The latest mental health treatment in Charlotte: Ketamine

The latest mental health treatment in Charlotte is ketamine, as infusion clinics expand locally and nationwide amid growing evidence of mental health benefits. The article notes ketamine has been used as an anesthetic since the 1970s and later gained notoriety as a recreational drug due to hallucinogenic effects. More recently, doctors prescribe it off-label for severe conditions, including IV infusions, nasal sprays, and lozenges. It cites WHO data that more than 1 billion people worldwide live with a mental health disorder, and studies suggesting about 50% to 70% of people with treatment-resistant depression respond to ketamine infusions. The piece describes a Lake Norman resident, Adrienne Craighead, who tried an infusion at Derive Health in Dilworth and reported changes soon after. Jonathan Leake, co-owner and an emergency medicine physician, says Derive opened in 2023 and has treated over 1,000 patients and delivered more than 5,000 infusions. He also says around 500 patients are currently active across Dilworth and Pinehurst.