Onetime party drug hailed as miracle for treating severe depression

Ketamine—commonly stocked in emergency rooms for anesthetic purposes but also abused as a club “party favor” and date rape drug—is raising hope for people with severe depression. Research confirms its strong antidepressant effect as well as its ability to dissolve suicidal thoughts in minutes or hours, compared with the weeks or months needed for traditional mood stabilizers and antidepressants to kick in. The relief only lasts about a week after patients receive a single infusion.