Qualitative analysis of a patient's experience of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for substance use disorder: Empirical synergies with twelve-step programs

Abstract

Ketamine has demonstrated early promise for treating substance use disorder (SUD). Despite the emerging evidence for ketamine-based approaches for SUD, little has been published on the integration of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) with existing pharmacologic, psychosocial, and peer-support approaches to treatment and recovery, including 12-step programs. Here, we present the case of a 28-year-old female treated for alcohol and opioid use disorder. We executed an inter-clinic, collaborative treatment plan that involved a psychedelic, ketamine-based regimen in combination with extant psychosocial and 12-step-based treatments for SUD. Qualitative analysis of the patient's lived experience suggested that ketamine played an important role in her self-reported experience of recovery, as she attributed psychological and spiritual changes to ketamine treatments. Specifically, this report highlights the extent to which the patient's ketamine-induced experiences overlapped with the 12 steps—specifically with respect to recognizing the seriousness of her SUD, committing to change, developing spirituality, and repairing interpersonal relationships, among other points of interface that could be useful for clinicians treating 12-step-involved SUD patients with ketamine.

Clinical impact statement

This article analyzed the correspondence between a patient's lived experience of a ketamine-based treatment regimen for addiction and the 12 steps. It suggests notable points of overlap between her ketamine experiences and the 12 steps, which could be useful to clinicians treating 12-step involved patients with ketamine.