Lori Calabrese, MD

Author: Lori Calabrese, M.D.

Shooters Are Terrorizing Us

Shooters are Killing People

We have a tradition in this country of excusing and explaining away the actions of a terrorizing shooter by declaring him mentally ill. We’re talking about shooters—the ones who open fire in a crowded public space and gun down the innocent. I hesitate to enter this dialogue but I feel compelled to today. The reason? Because those who truly suffer from conditions I specialize in treating — like trauma, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive thinking, and so many other conditions I specialize in treating are gentle, peaceful, empathic …. and would never become a shooter. The kind of rhetoric in the news these days (and dripping from loud-mouths) that “explains away” terrorizing shooters fuels fear surrounding psychiatric disorders. Shooters are terrorizing us, that’s for sure, they’re terrorizing our sense of security, curtailing our freedom, robbing us of peace. They are stealing our futures.

So let me be clear and speak loudly: we desperately need to get away from “explaining away.” Because the simplistic way of thinking “they must be mentally ill” (a phrase I loathe) also feeds the stigma that can surface when someone admits he or she is depressed, or has bipolar disorder, or PTSD, or autism or an addiction.

An Attack on a School or Church Requires Cognition and Strategy

The person who would plot and plan to enter a public place and shoot as many people as he can is a murderer. Full stop. His cognition is working well enough that he can plan clearly, strategize his actions, and craft his response to resistance. No wonder shooters are terrorizing us.

It’s not a game.

They kill without conscience.

Think about what that means for a minute.

Are We “Making Excuses” for Shooters by Calling Them Mentally Ill?

It’s difficult to imagine in a civilized world that anyone would purposely hurt defenseless children, or worshippers, or a family gathered at a barbecue. We can’t conceive of someone with a balanced mind setting out purposely, deliberately, and carefully to make sure that the mass killing is actually a mass killing. Unreal, right? So some people explain it with something else they don’t understand, such as mental illness. (“It must be….”) But it’s most likely that the tipping point for shooters who carry out their despicable acts happens because they’ve been radicalized by their associations, what and whom they listen to…. and eventually decide to act on it.

This is terrorism…not mental illness.

Shooters are terrorizing us and killing the innocent. That’s not to say that some of these shooters don’t have a psychiatric disorder. They might and they often do. But that’s not what motivates them. It’s who they listen to in many cases. Voices in their friendship circles, podcasts, or online … the ones they wake up to, fall asleep with, and dial into all day long. The ones who draw them into a marginalized way of thinking related to ideologies, race, hatred, and other dangerous concepts.

Trauma Caused for Thousands by These Events when Shooters Are Terrorizing Us

These events are upsetting and heartbreaking for all of us. Far more people suffer beyond the grieving families, friends, first responders and communities affected directly by the deaths that have been exploding around us. Everyone who reads about these incidents, or hears about them on the radio…or on TV or online…suffers with the horrors.

As a nation, we shudder. And we cry.

The trauma of these events causes damage not easily repaired.

But here’s the thing.

When these incidents draw attention, we’re flooded by footage, news clips, firsthand accounts. Just hearing about and seeing these events—and the shooters who perpetrate mass killings—results in trauma.

Big T and little t trauma depending on how close you are to it, and what it reactivates.

What can be done about these wounds to people like you?

Let’s focus on that.

Brain Cell Damage from the Trauma People Suffer Over Such Events

Most of us start out in life with brain cells that are flourishing and abundant, resembling well developed oak trees. Happy Trees!! Then a stressful, traumatic event comes along and creates pruning. It’s as if shears are cutting away the branches from the brain cell, limiting what it can do drastically.

What had been a great oak among the brain cells, dwindles to a twig with very little function. Then, suicidal thinking often enters, cognition deteriorates, mood tanks, and joy (what’s that?) is reduced to anhedonia…or the inability to feel pleasure.

IV Ketamine Restores Signals Between Cells and You Feel Better

But when you receive IV ketamine treatment, it creates a cascade which turns on the production of BDNF to act like fertilizer so your brain cells can flourish again. Branches — we call them dendritic branches — grow and reach out and multiply until that pruned back twig is like the mighty oak again, remodelling synapses, setting up new connections, allowing new possibilities, removing suicidal thoughts — even in teens — improving mood dramatically, doing away with anhedonia, and sharpening cognition ….and you feel good again.

Just imagine for a moment feeling good again after years of feeling bad…or if that’s hard to imagine, read about it in real people who tell their stories.

But IV ketamine isn’t perfect.

It doesn’t ALWAYS do all these things — no treatment works 100% of the time for everyone — but it’s so effective and revolutionary in psychiatry because in the right hands, it can operate like this nearly all the time, transforming people like you so you can function at your best. To help you be your best self.

We can say this because we live it and see it every day. We think deep and long, have the guts and the courage (and the circles under our eyes!) to write up our findings and publish them, travel to teach our colleagues nationally and internationally. It’s why people drive in or fly in from far away to see us.

At Innovative Psychiatry, we love to see people like you rise above painful symptoms and flourish. Seeing your resilience restored, your hope and energy renewed, your courage and ability to adapt strengthened, makes everything we do worthwhile. (Even the dark circles!)

Our Treatment Setting is Calm and Relaxing

When you come in, you’ll find a comfortable, gorgeous, private room to create a wonderful setting for healing. The environment is kept pure and clean using Plasma Cell Technology we’ve installed in each space—actually designed and installed for the square footage of your treatment room. (Tell me: who else does that?) Developed by the Department of Defense and NASA, our technology was first created for the International Space Station and removes 99.99% of all viruses, bacteria, and mold from every square foot of the environment by instantly destroying its DNA and RNA. (We’re not talking about a filter here.) It’s the best technology available and it’s kept us —and you — safe since 2020. So you can focus on your treatment and get better.

Just know that this is your place to get better. To receive infusions of ketamine, integrate them with therapy, work on your infrastructure and your mindset… and achieve remission. We’ll talk about that more soon.

We’re here to help you on your path to healing, so call us and come in.

Better days are waiting for you.

To the restoration of your best self,

June 20, 2022
Your Family Can Help You or Hinder You in Being Your Best Self

When we think about family, what does your mind conjure? A mother, a father, and a few children? Or maybe a mother and children. Or a father and his brood. How you achieve being your best self is largely influenced by your family.

Maybe your experience with family is having two moms, or two dads. You might have a foster family with a mom and several children of various races with different backgrounds.

Or you just might have developed a family of your own by gathering people in need you’ve met, who need the support of family. Maybe you needed the presence of others who needed you, and found you needed them too.

Family can come in lots of shapes and sizes. A mother and a grandmother leading the brood, or a father and grandfather, like we see on the TV show, Blue Bloods. Fact is, it’s not about whether family members are related or not, it’s about people who feel a connection to each other, who may live together or not, but feel some sort of bond and mutual support that keeps them tied together. That bond can play an important part in your being your best self.

