatment-resistant cases because it works on entirely different brain systems. Rather than simply adjusting neurotransmitter levels, it fundamentally changes how brain cells communicate and rebuild themselves.

For PTSD patients, ketamine may help by weakening the emotional intensity of traumatic memories whilst the brain forms new, healthier neural pathways. For those with severe anxiety, it can interrupt the overactive fear circuits that keep the mind in a constant state of worry.

Treatment Costs and Insurance

Private ketamine treatment involves costs for the initial assessment, each treatment session, and follow-up appointments. We provide transparent pricing information during your consultation so you can make informed decisions about treatment.

Ketamine therapy for mental health conditions is not routinely available through the NHS, though this is changing as evidence continues to develop. Some private insurance policies may provide coverage. We can provide documentation to support insurance claims when applicable.

Is Ketamine Treatment Appropriate for You?

Ketamine therapy may be worth considering if you have treatment-resistant depression that hasn’t responded to multiple medications, have severe depression or anxiety that significantly impacts your functioning, have been diagnosed with PTSD and are engaged in trauma therapy, or are seeking evidence-based treatment options beyond conventional approaches.

Treatment may not be suitable if you have certain medical conditions, active substance use disorders, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Your individual suitability will be determined during the assessment process.

Important: Ketamine treatment requires a thorough medical evaluation. We cannot guarantee specific outcomes, as responses vary among individuals. This therapy should be considered as part of comprehensive mental health care, not as a replacement for other necessary treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ketamine Therapy

How quickly does ketamine work?

Some patients notice improvements within hours or days of their first treatment. A 2024 study in Nature Medicine on extended-release ketamine noted that patients with treatment-resistant depression displayed rapid-onset antidepressant activity. Others may require several sessions before experiencing benefits. Response time varies based on individual factors and the condition being treated.

Will I be asleep during treatment?

No. The doses used for mental health treatment are much lower than anesthetic doses. You’ll remain conscious and can communicate with staff throughout your session.

How long do results last?

This varies significantly among patients. Some maintain improvement for weeks or months after an initial treatment series. Others benefit from regular maintenance sessions. We’ll work with you to determine the most appropriate ongoing care plan based on your response.

Can I continue my current medications?

In most cases, ketamine can be safely combined with psychiatric medications. However, certain drugs may interact or require dose adjustments. We’ll review all your medications during assessment and coordinate with your prescribing physician when necessary.

What Our Patients Are Saying About Our Services

Hear from patients who found relief when nothing else worked.

4.8 ★ on Google Reviews

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Jonathan Phillips

I have undergone almost 20 sessions and have noticed significant improvement in my depression and anxiety. I have also managed to start healing from my trauma and acknowledge my own existence…

Ellen Hersey

I’m taking a little bit of courage here to share my experience with Save Minds in case it’s helpful for someone going through something similar. I’m 45 with long-term mental health challenges since I was 14. I didn’t have good results with…

Tim Bacon

I have found Dr. Yadhu about the most caring doctor that I have come across — and there’s been a few! I have a main diagnosis of a rare disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Besides severe pain, it also causes depression and anxiety that can, if left untreated, become…

Getting Started

If you’re interested in learning whether ketamine treatment might be appropriate for your situation, the first step is scheduling an initial consultation. During this appointment, we’ll conduct a comprehensive assessment and discuss whether this therapy is suitable for you.

To book your consultation or ask questions about our services, please contact our clinic. Our team can provide additional information about the assessment process, treatment protocols, and practical arrangements.

Evidence and Research

Treatment-Resistant Depression:

Current Neuropharmacology (2014) – The Role of Ketamine in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4243034/
New England Journal of Medicine (2023) – Ketamine versus ECT for Nonpsychotic Treatment-Resistant Major Depression https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2302399
American Journal of Psychiatry (2019) – Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18070834
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2014) – Ketamine safety and tolerability in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25271445/
Journal of Affective Disorders (2022) – Real-world effectiveness of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review & meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35688035/
Journal of Affective Disorders (2024) – Clinical outcomes in the biomarkers of ketamine (Bio-K) study https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.033
Nature Medicine (2024) – Extended-release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03063-x

PTSD:

JAMA Psychiatry (2014) – Efficacy of intravenous ketamine for treatment of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24740528/
American Journal of Psychiatry (2021) – A Randomized Controlled Trial of Repeated Ketamine Administration for Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20050596
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2024) – The Impact of Ketamine for Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10600280231199666
Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2023) – The potential of ketamine for posttraumatic stress disorder: a review of clinical evidence https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20451253231154125
Neuropsychopharmacology (2021) – Neuroimaging correlates and predictors of response to repeated-dose intravenous ketamine in PTSD https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-01104-4 (referenced in Brain & Behavior Research Foundation article: https://bbrfoundation.org/content/imaging-analysis-suggests-how-ketamine-treatment-might-have-helped-reduce-chronic-ptsd)

OCD:

Neuropsychopharmacology (2013) – Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial of Ketamine in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Proof-of-Concept https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2013150 Also on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23783065/
Journal of Psychiatric Research (2022) – Ketamine in the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Systematic Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35267254/

Safety:

The Lancet Psychiatry (2018) – Side-effects associated with ketamine use in depression: a systematic review Referenced in Nature Medicine article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03063-x