Ketamine Therapy in San Diego
A breakthrough for mental health
At Daydream MD, we provide evidence-based ketamine infusion therapy to support lasting relief for depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Fast-acting relief
Clinically proven and safe
Long-term healing

How Ketamine Therapy Works
Unlike conventional antidepressants that take weeks to show results, ketamine can improve mood, reduce suicidal thoughts, and enhance overall mental well-being within days.
Beyond its medical benefits, ketamine’s psychedelic properties may also help unlock new perspectives, enhance emotional processing, and create a deeper connection with oneself.


Phil Wolfson, M.D.
The Ketamine Papers: Science, Therapy, and Transformation
"A ketamine psychedelic experience tends to offer up the possibility for transformation of the self by isolating the mind to some extent from external sensations, altering body consciousness toward an experience of being energy without form, and by amplifying and scrambling the contents of the mind in unpredictable ways—all of this generating the potentiality for changes in consciousness that may be beneficial and persistent. Coming back from a ketamine journey as a somewhat different being is quite predictable.
Is Ketamine Therapy Right for You?
If you’ve tried antidepressants, therapy, or other treatments without success, ketamine therapy could be the breakthrough you need. It’s particularly effective for individuals experiencing:
Adjustment disorder
Treatment-resistant depression (TRD)
Severe anxiety or PTSD
Chronic pain syndromes
OCD and other mood disorders

What to Expect During Ketamine Infusion Therapy
Most patients start feeling relief within 24-72 hours, with 70% experiencing significant improvement after just a few treatments.
Initial Consultation & Personalized Plan
We assess your medical history and mental health goals to determine if ketamine therapy is right for you.
Guided Infusion Session
In a calm, spa-like setting, ketamine is administered via IV under expert supervision.
Recovery & Integration
After your session, we provide support to help you process and integrate the experience for long-term healing.



Why Choose Daydream MD?
Expert Care
Led by Dr. Arsalan Azam, a board-certified emergency physician specializing in psychedelic therapy.
Safe & Monitored Treatment
Every session is supervised by experienced medical professionals.
Science-Backed Healing
With over 2,400 clinical studies, ketamine is a proven treatment for mental health conditions.
Holistic & Compassionate Approach
We focus on mind-body wellness for lasting results.
Book Your Ketamine Therapy Session Today
Start your healing journey with San Diego’s trusted ketamine provider.
Take the first step toward a happier, healthier life.
What are people asking regarding ketamine therapy treatment?
Almost everything you need to know about ketamine therapy, how it works, and what to expect. The only thing left is to contact Daydrem MD for a consultation.
What Is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine was initially developed in 1962 as a safe, fast-acting anesthetic and pain reliever. Today, it’s being used at low, controlled doses to help treat depression, PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain—especially in cases where traditional treatments haven’t worked.
At Daydream MD, we administer sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine through infusion therapy, also known as ketamine IV therapy, which alters consciousness and promotes neuroplasticity—helping the brain create new, healthier thought patterns. Many mental health professionals view ketamine’s ability to induce “ego dissolution” as a doorway to healing, allowing patients to experience clarity, self-reflection, and emotional breakthroughs.
What Is the Process for Qualifying for Ketamine Therapy at Daydream MD?
We follow a streamlined and efficient process to determine if you’re a good candidate for ketamine therapy. Our goal is to ensure your safety and maximize the benefits of your treatment.
Step 1 – Consultation
We assess your mental health history and goals
Conduct a medical and psychosocial screening
Determine if psychedelic therapy is appropriate for your condition
Develop a personalized treatment plan
Step 2 – Preparation
Our clinical team helps you set intentions for treatment
Identify your care goals and desired outcomes
Prepare your mind and body for a transformative experience
Step 3 – Psychedelic Therapy Session
Individual infusion therapy sessions take place in a calm, spa-like setting
Our clinical staff and trip guides monitor you throughout the session
Sessions help patients reconnect with their inner peace and emotional clarity
Step 4 – Integration & Long-Term Support
We provide ongoing guidance for processing your experience
Help you maintain progress and integrate insights into daily life
Offer follow-up support for lasting mental wellness
Want to see if ketamine therapy is right for you?
