Managing Treatment-Resistant Depression

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, affecting more than 21 million adults. For many people with depression, antidepressants alleviate symptoms so that they can return to the life they once enjoyed. However, for those with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), standard medications may not be 100 percent effective.

If you have tried at least two different antidepressants and your symptoms persist, a different type of treatment may help.

What Is Esketamine Therapy?

Esketamine is a groundbreaking, safe, and effective therapy that can provide relief from treatment-resistant depression. This self-administered FDA-approved nasal spray may improve symptoms after the first session, while traditional antidepressants can take weeks or months to reach their peak effectiveness.

Benefits of esketamine therapy include:

• It provides rapid relief: Oral antidepressants often take weeks to make a noticeable difference in symptoms, while esketamine begins to work immediately and continues to improve symptoms through the course of treatment. Overall treatment time lasts approximately 8 to 10 weeks, but there is no limit on how long a patient can continue treatment.
• It’s one of the only therapies that’s effective for TRD: Studies show up to 33 percent of people with depression don’t respond to conventional antidepressants. Esketamine is one of the only FDA-approved therapies that has consistently shown, in multiple studies, to improve symptoms for those with treatment-resistant depression.
• It helps combat long-term damage: Untreated depression causes excessive and continuous stress on the brain and body, which has been linked to an increased risk of dementia and many other chronic conditions. Esketamine therapy works by repairing the damaged connections in the brain and reducing harmful effects.
• Side effects usually subside quickly: While oral antidepressants can cause persistent side effects, most side effects of esketamine therapy are mild and subside within several hours after treatment.

Esketamine Therapy at LiveWell Counseling

Christian Health now offers esketamine therapy with SPRAVATO® – the first and only FDA-approved nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant depression. In our comfortable, calming lounge, clients can now self-administer the SPRAVATO® (esketamine) nasal spray under the supervision of our board-certified psychiatrists and nurses.

To learn more, please call (201) 848-5800 or visit ChristianHealthNJ.info/Spravato. This innovative treatment is covered by most insurance providers.