Ketamine Therapy for Veterans With PTSD
Why a private, in-home option matters for veterans — the evidence, the barriers to care, and how Arcane's program works.
For many veterans, the hardest part of getting help isn't the treatment — it's the system around it. Long waits, crowded clinics, and the discomfort of being seen walking into one can stop people from ever starting. That's part of why a private, in-home option matters.
The gap in care
The numbers are sobering: veterans die by suicide at a markedly higher rate than civilians, and a majority of those struggling never receive treatment. Standard PTSD therapies, while valuable, are abandoned by or fail a substantial share of the veterans who try them.
This isn't an argument against conventional care — it's a case for more options, delivered in ways that lower the barrier to starting.
What the research shows
Ketamine has drawn serious clinical attention for trauma and depression. A randomized controlled trial found measurable relief within about 24 hours of a single infusion in people with chronic PTSD. In a study of veterans given a series of six IV infusions, PTSD symptom scores fell by roughly 44%, with depression scores improving about 50%, and side effects typically resolving within about two hours.
These are meaningful findings — but they describe study populations, not guarantees. Response varies, durable benefit generally requires a protocol of sessions, and ketamine isn't appropriate for everyone. See our clinical evidence library for sources and limitations.
Why in-home helps veterans engage
A private, in-home setting removes several of the frictions that keep veterans from starting: no clinic to travel to, no waiting room, no public footprint. Care happens in a familiar space, with a trusted person nearby — conditions that tend to lower anxiety and support the reflective work afterward.
The Arcane veterans program
We provide IV ketamine therapy to qualifying combat veterans at a special rate, identical in quality to our private-pay protocols. Eligibility is determined through private referral and clinical screening, and every infusion is administered by a board-certified CRNA under physician oversight.
If you're a veteran — or you're referring one — you can learn more on our Veterans Program page.
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, call or text 988 then press 1, or dial 911.
A note on ketamine: IV ketamine is used off-label for mental-health and pain indications. This differs from esketamine (Spravato®), an FDA-approved intranasal formulation administered only in certified healthcare settings. Evidence for one route does not automatically transfer to another. Ketamine therapy is not appropriate for everyone; every prospective client is medically screened, and individual results vary.
Medical oversight by Shaheen Mizyed, MD, Medical Director, Arcane Neuro Optimal. Infusions administered by Anita Medolla, CRNA, Chief Clinical Officer. Meet the team.
References
- Feder A, et al. Efficacy of intravenous ketamine for the treatment of chronic PTSD. JAMA Psychiatry, 2014.
- Ross C, et al. Ketamine for the treatment of PTSD in veterans, 2023.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 2024.
This article is educational and is not medical advice or a diagnosis. Full citations and DOIs are available from our medical team on request. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or dial 911.