For those who have good family relationships, thoughts of family likely bring a sense of togetherness, laughter, and warmth. These are the people you can talk to about your problems and disappointments, and trust you’ll be heard without judgment.

They’re also the ones who will share your joys and triumphs.

Fundamentally, family has your back. Or at least it’s supposed to.

But, if you can’t relate to the warmth, laughter, and togetherness, you may have a family who doesn’t know how to function with support and lack of judgment. And if that’s the case, you may be suffering from wounds and scars from your family. And those can be hard to overcome and heal.

Family members in families like this are often scarred from being hurt by damaged people. It’s easy to see that in cases like this, your family might not be a strong influence in being your best self.

Family members who were treated harshly, or even abused, and who in turn, repeat those same behaviors with their loved ones. Because of their own scars, they may not be fully aware that their behavior toward people they love could be causing deep seated damage.

But for right now we’re focusing on you.

Mistreatment during your formative years can result in excessive anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts, as well as substance use disorders.

What about you? Is your family life full of joy, laughter, sharing, loving, and support..? Or is it a place you feel alienated and alone, defensive and afraid..? Or if you’re grown now, what are your memories like? Positive or hurtful? Maybe you feel anger and don’t know why.

It’s possible it started when you were too young to remember, or that you do remember the pain and you can’t figure out how to get over it.

Here’s the thing. It can be a lot of work to get the therapy you need to come to peace with your past traumas, but ketamine treatment can help resolve the symptoms and the fall-out. It can help you feel better, and by feeling better you can understand your feelings and even change them. If your family has hindered you in being your best self, ketamine can help.

How? Well, ketamine has the unique and mighty power of neuroplasticity. It helps the neurons in your brain to change, which helps you to change the way you see things. It’s effective in treating PTSD, treatment resistant depression and bipolar depression, and social anxiety, substance and alcohol use disorders, and suicidal thinking.

At Innovative Psychiatry we help people every week — who suffer from disorders like these — achieve remission with ketamine treatment. Your relationships with your family can be wonderful, or they can be extremely difficult. Sometimes, they’re a combination of both. But if you’ve been wounded, and scarred, ketamine treatment is something you can do to help you heal.

And when you come for treatment, we’ll take you to a private treatment room with a soothing atmosphere, so you can relax. We also have installed plasma cell technology to destroy all the bacteria, viruses, and mold in the room. You can rest assured that you’re safe from infection and can focus on your treatment…and getting better.

When you’ve lived with these painful symptoms for so long, you can’t imagine you can be free of them, it’s hard to imagine how some infusions can resolve your misery, but they often can.

We’ve been doing this for years, and we know that ketamine treatment isn’t for everyone. For some people It doesn’t work. For others, it doesn’t seem to work initially, then weeks later, remission sneaks up and takes over. In still other cases, symptoms dissipate after the first or second infusion. Ketamine response is different in different people, just as everyone is different, and everyone’s brain is unique.

But the bottom line is that you are likely to transformed by ketamine treatment.

If you suffer from symptoms that interfere with your life, call us.

We want you to get better. That’s what we’re about.

To the restoration of your best self,

May 15, 2022
Mothers of Babies, Teens, and Mothers of Senior Citizens… We Honor You!

Whether you’re expecting your first child or your kids are senior citizens themselves, your heart has been on your sleeve for the duration. Is there anything like being a mother? Whether you’re a. mother of a baby, a teen, or a mother of senior citizens, the worry never dissipates. They’re always on your mind.

Here in the US, we celebrated Mother’s Day last weekend. But everyday is a celebration of this most wonderful – and sometimes not so wonderful – relationship. The rearing and loving of a human, who pops out of the womb with his own ideas, plans, intents, and decisions compares with nothing else in this world.

But on the other end of mothering, when children are grown, is when the tables turn in a long, slow process as grown children come to face their mother is a human being, rather than the self sacrificing superhero she’s always been. And that’s a rich opportunity to really learn to know her. Some mothers live long enough to nurture as mothers of senior citizens… and sometimes their senior citizen children are focused on caring for their elderly mother. Turn about is fair play when it comes to your mom.

Adam is 40…and says his mom really WAS a super hero. The things she accomplished, the things she did for him as a child. No one could ever keep up. But when she was diagnosed with cancer, she became weak and frail. Then she didn’t recognize him at one point, and he says her mortality confronted him like a fist to his midsection. And that’s no joke.

Marcie Anne talks about how she herself was a realist. Always was. So her mom’s romantic and poetic views of life seemed to hit her cross ways from the time she was very young…as in three. Now in her mid thirties, her realistic mind set is even stronger. She says if she had to name a time when she was really seeing her mother as she was, it was when Marcie Anne was between 20 and 22…during her mom’s painful divorce.

She made the point that there’s nothing like watching a parent torn to their core during a crisis like that.

What about you? Do you remember when you realized your mother wasn’t just someone in your life to serve you, but rather a feeling, vulnerable human being in her own right and that there are needs of hers you can meet?

Perhaps your mother wasn’t healthy enough to be there for you, but rather caused you to suffer by imposing her needs and desires upon you. There are some mothers like that, and if yours is I’m sorry.

That said, there are no mothers who are perfect, right? None who are never selfish, or who never make mistakes or disappoint you.

If you’re a mother, you know the deep exhaustion and creativity that life requires of you…and at the same time the reward of watching these young humans grow is beyond description.

If you, like me, have children by natural birth, adoption, fostering, or just serendipity, you know that the greatest rewards come when we give the most. And few occupations…or rather callings…can require the investment mothering does, or brings the returns.

But we all know that sometimes mothers become ill and can’t give to their children as they wish to. It can be a catastrophic illness like cancer… or a psychiatric one like severe treatment resistant depression, PTSD, bipolar depression, substance use disorder, or suicidal thoughts that won’t stop.

In situations like that, the best Mother’s Day gift just might be ketamine treatment. As much as you love and appreciate your mom, she may love and appreciate you even more. To help her get back her heart, her clear mind, her cognition, and to help her get the treatment that restores her hope, and relieves the symptoms of the disorder, lets her live and love again like her heart aches to do.

At Innovative Psychiatry, we’re set up and equipped to help you receive the treatment you need to function well without depression, social anxiety, or alcohol misuse.

So you’re free to enjoy your family and your life, and you have the energy to invest yourself in things that matter to you. Your life is to be lived, and ketamine treatment can help you live it.

To Mothers Everywhere, Happy Mother’s Day–every day!

To the restoration of your best self,

May 9, 2022
Feel Like Giving Up? That’s When You Need Resilience

Find out how to get it fast.

Feel like giving up lately? Not just giving up what you’re doing, but giving up on life…? You’re not alone, you know. Still, just because you feel something a lot of other people feel, you don’t have to act on it. This is why you need resilience. Resilience can give you the power to overcome hopelessness and try again.

Take Kevin. He has a good job, but he hates it. He doesn’t get along with his boss, and his marriage is not going well. Kevin feels like he’s always the target of someone’s criticism and ridicule. (Maybe it’s his imagination, but it sure feels legitimate.)