Do You Offer Specialized Ketamine Plans for Veterans, Military Personnel, First Responders, and Medical Service Members?
Yes! At Daydream MD, we are deeply committed to serving those who serve others. We offer specialized ketamine therapy plans for:
Veterans
Active-duty military personnel
First responders (paramedics, firefighters, police officers, EMTs)
Healthcare professionals
Immediate family members of service members
We’ve established key partnerships with organizations that support mental health and trauma recovery for these communities. Our specialized treatments help address:
PTSD and trauma-related stress
Depression and anxiety disorders
Feelings of dissociation (a sense of detachment), fatigue, chronic pain, heightened reactivity and exagerated anger responses.
Interested in a specialized ketamine plan?
What Is Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD), and How Does Ketamine Help?
If you’ve tried multiple antidepressants, therapy, or other treatments without success, you may have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This condition affects about one-third of the 9 million Americans treated for depression.
Unlike conventional antidepressants that take weeks to work, ketamine acts within hours by affecting the brain’s glutamate system—quickly restoring balance where other treatments fail. Research from Johns Hopkins Medicine and other institutions shows that a single dose of ketamine can provide rapid relief for some individuals.
Key benefits of ketamine for TRD:
Works within hours to days rather than weeks
Helps where SSRIs and SNRIs fail
Reduces suicidal thoughts quickly
Increases neuroplasticity, making it easier to create healthier mental habits
If you’ve been feeling stuck, ketamine may offer the breakthrough you’ve been searching for.
How Does Ketamine Therapy Work?
Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and OCD often involve imbalances in key brain chemicals, such as:
Serotonin – Regulates mood and emotional stability
GABA – Helps calm anxiety and improve sleep
Glutamate – Enhances brain connectivity and resilience
Ketamine works by targeting the NMDA receptor, boosting glutamate, and triggering a process called synaptic plasticity—allowing the brain to form new neural connections that promote mental well-being.
Why Is Ketamine Different from Other Treatments?
Ketamine stands out because it works quickly and rewires the brain rather than just adjusting chemical levels like traditional antidepressants.
70% of patients see improvements in mood and anxiety
Can reduce suicidal thoughts within a single session
Encourages neural growth and emotional resilience
If other treatments haven’t worked for you, ketamine therapy could be the game-changing solution you’ve been waiting for.
Who Is Dr. Arsalan Azam?
Dr. Arsalan Azam is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician and the founder of Daydream MD. After years of treating psychiatric emergencies in hospitals, he launched Daydream MD to offer a safe, science-backed approach to psychedelic therapy.
His expertise in trauma, mental health, and emergency medicine makes him a leading provider of ketamine therapy in San Diego.
How much does Ketamine therapy treatment cost?
At Daydream MD, we offer a range of ketamine therapy services tailored to individual needs, groups, and more.
What peoples are asking.
How many ketamine treatments are needed for depression?
When it comes to treating treatment-resistant depression or using ketamine for depression, the number of therapy sessions needed will depend on the clinical history of the patient.
If a patient has had poor experiences with antidepressant medication, has other mental health conditions, or has chronic pain conditions, then the treatment time may be longer. Initial treatment for depression using ketamine infusions is typically 3-6 infusions over a 3-6 week period.
Many patients experience benefits after a single infusion, and the effects of ketamine are fast-acting when used to treat depression.
How long does ketamine treatment last?
The positive side effects of these treatments will vary in length and depend on how the drug was administered and how severe the symptoms to be treated are.
The good news is that for patients who have treatment-resistant depression, the effects of ketamine can last up to a week following a single dose. Duration and extent of symptom relief are based on many factors, such as the amount of time between treatments, dose, and how the experiences are integrated. We highly suggest pairing ketamine treatment with psychotherapy to increase and extend benefits.
Is ketamine treatment covered by insurance?
A common ketamine question that we receive is whether most insurance agencies cover this treatment.
Ketamine therapy at the present time is not covered by insurances. Some insurance agencies may cover part of the cost of the treatment based on medical recommendations, but in our experience, this is quite rare. So, we recommend talking to your insurance company prior to starting any treatment with ketamine with our team.
What does ketamine treatment feel like?
