Ketamine Therapy for Addiction Treatment

1.5 FREE CEs provided for Nurses, Counselors, and Social Workers

Presenter: Brent E. Boyett DMD, DO, DFASAM

Once known primarily as an anesthetic, ketamine has rapidly gained attention as a transformative therapeutic tool capable of producing rapid changes in mood, cognition, and behavior. The presentation will examine the neurobiology of addiction, the limitations of traditional treatment approaches, and the growing evidence supporting ketamine-assisted interventions for substance use disorders.
Special emphasis will be placed on the concept of neuroplasticity and the idea that ketamine may help “rewire” maladaptive neural circuits that underlie compulsive behaviors, trauma, depression, and addiction. Participants will learn how ketamine represents the first widely utilized medication in what may become an entirely new class of psychiatric and addiction treatments—psychedelic neuroplastogens that can fundamentally alter thought patterns and behavioral responses. The lecture will also discuss current clinical evidence, therapeutic models, safety considerations, ethical questions, and the exciting future of psychedelic therapy in addiction medicine.
At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
1. Explain the neurobiological mechanisms by which ketamine may reduce addictive behaviors and cravings.
2. Evaluate the current evidence supporting ketamine-assisted therapy for substance use disorders.
3. Identify the benefits, risks, and ethical considerations of ketamine treatment in addiction medicine.