At New Years, he went to Las Vegas and played blackjack. He had a great time. Maybe he drank too much to maintain good judgment — didn’t have a clue at the time, of course — and he ended up losing his retirement savings. (You heard that right.) He didn’t realize how bad it was till he was sober, and by then it was too late. It would be different if he’d just lost fun money. But it was his retirement… at least the portion he had access to.

Kevin felt like such a total fool.

Of course his wife was horrified. And he knew it was a foolish thing to do. He thought he could recover it, until he realized it was really gone and there was nothing left to wager.

Dead end. Empty pockets.

The shame that engulfed him threatened to drown him. He was humiliated and afraid. So afraid. It felt like there was no hope of recovering. It felt like he was against a brick wall.

Sometimes being suicidal is a symptom of a severe psychiatric condition, like depression or bipolar disorder, and sometimes it comes on more suddenly in response to complex circumstances.

Like the men who jumped from office buildings during the stock market crash of 1929. That’s not to say psychiatric conditions weren’t involved. It’s safe to say those people lacked resilience.

But sometimes, circumstances become so extreme, leaving you to think you can’t face what the next day will bring…and sometimes giving up the fight seems the only viable option…at least from where you’re standing in the storm.

A child is ridiculed at school, and her parents find her hanging by the neck in her closet. Or those people who lost everything in the stock market crash and impulsively jumped to avoid the horrors they faced with no money. Or someone like Kevin, who feels the world is against him, and his self respect is destroyed… so he thinks if he ends his life he would be free of the ridicule.

For someone in that position, a desperate craving to escape is often one factor in the decision, but there are usually many more. And without confidence and resilience to know he’ll bounce back, he’s left with hopelessness.

It’s hard, really hard, to live without hope.

People call it a selfish decision, or a coward’s decision, and I hate to hear that. The duress that someone has endured to reach the point of ending his life is hard — if not impossible — for us to grasp. We all have stress, and stressors, and it may be tempting to compare your own struggles and resilience to his decisions and outcome. But you can’t do that with someone who’s suffering.

That person leaves behind loved ones who are grief-stricken but it doesn’t mean it was done thoughtlessly. Often, he has convinced himself that his loved ones will be better off without him.

So then, it can seem like there is a pathway to suicide that appears on the surface to be fueled by circumstances, and a pathway paved by illness. (And oh it is so much more complicated than that!) But in both cases, resilience can offer hope and strength to move forward.

What is resilience?

It’s the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, to spring back with energy to overcome when circumstances knock you down. When you feel like giving up, resilience is what you need to stand up and overcome. So what do you do if you don’t have resilience?

Big question. If you’re in a hurry, if you don’t have time to fool around, if things are down to the wire…

One thing you can do is reach out for IV ketamine treatment to restore your resilience, your joy, and your hope. And…the emotional energy to face what life throws your way..

When that internal pressure to give up becomes more and more daunting, resilience helps you to resist that defeating pressure and keep trying. Keep overcoming.

At Innovative Psychiatry, applying ketamine treatment to suicidal thinking is one of our most important responsibilities. Ketamine has a unique ability to STOP suicidal thoughts that’s even apart from and before it helps severe depression, bipolar depression, PTSD, social anxiety, alcohol use disorder, and substance use disorder.

Sometimes in an afternoon. It can save you a trip to the ER. It could save your life. Or someone you love.

Give yourself the opportunity to overcome defeat and shame, and to stop suicidal thoughts. Reach out for resilience and hope.

We’re here to help.

To the restoration of your best self,

May 2, 2022
Ketamine2022: Ketamine and Related Compounds at Oxford, UK is over. …Unforgettable!!

Thrilling? Yes. EYE opening? Yes! Opportunities?? YES!!

This week saw the best conference of the ketamine-for-depression specialization. A gathering of neuroscience researchers, psychiatrists, chemists, and more came to share their work with ketamine and related compounds. Researchers hailed from all over the world — the Netherlands, Israel, Sweden, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, France, Australia, Italy, Canada and the US presented their work and poured out the bounty of their findings. Clinical trial sites spanned Eurasia to Australia to North America. Ketamine2022 at Oxford, UK.

There is nothing like coming together with like-minded professionals to learn and exchange ideas about this medicine we’ve seen do so much. And instinctively, our gut says it will do so much more.

Ketamine, initially developed as an anesthesia medicine. But surprised us all when we found it could treat depression extraordinarily well—depression that had not responded to other medications. From there, ketamine has gone on to be studied and used clinically to treat PTSD, bipolar depression, and it had been shown to stop suicidal thoughts, and to reduce craving and relapse in alcohol and cocaine use disorders.

Biopharma companies presented their data on the compounds they’re developing: Axsome, Clexio Biosciences, Janssen, Bexson Biomedical, Relmada Therapeutics, Perception Neurosciences.

(These are exciting times and it’s thrilling to see what’s gone on behind the scenes during the pandemic.)

There were SO MANY, far too many to describe here. But know that the field of ketamine and related compounds in psychiatric treatment is growing all the time.

We sat at the feet of long-time respected ketamine researchers and a crowd of the best and brightest in the field.

Rupert McShane of Oxford drew together an extraordinary group.

Carlos Zarate, Jeff Becker, Jason Wallach, Roger McIntyre, Gerald Sanacora. These are household names in the world of ketamine for psychiatric treatment.

Carl Zarate is an undisputed leader in ketamine research for psychiatric disorders. He spoke on glutamatergic modulators and next-generation antidepressants. The hope is growing that even those who aren’t helped by ketamine treatment will find relief through another fast acting solution.

Roger McIntyre talked about the real world evidence that supports long term treatment with ketamine. He also participated in a debate about whether there is enough data to support widespread therapeutic use of ketamine in psychiatry for treatment resistant depression.

Jeff Becker and Jason Wallach spoke about their new system for subcutaneous delivery of ketamine for acute post-operative pain.

Jason Wallach spoke again about dissociatives–NMDA receptor antagonism and structure/activity relationships. (He is always so passionate, so brilliant, and so compelling!)

There were so many wonderful speakers, wonderful insightful topics … evidence that treatment for psychiatric disorders is full of hope on the horizon.

So more about the conference. Overall, the presentations ranged from esketamine use longterm to new oral meds which were NMDA receptor agonists for major depression. Also about subcutaneous delivery of ketamine, and IV ketamine to prevent postpartum depression after a planned C-section, and data comparing ketamine to ECT. The topics were varied, extensive, important, and innovative.

I spoke on results from a small pilot trial my team and I are conducting using ketamine in the treatment of chronic anorexia — with a therapeutic ketogenic diet (yep! in chronic anorexia) followed by a series of ketamine infusions.

(The publication is under review, so this was the first sneak peak at the data.)

There are so many new things happening in the world of ketamine and related compounds.