Another ketamine FAQ we get from patients is, 'What does the ketamine experience feel like?'
We have had many answers from many of our patients at Daydream MD. The most commonly reported sensations are feeling floaty and a feeling of disassociation. This can be a bit jarring, but it is harmless and short-term. It may feel like you are separate from your body and may cause you to have an out-of-body experience or something similar. Not to worry, though! Our team will be there with you to ensure you are safe.
Many of the other reports we have heard from patients include feeling disoriented, a warm sensation, and feeling as though their limbs have no weight. You may also feel a bit drunk or dizzy, which can be linked to the dissociative effects of the medication and may also vary based on how it is administered. In our experience, IM treatments often produce the strongest effects, which is why after you have finished the ketamine infusion process, a member of our team will sit with you to ensure you are OK for about an hour. We will also monitor your vital signs continuously so all bases are covered!
How many ketamine treatments are needed for anxiety?
While our main aim is to offer ketamine to treat depression, it can also be used to help patients who have anxiety.
Like the treatment for depression, the number of treatments needed to help someone who has anxiety will vary. Some of our patients have found relief from their symptoms after a single session of ketamine therapy, whereas others may need multiple infusions to find relief.
Our team at Daydream MD will aim to base the treatment on each patient's needs, so we will work with you to find the appropriate number of sessions to ease the symptoms you are experiencing.
Are ketamine treatments safe?
Yes. Ketamine’s safety has been demonstrated for decades in anesthesia. For most people, using ketamine to treat depression or mental health issues is perfectly safe.
When used to treat depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues like PTSD, ketamine treatments have been found to be safe and effective. As mentioned before, to undertake this treatment with our team, you will need to have an assessment so we can determine your suitability for this treatment. This is not only to assess your mental health but also to look at your physical health and to see if it is wise for you to undertake ketamine.
If you are pregnant, have a history of blood pressure issues, have issues with increased intracranial pressure, or have a history of psychosis, drug addiction, or even dissociative episodes. We will not advise the use of ketamine. One of the side effects of treatment is high blood pressure. This is temporary, but if you have an underlying cardiovascular problem, such as angina, then it may put additional stress on your heart. The strength of the infusions varies based on our clinical assessment, and if you are deemed to need a higher dose of ketamine and you have heart disease, this can be dangerous.
Can you drive after ketamine treatment?
Absolutely not!
When you come to see our team at Daydream MD for a treatment sessionwe require you to bring an age-appropriate friend or family member along to escort you home afterward.
Many people following an IV transfusion or an intramuscular shot of ketamine may feel slightly disorientated or drunk. There is also the chance that you may begin to feel a bit disconnected from your body. This is known as disassociation, and while it can feel other-worldly, it is not safe to drive while in a dissociative state. Many people who have experienced this report feeling dizzy, blurred vision, or floaty. None of these symptoms would make driving a car a good idea directly after treatment and may put your life and others in danger.
This is for your safety. To help you stay safe when you leave our clinic, we advise against driving a car, operating other heavy or dangerous machinery, making important decisions, signing any legal documents, or engaging in risky activities until at least 24 hours after you have had the ketamine treatment.
How long does ketamine treatment take?
When we use ketamine, we are aiming to alleviate the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression and/or anxiety.
This means we will aim to make the treatment as brief as possible so you can experience reprieve from the negative symptoms accompanying both of these issues. The treatment itself, when it is IV infused, will take between 45 minutes to an hour. Once the IV drip is finished, you will begin to feel the dissociative symptoms that come with the ketamine treatment dissipate. There will be a member of our team sitting with you to ensure that you do not stand up, fall over, or injure yourself in another way for an hour post-treatment.
Many of our patients report feeling relief from the depression that they are experiencing in as little as 40 minutes once the IV drip is removed. As for the dissociative symptoms can vary in length, but once the IV has been removed, they will usually fade within 15-20 minutes.
Our team can also extend the length of a session and your time with the IV drip if we are looking to reach a more targeted effect with the treatment.
For more information about Ketamine Treatment, speak to our Wellness Care Team.
Start Your Healing with Ketamine Therapy
Find relief from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain with expert-led ketamine therapy at Daydream MD.

