Ketamine is very safe. Ketamine is used every day in hospitals all over the world for surgical procedures. What's more, this treatment uses much lower doses than those used for anesthetic purposes, and patients are accompanied and monitored throughout the process. Safety is a priority.

Ketamine is an antagonist of NMDA (N-Methyl-D-Aspartate) receptors in the brain. In the low doses used in treatment, it creates a state of heightened awareness which, when combined with psychotherapeutic support, paves the way for effective and safe psychotherapy. Ketamine increases brain plasticity (flexibility) and connectivity, which means it can help with learning new things and the ability to adapt.

Ketamine takes about five minutes to start working and has an active duration of approximately 90 minutes. You will be accompanied and supported by your psychotherapist throughout the experience. Afterwards, you can relax in the comfort of our clinical environment before returning home.

Ketamine can be described as "dissociative", which means that the patient can experience a sense of detachment from the self, sometimes referred to as an "out-of-body" experience. This experience, accompanied by psychotherapy, allows them to look at their problems from a new perspective. In this sense, with the support of your psychotherapist, you can reflect and find new solutions.

In a clinical setting, ketamine is used in very low doses and spaced out, so it is highly unlikely that dependence will develop. However, recreational use, with high and frequent doses, can be addictive. During the KAP program, the patient is always monitored to control any risk of addiction.

Common effects: In the short term, you may experience a sense of disassociation (feeling separated from your body). You may experience some initial anxiety, which will pass, and you can always count on your psychotherapist's support to manage this. Some people describe feeling dazed or dizzy. You may feel nauseous, so it is advisable to fast for at least two hours before taking ketamine. Ketamine can increase blood pressure, so screening takes into account pre-existing blood pressure conditions. People often describe feeling tired at the end, so it's best not to make plans for the rest of the day.

Rare effects: Much less common are reports of depressive or manic feelings immediately after treatment. If you experience any of these feelings, you should alert the clinical team immediately. People are accompanied and monitored throughout the process and the doctors will keep a close eye on any side effects, which usually disappear within an hour.

Ketamine must be used appropriately, in a supervised clinical environment and under the supervision of trained health professionals.

No. Anyone can apply for treatment at our clinic, but each case will be rigorously assessed by the medical team. At this point, the medical history will have to be analyzed in order to make a correct assessment of the psychotherapeutic approach to be followed.

Ketamine can improve brain plasticity, which is our brain's ability to change through neuronal growth and reorganization. This aids psychotherapy because it alters the way people feel and experience reality, allowing them to access other perspectives on their problems. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can "liberate" people, leading them to adopt more flexible ways of thinking and acting. Then it's important to put these new learnings and insights gained from psychotherapy into practice in everyday life to maintain the benefits. You can count on the support of your psychotherapist for this

Therapy sessions without medication last 60 minutes. Ketamine sessions last two hours. After each ketamine session, the patient can stay at the clinic until they feel comfortable going home. However, you will not be able to drive or operate heavy machinery for the rest of the day. We will ask you to be accompanied by someone nominated by you, who must be identified before the treatment begins.

In Portugal, ketamine is currently licensed for anesthesia and also for certain psychiatric conditions, which may apply to the CHANGE programs. It is also common scientific practice for doctors to prescribe drugs for conditions for which they are not specifically licensed. This practice is referred to as "off-label prescribing" and has specific guidelines.
Before the start of any CHANGE program, whenever necessary, we will ask for your consent to use ketamine within the off-label model described above, always with medical supervision.
The combined therapeutic approach of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy has been used internationally, including by Awakn Life Sciences.

Therapy sessions without medication last 60 minutes. Ketamine sessions last two hours. After each ketamine session, the patient can stay at the clinic until they feel comfortable going home. However, you will not be able to drive or operate heavy machinery for the rest of the day. We will ask you to be accompanied by someone nominated by you, who must be identified before the treatment begins.

Therapy sessions without medication last 60 minutes. Ketamine sessions last two hours. After each ketamine session, the patient can stay at the clinic until they feel comfortable going home. However, you will not be able to drive or operate heavy machinery for the rest of the day. We will ask you to be accompanied by someone nominated by you, who must be identified before the treatment begins.