Going forward, we’ll be talking about some of these topics connected to ketamine and related compounds as they develop… and change the face of therapeutic ketamine in depression and other psychiatric disorders and pain conditions.

Here at Innovative Psychiatry, people who’ve suffered from major depression and other related conditions come to us every week seeking treatment because what they’re doing isn’t working. Often they leave with hope, joy, confidence, and a spring in their step. It’s important to understand that ketamine isn’t effective for everyone. No medicine is. But it’s transformative for many who need it. And we administer ketamine using the most effective methods available.

If you suffer from major depression, PTSD, bipolar depression, social anxiety, alcohol use and substance use disorders, and/or suicidal thoughts…call us.

Like the speakers at this conference, we’ve dedicated our days to help you find resilience, restoration, and hope — through IV ketamine treatment.

When you come for treatment, you can relax in a beautiful, private treatment room to receive your infusions—knowing we use state of the art air disinfection. Using a system designed by the Department of Defense and NASA, each of our rooms is protected by plasma cell technology that destroys viruses, bacteria, and molds in the air. (Even though a new variant of Omicron is in the US now, we have extraordinary technology in our clinic to protect you from it.)

You can relax and focus on just getting better.

Call and let’s determine together if you’re a candidate for this lauded treatment. You deserve to enjoy a rewarding life.

To the restoration of your best self,

April 11, 2022
Building Confidence in Your Capabilities: Put First Things First

Twenty-year-old Jake felt listless, really somewhat lost, truthfully. He had led a confusing life of trying to take classes his counselors and parents told him to take, joining organizations that were recommended to him. But never being able to sink his teeth into anything. Nothing seemed like it mattered. Whether it was classes or sports or charity groups. Jake needed to build confidence in his capabilities, but it wasn’t happening.

How could he get out of his slump and find some meaning? Build his life toward something worthwhile? How could he make his LIFE worthwhile?

He’d taken two years of college, sludging along, getting by without real commitment or passion. Some of his fellow students were halfway through pre-med or pre-law, and he felt like he had nothing to show for his first two years. Jake wanted his life to count for something. He wanted real meaning. He knew his whole life was ahead of him, but how could he make it count…? Did he just need to build confidence in his capabilities or was there more to it?

One day, after swim practice, he talked to his coach about it. The coach had asked him what he wanted in life. His answer? “Meaning. I want to make some sort of difference in people’s lives. I don’t know whose, or how, but that’s what I want.”

The coach said, “You know Jake, the students who take swimming for a semester won’t go to the Olympics. A few will continue in swim because they’ve been training for competition all their lives. Of those, one or two might eventually compete. But for the rest, this class is for health benefits and college credit. This class will push you to excel, and you’ll succeed, but then what? What you want starts with an attitude of excellence. Deciding in advance that you’ll excel at each course you take. Even something as simple as swimming. Then as time goes by you’ll develop more and more expertise in more subjects. Every class you take is building your expertise… and your confidence in your capabilities.”

Jake wondered what value swimming would have in his life…what purpose…? Then he thought of other courses he was taking that seemed equally irrelevant. There was a literature course, an art history course, and a basic biology class. He couldn’t see the point.

His coach answered. “It’s less about how you’ll use those courses to change the world, and more about how those courses will lead to others, that will be instrumental in your future.

And meanwhile you’re building yourself…who you are. That literature course may lead you to try out law courses, art history may give way to archeology, or that intro biology course may usher you into medical research. Because it’s the doing that builds your capabilities, and giving your very best to every course disciplines your mind to seek understanding and answers — no matter how daunting the questions. Giving your best develops excellence… and hope.”

All this was eye opening. “I guess I’ve just been waiting for the passion for something to assault me in an alley….”

His coach laughed. “ You may find it more effective to assault passion first with a strategy to develop expertise. What do you think?”

… Confidence is that knowing, with sureness, that you can trust in your ability and your judgment. It’s feeling sure of your abilities and principles…your capabilities to accomplish what you want to accomplish.

It’s one thing to just sludge through life, and another to reach for things that seem beyond your grasp. But the thing is: you need to stretch to keep reaching higher, right? And to stretch requires some confidence, along with some determination to achieve what you’re reaching for. The confidence you crave is at your fingertips once you build competence.

It helps to have some guide posts to help you get there.

To build Confidence, build Competence first. Stand on those things you can do well, and build on them. Maybe you’re really good at baking cookies, or mowing and trimming the lawn. Keep doing those things you can do well, and get better and better at them. Then excel at something else. Maybe swimming..or chemistry. And work and work at it until you’ve mastered it. Then, choose something else. Each time you master something, you create an island to stand on. Little by little the islands grow more numerous until they grow together and — voilà!!—you’re standing on a continent. Competence is something you build and multiply. Competence gives you confidence. Build confidence in your capabilities.

Don’t compare yourself and your achievements to others. Maybe someone you know is smarter or better looking than you are. Who cares? You can do what’s in your heart to do, no matter what someone else can do. Those others, with different looks, different personalities, different assets and talents are not relevant to you with your personality, your appearance, and your assets and talents. Build confidence in your own accomplishments.

Make them your own.

Hang out with positive people who believe in you and will help you believe in yourself. Invest your support in those people and accept their support of you. People who believe in each other build strong bonds and collaborate well to solve problems. Choose your friends, your coaches, your colleagues from this group. You can’t afford people who defeat themselves daily with their attitude in your life.

Take care of your body. Take inventory on your diet. Remove empty sugar foods from your diet and build it on a variety of flavonoids, heathy fats, good proteins, plenty of pure, clean water, and a low percentage of carbohydrates.

Lean meats like chicken and fish.

Flavonoids like avocados, onions, berries, kale, red cabbage, tea, red wine, dark chocolate

Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, eggs, salmon, mackerel, trout, raw macadamias, almonds, cashews and walnuts.

Get exercise at least 3 times a week. Walking for 30 minutes, jogging, swimming, or playing a sport you love.

The best foods and exercise will help you build your confidence in your capabilities.

Be kind to yourself – Are you someone who beats yourself up after a mistake?

You may know it well: “I’m so stupid! How could I be such a fool?! What an idiot I am! I’ll never succeed.”

Cut out that trash talk. You made a mistake. You’re human…it happens to everyone.

Learn to treat yourself with the same kindness you treat others. You’ll reach success faster if you’re your own best friend. Never tear yourself down. Accept mistakes and determine to learn how to avoid them. How to replace them with successes. You are your own coach, and there is no place for trash talk with a good coach. Get up and try again — as many times as it takes.

Practice good sleep hygiene and learn ways to get your mind and body to relax and rest while you sleep at night — good sleep is essential to overall good health as well as preparing yourself to succeed every day. If you sabotage your wellbeing at night, then try to compensate during the day, it won’t work. Use your nights to prepare you for successful days. Using exercise at the optimal time for your own inner clock so it releases tensions, while not overstimulating your body for sleep is ideal.

