ketamine versus benzos for anxiety

Similar to benzodiazepines, ketamine has a rapid onset of action, providing relief from anxiety symptoms within minutes to hours after administration. This quick response can be crucial in situations where immediate relief is needed, such as during a severe panic attack or acute anxiety episode.

Neuroplasticity effects:

Ketamine has been shown to promote neuroplasticity, which can lead to changes in neural circuits and potentially result in long-lasting improvements in anxiety symptoms. This is an aspect where ketamine may offer an advantage over medications that primarily provide short-term symptom relief. Benzos are essentially like slapping on a band-aid - they help in the short term but do nothing to address the root of the problem. Benzos often end up causing more harm in the long term due to their high potential for abuse and dependence. Ketamine has a limited risk of tolerance which means that its effectiveness may remain more stable over time.