Face Your Fears-This may be one of the most prominent elements of building confidence. Facing fears head-on is essential. The opposite — avoiding your fears — sabotages the building of confidence. To recognize you are afraid of something, and then to systematically and purposely try to avoid it, continually rips the rug out from under you. Facing fear takes courage, but then it strengthens your confidence in your own ability to do what you want to do. And when you’ve built competence along the way, fears are less daunting. The confidence you gain from facing fear head-on is something no one can take from you.

There are some things in life that don’t offer a quick fix. Sometimes what’s needed is our investment of effort. The effort may be long term. But the more effort we invest, the more reward we can enjoy throughout our lives.

Lack of confidence isn’t always a psychiatric condition — in fact it usually isn’t. But if you suffer from social anxiety, ketogenic psychiatry can give you the freedom to function around people you don’t know so that you can feel comfortable in your skin and build confidence— in your career, as well as your life.

If you need the extra help Metabolic Psychiatry can provide, call us.

We’re dedicated to helping you enjoy a more rewarding life.

To the restoration of your best self,

April 4, 2022
Inflammation in the Brain with Mood Disorders and COVID

Eric woke up agitated, fighting the darkness that flooded his thoughts. He plodded to the kitchen and tried to keep the defeat and deep irritability at bay. On his good days, Eric could be a somewhat upbeat guy, and his family enjoyed his clever quips. On darker days, he tried to be upbeat but it came across pretty sinister and critical. Eric was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder a few years ago. The parade of medications his doctor prescribed didn’t help him like they seemed to help others. His brain was miserable. It actually stung and itched at times…at least it felt that way. Was it possible to have inflammation in his brain…?

Frankly, Eric was “white knuckling it”… basically doing the best he could.

Because when medicine doesn’t work, you have to use all your strength and your will to hold yourself in control.

His muscles were stiff and clenching, almost involuntarily. At least, he couldn’t tell that he was flexing them. He didn’t know how to describe it, but he sometimes felt his mind and body had called a meeting without inviting him to attend.

As hard as he tried to control himself, sometimes he just couldn’t. His self respect was shot from the life he’d lived, the mistakes he’d made, and the scenes he’d made when his symptoms overwhelmed him. Inflammation in the brain, combined with other bipolar symptoms make it really difficult to live without shame. Especially when medications don’t work.

To make matters worse, the inflammation led to motivational anhedonia — and it was just too hard to care about things he needed to do, or to find energy to exert on those things.

Anhedonia is when your ability to experience pleasure or interest in previously rewarding activities falls away — often dramatically. It’s common for people with psychiatric disorders to experience their motivation drop off. Pleasure and motivation are vital components in living to fulfill goals, and without those, you lack the reward that comes with fulfilling goals…which results in dysfunction.

Was he a monster? No, of course not. The myth of people with bipolar disorder acting like “monsters” is just that. A myth perpetrated by unthinking and uninformed people, devoid of understanding. Eric knew he was soft-hearted, kind to children and pets. Those who knew him best knew his kind heart. And they offered their best support when symptoms loomed too heavy and overwhelming to control. He had friends who said he was the best friend they’d ever had. That was probably because he understood their struggles.

But…why did the medicines not help him when they helped others? Eric and his family didn’t know. But they never gave up hope that a medicine or treatment would be found to make his life endurable.

As the hours droned on, his agitation seemed to be getting worse. It was so hard to remember that his feelings of agitation were symptoms, and not a natural reaction to frustration. Those symptoms felt like real life experiences.

Because they were his real life.

Honestly? It was hard to hold a job because these feelings would invade as he waited tables, and as hard as he tried to cope with the frustration in his job, he’d finally melt down and walk out. Or just as bad, the motivational anhedonia would blanket him and he’d be too shut down to go to work at all.

And then, sometimes his face felt like it was on fire.

On a bad day, he would squeeze his eyes shut, and hold his head in his hands, groaning, “I have fire ants on my brain.” Inflammation in the brain is misery. Of course, this was his own personal metaphor. There were no insects. It was a sensation that occurred. This miserable symptom occurred periodically and was a sign his family recognized as an alert he was about to escalate. When Eric escalated, that might mean he would shout a string of expletives, or roar as he hurled his Coke at the wall.

He didn’t know why this happened, but it was one of a variety of symptoms that made his condition so hard to live with. His family saw it…upfront and personal. (They knew they’d never experienced what he described.) And they respected him for what he endured. It was awful.

When people heard he had bipolar disorder, they would say things like, ”Oh, you have mood swings.” They had no idea what that was like. Unpredictable misery. It had little to do with the “swing” and so much to do with the inflamed misery.

Roger McIntyre, MD, FRCPC, of the University of Toronto and the University Health Network spoke on inflammation in people with mood disorders at a conference last November.

In addition, Dr. McIntyre will be speaking at Ketamine2022 the Ketamine and Related Compounds Conference in Oxford, U.K. on April 4-6.

He pointed out that there is a high prevalence of inflammation in individuals with mood disorders, like depression and bipolar disorder.

He said that 25-30% of people with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder have a CRP (C-reactive protein) level higher than 3mg/l.

That means they’re at risk for cardiovascular disease, for example, because of inflammation.

Dr. McIntyre made the point that individuals with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder are at higher risk to contract, be hospitalized, and even die from COVID-19.

Plus, one third of outpatients with COVID-19 (and half of inpatients with COVID-19) develop a neurologic or psychiatric disorder.

Think about that for a moment. One out of three people you know who’ve had COVID will develop a psychiatric or neurologic disorder.

We’ve got a big crisis looming.

He found that some causes of inflammation in mood disorders include genetics and environmental factors like poverty, cigarette smoke, diet, sleep disturbance, obesity, trauma, and …loneliness.

Yes, even loneliness.

You may have noticed how isolating mood disorders can be. And all that isolation can produce loneliness, which sets you up for inflammation.

Dr. McIntyre recommends ways of treating inflammation like a Mediterranean diet (lots of flavonoids there!), exercise, stronger social ties, and more restful sleep.

Because of the connections between COVID-19 and mood disorders, it’s important to take good care of yourself and the people you love, to avoid more serious complications.

Another issue is obesity. Obesity is more common in people with psychiatric disorders than in other groups.

Obesity and mood disorders are a dangerous combination, especially when combined with COVID-19.

There’s something to be said for throwing out our old view of psychiatric illness, and looking at it through a new pair of lenses.

At Innovative Psychiatry, we have deep and broad expertise in treating bipolar depression and major depressive disorder. And we know the complications COVID and obesity contribute.

We encourage you to take advantage of our ketamine treatment program. Ketamine isn’t magic (and it doesn’t work for everyone), but in our practice, it has been transformative for so many.

When you come for treatment, you’ll be led to a private infusion room where you’ll be carefully monitored. We’re meticulous about keeping our air free of bacteria, viruses (like COVID-19), and molds using plasma cell technology developed by NASA the Department of Defense—we were the first ketamine infusion center in the US to offer this.

When you come to us for treatment, you can rest knowing you’re safe from infection here (no matter what’s going on out there) and you can focus on just getting better.

We’re here to help you, with infusions of a remarkable medicine we use effectively for major depressive disorder, bipolar depression, PTSD, social anxiety, substance and alcohol use disorder, and suicidal thinking.

Treat the mood disorder to reduce the inflammation in the brain.

You’re not isolated and facing your symptoms alone. We’re here to help.

Give yourself the opportunity to get better.

To the restoration of your best self,

March 28, 2022
Breathtaking Ketamine2022: Ketamine and Related Compounds Conference, Oxford, UK April 4-6

It’s coming, and we’ll be there!

This conference, hosted by Rupert McShane, Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Professor, Oxford, UK will be a stunning international hybrid event and the list of speakers reads like the Who’s Who of the field. This is, quite simply, the most important and prestigious conference on ketamine and related compounds for mood disorders and other psychiatric conditions this year.

Period.

And it’s not too late to sign up. Come in person, show up online. Listen and learn from the people who actually break fresh ground. If you are a patient, a study participant, a scientist, scholar, researcher, a doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, anesthesiologist, a policy-maker, journalist, a stakeholder, investor, funder, or regulator…. clear your calendar.

Don’t miss this opportunity.

Experienced researchers and clinicians from all over the world are coming together in a unique forum to talk about… everything. Like what? Like practice-defining large randomized clinical trials, exciting preclinical studies shedding light on mechanism of action, the operation of ketamine clinics, the use of ketamine in the emergency room…. updates about new devices, new forms of administration, regulatory issues, exploration of novel compounds — the breadth and depth is pretty stunning, along with asynchronous presentations, and e-posters. There is so much more, so many more presentations that we can’t describe it all here, but if you are interested, you can be a part of it. You can join us. Stream us. You can be on the cutting edge.

If you remember, the first Ketamine and Related Compounds Conference in Oxford, UK in 2018 proved to be monumental in the findings and research that was presented. Those were early days. Rupert was young. (We were all young–my goodness!) I was there presenting a poster on my earliest findings with using ketamine for suicidal thinking in my own practice. Real world research. Real world results. Later, I published a large retrospective analysis on using ketamine to stop suicidal thinking in the office.

At that first conference in Oxford in 2018, we pointed out how diligently we work in psychiatry. And even more so in the emerging field of therapeutic ketamine for psychiatric conditions, to gather information.

How we read the research, scour the published studies in the field, pore over data, gather and analyze the latest information. We keep up with whatever is happening. The science…. and the misinformation. (And wow, has there been misinformation: sensationalism, commercialization, pseudoscience, hucksters. Be careful out there.)

In those early years, when off-label ketamine treatment for treatment resistant depression was finding its way into real world practice, the common complaint was that there was too little research.

Too little information. Too many unknowns. Not enough data. No clear protocols. Some said it was like the wild west out there.

(Some say it still is.)

But five years and one pandemic later — with war exploding in Ukraine — depression, isolation, suicide, trauma, and anxiety are skyrocketing.

And despite an explosion of research on the mechanisms of action of ketamine, and the use of ketamine for suicidal thoughts, mood disorders, PTSD, alcohol and cocaine addiction….. even with all of that, there are still physicians and therapists who claim there is still too little research on ketamine and related compounds in psychiatry for them to recommend it.

Here’s to bringing them (and you!) important, relevant, game-changing information…. data that is transforming our field, and that we hope will be able to change people’s lives.

What a privilege it was to be in Oxford, UK at the beginning in 2018 exchanging ideas and learning from the world’s leading ketamine researchers, scientists, clinicians and thought leaders! Their work, and the work of many before them, has opened doors for thought-provoking and ground-breaking new treatments in psychiatry.

Now, once again, Ketamine2022 and @Oxfordpsych is presenting the brightest and best international researchers and experienced clinicians on ketamine.

Here are just a few (with big apologies because I can’t do them–and the rest of the best–justice.)

Carlos Zarate from NIMH is kicking off the conference and is an undisputed leader in ketamine research for psychiatric disorders. He’ll speak on glutamatergic modulators and next generation antidepressants. What refreshing hope it brings to look forward to new medicines that will give depressed persons a chance to feel better again.

Roger McIntyre from Toronto will address the real world evidence that supports long term treatment with ketamine, and how the face of depression has transformed in the wake of ketamine treatment. (And he’ll be engaged in what is sure to be a fascinating debate on whether current data in the field supports widespread therapeutic use of ketamine in psychiatry

Jeff Becker and Jason Wallach will speak on a new subcutaneous delivery system they’ve been developing for ketamine. Look how far we’ve come!

And then Jason Wallach comes back again (full of brilliance and passion!) to dive into dissociatives–NMDA receptor antagonism and structure/activity relationships.

I’ll speak on the results from a brand new clinical trial my team and are are conducting using ketamine in the treatment of chronic anorexia — with a therapeutic ketogenic diet (yep! in anorexia) followed by a series of ketamine infusions. (The publication is in the review process, so this is the first sneak peak at the data.)

Gerald Sanacora will present the closing talk, expounding on lessons learned during two decades of ketamine research.

(Let’s just say Rupert knows how to keep people in their seats til the very end!)

But there’s so much more in between!

Lisa Monteggia is talking about the mechanism for rapid and prolonged antidepressant action. You don’t want to miss this!

Chadi Abdallah will present data on PTSD treatment: a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of ketamine in veterans. And how does ketamine affect the connectome?

Pouya Movahed Rad presents ECT vs ketamine: results of a 1 year randomized, open-label trial in resistant depression

Emma Robinson will talk on Filling the Half Empty Glass, referring to ketamine and negative affective bias

David Monks will speak on the results of a feasibility study using ketamine to prevent postpartum depression after a planned C-section

Paul Glue will be talking about the Bedroc Study, using controlled release ketamine tablets for treatment-resistant depression

Rebecca Price will speak on extending the benefit of a single ketamine infusion with automated neurocognitive training

Robert Shoevers will present qualitative data on patient experiences with oral esketamine treatment

Alison McInnes presents real world data from the Osmind data platform

David Barbic’s presentation on Agitation in the ER: an RCT of ketamine vs midazolam

Rod Machado-Vieira presents his work on kynurenine pathway and biomarkers of response to ketamine

Terry Kelly breaks ground with a single, ascending dose study of R-ketamine

Amanda Jones will give a sneak peak at AXS-95, a new oral NMDA receptor antagonist for major depression

Dong Jing Fu will speak on long term efficacy data for esketamine

Esther Hagai introduces an oral form of esketamine for daily at home use (all eyes on this one!) I bet it’ll generate a lot of interest

Gisèle Pickering will talk about using ketamine pain and depression both in RCTs and in real world clinical practice

Polymni Georgiou will present data on how CRF primes the antidepressant response to ketamine and its metabolites

Fabrice Jollant presents the results from a French multicenter RCT using IV ketamine for severe suicidal ideation

Joshua Rosenblatt will speak on whether all depression subtypes respond similarly to ketamine

These descriptions barely scratch the surface. (Apologies to all!) The depth and breadth of the research that is about to be presented is, quite simply, extraordinary.

Treatment of depression, bipolar depression, PTSD, social anxiety, substance use disorders, suicidal ideation has transformed this century. And transformed how we look at things (….like even flavonoids…. social media….. and neglect).

So why do we do this?

Why do we read journals, attend conferences, talk to each other on the phone, compare outcomes, present, and publish our own papers about the therapeutic use of ketamine?

Because people suffer. Because we want to know what else is being discovered to help more people. We want to see people get BETTER who’ve suffered without relief from severe treatment resistant depression, bipolar depression, social anxiety, PTSD, substance and alcohol use disorders, suicidal thinking, and eating disorders.

We want to learn what works and why with ketamine and related compounds. And when it doesn’t work, why not?

So we travel across the world in the midst of a pandemic to sit in a seat and listen and learn and share. Or we tune in to watch the conference online, never wanting to miss a thing.

It’s because of all the researchers who study and publish their findings from every continent that we have such effective treatments in psychiatry now — one of the most groundbreaking being ketamine. Ketamine and other compounds have opened countless doors for patients who suffer.

Jump in. We hope you can attend this breakthrough informative gathering, either in person or online.

To the restoration of your best self,

March 14, 2022
Feeling Anxiety About Ukraine? How Long Will It Last? What Will Putin Do Next?

Remember what you were doing when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center? Or when President Reagan was shot? Well, what about when Putin invaded Ukraine..?

Which time, you ask? For real. That’s a good point. When world changing events occur, they make a lasting impression that stays with us, often for the rest of our lives. And when Vladimir Putin’s forces attacked Ukraine, destroying military bases, airports, and captured Chernobyl, it may have had this kind of impact on you. You likely are feeling anxiety about Ukraine.

Now there’s talk of a great war coming to Europe, and that’s scary to think about. It’s been 80 years since we’ve seen anything like that. And now nuclear warfare is so threatening, we can’t afford a “Great War.”

You may feel angry. Most of us do.

Do you know someone who’s in Ukraine now, huddling in a bomb shelter, or evacuating on a train? Or someone standing in line at a border country, trying to cross over? The helplessness you feel when you have no idea from minute to minute if they’re ok…whether they’re safe…

As the leader of a world power, when Putin invaded the beautiful, peaceful country of Ukraine, he had to know full well the peace-loving countries of the world would would not be passive, right? It leaves us all to wonder, “What’s he thinking?” “What’s next?”

Ok, so what’s the recipe for fear? Create uncertainty, have everything ride on it, rip away supports and familiarity…and attack relentlessly and without warning. Sound familiar? Sounds like Putin’s tactic, doesn’t it?

That’s why you’re afraid. As are people around the world, and especially in Ukraine.

First: our compassion and horror for the citizens of Ukraine rises high as we worry about them.

How far will he go? How long will the bombs continue to be launched and explode? Already he’s attacked not just city centers, but kindergartens, orphanages, a Holocaust massacre site, and hospitals. It’s understandable that you feel anxiety about Ukraine. Right?

This guy breaks all the rules of humanity…and that makes us feel anxiety about Ukraine. And anger. So much anger.

Will the people have food? What about uncontaminated water, when infrastructure is being destroyed? Will they survive? What can you do to help? Those thoughts swirl through your mind around and around.

They do in mine, too.

Peace loving countries will mobilize means of offering aid to the citizens of Ukraine. Surely. Somehow.

But there is so much we don’t know. Outcomes we can’t foresee. And that causes anxiety. The handwringing worry that can rob us of the freedom to live our lives in peace.

We wonder why something like this is happening, and we sit in front of the TV watching news to try to understand, or we scour the internet. In a situation like this — when a world leader doesn’t share our values — there can only be theories as to why he’s doing this. We may or may not guess his motives. Or how far he’ll go. But we’re feeling anxiety about Ukraine… and feel helpless to change the situation.

It’s safe to say that we’re probably all horrified at what we’ve heard and watched and read about Putin’s attacks on Ukraine this past couple weeks. Unprovoked attacks on the peaceful people of that country has probably made you wonder how this could happen…to try to make sense of it.

And to worry what all this might lead to? Broader acts of war in more of the world? Genocide is already happening. How much worse will it get? It’s also so hard to watch something so heinous being imposed on innocent people. Of course you’re feeling anxiety about Ukraine.

But if worry, anxiety, and fear dominate your mind and mine, they can rob our ability to help others.

In the midst of it, you still have to live your life, take care of yourself and your family.

Too much much worry can backfire.

We’ve dedicated our lives to the prevention and treatment of suffering—however we find it. For some people ketamine can provide relief—when their nightmares kick up… when they can’t sleep because new trauma activates old trauma … when they sit glued to their news apps, the TV, Sirius.

So let’s talk about how you can be better for those closest to you. It doesn’t mean we forget what Ukrainians are going through. It just means giving yourself breaks from the TV and internet — and perhaps from the inappropriate guilt you feel because you’re safe and surviving — and maybe just go outside for a little while, go for a walk…. bake or barbecue something for your family.

Breathe.

Find ways to seek balance emotionally when you’re feeling so bombarded with a despot’s unthinkable crimes.

When there are opportunities to send aid to the people there, do that for them. Participate in drives for the people of Ukraine when you see an opportunity. Do something today that is meaningful and purposeful.

Spread goodness.

Acute anxiety about the war can lead to other serious conditions. It can also make your symptoms worse if you already suffer from past trauma with PTSD, for instance. Brooding and obsessing about the war can cause your anxiety to rise.

In fact, even if you’ve never experienced anxiety before, you may be feeling it now for the first time with symptoms like worry, brooding, a rapid heart rate and perspiration that can actually be bad enough to feel like you’re having a heart attack.

What we need in the face of what is going on is resilience, hope, strength, a sense of belonging, a sense that we are not alone, and a generosity of spirit that will give us the courage to do the right thing.

Our heart goes out to innocent people and their families in Ukraine and everywhere where there is suffering.

When you think about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, feeling horrified is palpable. But what if you find yourself growing angry, worrying about what will happen next, whether WW3 is around the corner…just feeling so helpless? What if you have loops of worry spinning around in your mind?

If you have anxiety that is off the charts, and nothing you’ve tried has helped, call us.

The IV ketamine treatment we offer can be a game-changer for you — even when the world is turning upside down. It can give you the power to think productive thoughts that aren’t so dominated by anxiety and fear. It’s remarkable, even extraordinary, what IV ketamine treatment can do for some types of anxiety… for depression… for hopelessness.

We have to be careful and make sure we’re clear: not all the time and not for everyone. But for MOST of the people we see.

We want you to enjoy the freedom to live your life, free of crippling fear, or handwringing worry. After all… you have good things still left to do — for your family and in your life.

Let’s work together to make your life better for you.

To the restoration of your best self,

March 7, 2022
Indicators for Postpartum Depression May Protect Moms and Babes

In addition to the suffering a new mother experiences from postpartum depression, the baby is at risk for lower IQ, increased likelihood of ADHD, slower language development, and increased risk of behavior problems and other psychiatric disorders.

Indicators for postpartum depression — or risk factors, as we might call them — can be identified and treated to possibly prevent this illness. Psychiatric history before pregnancy, psychiatric illness in the family, depression during pregnancy, along with environmental causes including a pandemic, adverse life events like trauma in a family member, or death in the family, and obstetrical outcomes, including baby’s health at birth, can all increase the risk that a mom could develop post-partum depression (PPD).

Jill tried to enjoy her pregnancy during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. While she had many joyful moments, she also worried deeply about the impact of the pandemic on her baby, and whether she, her husband, or her baby would be infected with COVID. Fear that the coronavirus would cause some sort of damage to her unborn child if it invaded her womb.

This was her first pregnancy, and she had no idea when she found out she was pregnant that a pandemic was coming. She was 3 months along when read about the pandemic. The news filled Jill with terror.

Her husband, Jason, wasn’t himself. He was painfully fearful about the pandemic and vented about it all the time. Quite honestly, she wished she had a calm home and calm marriage while she was pregnant. She’d had a tendency to get anxious for years, and little frustrations at work could really set her off with shortness of breath, sweaty palms, neck, and forehead. Her hands would tremble, and her knees would give way.

After a cool drink of water, and the calm reassuring chat with a friend, she could calm down. But until that happened, it was embarrassing.

So when she started showing these same symptoms during pregnancy, she worried. Jill knew it wasn’t good for babies in utero to feel mom’s panic and tension. She worried her anxiety would impact her baby.

Unfortunately, as the months went by, her anxiety and panic attacks grew worse. She just tried to keep her nose above water…. Then finally the baby was born.

Her doctor admitted her to the hospital to induce labor, and after hours of labor, she became more and more anxious. After she entered the transition phase of labor, the monitor revealed the baby was in distress. The nurse and doctor wheeled her to the delivery area. Their baby was born but was not breathing properly.

Jill and Jason felt panic and terror. The respiratory emergency team worked on the baby for 45 minutes then finally took him to the NICU.

After 24 hours, the baby was functioning well, and was pink all over. But it was such a traumatic experience for Jill and Jason, and they worried about the long term effect on their baby.

When they got home it started. The baby cried hard all the time. Exhaustion prevented Jill from enjoying the baby. She was in what seemed a constant state of breastfeeding…without sleep, without peace… and though Jason would walk the baby for hours, Jill still couldn’t fall asleep.

A visit to the doctor when the baby was nine months old resulted in the doctor explaining that her anxiety was sky high and so was her baby’s.

The OBGYN referred them to a group therapy directed by a pediatrician. He encouraged a special schedule to retrain the baby to nurse longer and sleep longer. Within a month the baby was sleeping at night.

Jason and Jill began to sleep. They started to wake refreshed. They were both deeply shaken by the nine months they’d spent with a hysterical baby, and were only cautiously optimistic that it would last.

Jill continued seeing her therapist by telepsychiatry sessions, and trauma from her childhood began to emerge.

Jill is continuing in therapy, and learning more and more about the damage she incurred as an abused child.

Over time, she realized that the postpartum anxiety and depression emerged in the presence of stress, and when the stress eased, she found she had access to old wounds and could get help and heal. She learned a great deal during these sessions, and often deeply wept. Jason felt so enlightened, and was so grateful to see his wife healing. It’s a long process, and while she is steadily learning and healing, more continues to emerge.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found a link between abuse and family dysfunction during childhood which was connected to various risk factors for some causes of death in adults.

Authors of the PPD biomarkers study found that focusing on maternal mental health to treat and relieve illness resulted in mental and physical outcomes for everyone in the family.

Indicators for postpartum depression present a useful method for noting a pregnant woman at high risk for PPD, and treating her symptoms proactively.

To prevent PPD, it’s most effective if it is identified before symptoms emerge. That requires identifying the factors that can contribute to the onset of illness.

Think about the fact that out of every 100 pregnant women, 10-15 will develop postpartum depression. Out of that group, if any of them have risk factors for postpartum depression — such as a history of psychiatric disorder, and are not taking medications — the risk of developing PPD is even higher. In addition, if there is a family history of psychiatric illness, as well as depression during pregnancy, there is a higher risk of PPD.

Add to that environmental risk factors like socioeconomic status, adverse life events — including the impact of a pandemic, and obstetrical outcomes (like a baby not breathing at birth) or a preterm birth.

Notice that we spoke of one indicator for postpartum depression being psychiatric illness without medication. One of the most effective treatments for depression and PPD is IV ketamine treatment. With its action to increase brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to rapidly trigger dendrites and dendritic spines to grow and flourish, and remodel synapses in the brain, ketamine can bring transformation, emotional energy, motivation and initiative, as well as joy to your life. With the renewed joy, you can find you enjoy your baby, and bonding can replace the exhausted, detached feeling you may have had with your baby.

We must mention here that ketamine isn’t for everyone. It’s a treatment that helps some people dramatically, but not all — and like with so many treatments in medicine, we don’t yet understand why. IV ketamine treatment can bring many people with treatment resistant depression, including postpartum depression, into rapid and extraordinary remission. Chances are it can be transformative in your life.

At Innovative Psychiatry, we often see women with indicators for postpartum depression achieve remission with IV ketamine treatment. It’s a joyous, hope-filled, new outlook on life and relationships that can give you the energy you need for your husband and children, and your baby. The ‘funny’ thing about ketamine is that it really seems to be most effective with those whose illness is the most severe. It seems to love to show its power in full transformations.

When you come for ketamine infusions, we’ll meet you at the door and show you to your private treatment room where you can settle in and get comfortable on your recliner designed to help you relax most completely. You may bring your favorite relaxing music and a sweater to stay warm.

You’ll notice an elegant white box inscribed with the word Novaerus sitting on the table. This technology is at work in every room of our practice to protect you from infection of any kind while you’re here. Using plasma cell technology, this process was developed by the Department of Defense and NASA for the Space Station to prevent infection there. It destroys all viruses — including COVID delta, lambda and mu — bacteria, and fungi in the air. (It can even lift Staph aureus from hard surfaces. Amazing!) And our plasma cell technology can keep you safe while you undergo treatment, even during this pandemic.

This safety allows you to relax, not worry, and focus on your treatment, to get the most out of it.

We’ve gone the extra mile to ensure you feel safe and free of risk regarding infection.

Because you need to get better now…and not wait till the COVID pandemic finally comes to an end.

If you recognize the indicators of postpartum depression in yourself, and you think they might have led to the way you’re feeling now, you can get better, feel like yourself again, and enjoy your new baby.

Give yourself the extra boost you need to feel joy.

To the restoration of your best self,

February 28, 2022

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