Category: Ketamine

Articles About Ketamine from Lori Calabrese, MD | The Ketamine Blog

Breakthrough anesthesia medicine proves life-changing for many who suffer from severe mood disorders.

In the last several years, a medicine began to emerge as a remarkable treatment for mood disorders. It was developed and FDA approved for anesthesia around 1970. Over 25 years later… it began to show its colossal hidden ability. What sort of ability? The power to relieve depression and other psychiatric disorders in a most dynamic way. Disorders like PTSD, bipolar depression, postpartum depression, addiction, social anxiety, and even eating disorders respond to this extraordinary treatment that involves a series of IV infusions. And perhaps the most remarkable of all, ketamine infusions can erase suicidal thinking in a few short hours. These articles about ketamine treatment are presented here to dispel stigma about psychiatric conditions and to give hope about treating them.

Early Testing was Cautious

Researchers tested it with trepidation 10-20 years ago. Then each study built upon the last. Their work revealed more insights about what actually causes depression, and how to treat it effectively. Never before has a medicine helped relieve symptoms in such a wide variety of people and their symptoms.

Researchers Still Learning All Ketamine Can Do

Ketamine works in multiple areas and systems of the brain. It improves the function of mechanisms that have been impaired by the stress of depression and anxiety. It helps the G proteins that pile up on lipid rafts in the cell membrane slide to off. This equips them so they can do their job enhancing signal transmission.

It also turns on the mRNA switch which in turn flips on DNA to build up brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF). BDNF then causes synapse connections between neurons to proliferate in turbo mode, transforming and replenishing the connections between brain cells all around the brain, lighting it up with information, cognition, creativity, and insight.

There’s more that it accomplishes, like tamping down the cell bursting in the lateral habenula so you can experience the reward of pleasant moments. We don’t know what researchers haven’t discovered yet, but we look forward to hearing what’s next.

Ketamine Does More Than Bring Relief, It’s Transforming

The results of IV ketamine treatment are transformative. Those who have been weighted under a blanket of lethargic apathy and despair typically find they feel better and better after treatment. They often find they have the energy and motivation to dive into tasks they couldn’t face in recent memory.

More patients with treatment resistant conditions respond to ketamine than any other medicine available. It may sound odd, but the patients it helps the most are those who suffer the most from severe disorders. With continued research, neuroscience researchers and psychiatrists are learning methods of administration that help more and more patients enjoy a rapid and robust response,.

As a result, these individuals enjoy renewed hope. They express amazement at their energy for life and work, and an overall transformation in what they enjoy and are able to accomplish. They report a more balanced and joyful outlook, and the desire to rebuild and strengthen their relationships.

Ketamine is NOT for Everyone

With all the good IV ketamine treatment accomplishes, some people still don’t respond to it at all. The percentage of people who don’t respond is comparatively small, and we need to see more studies that can help explain why.

Why Ketamine Sometimes Doesn’t Work

There are others who have a significant response initially, then the response fades. One reason for that may be they have a deficiency of certain components in their blood. They may have a low folate level, or low testosterone, and some other deficiencies. In cases like this, sometimes replacing those nutrients helps that patient respond to ketamine treatment and experience resilience again. There are even cases where a patient’s blood levels are normal but the levels of certain components in their cerebral spinal fluid is low. By replacing that deficiency, the patient is able to enjoy a very positive and robust response to ketamine treatment.

Neuroscience is gaining knowledge by leaps and bounds in the 21st century. We hope to see more and more medicines that work as well as ketamine for those who have not yet been helped.

These articles about ketamine expand on those things we learn from neuroscience research in the labs, as well as those things we learn from research in our practice.

Male Midlife Crisis? If Depression Results IV Ketamine Can Help

Wait a minute. Male midlife crisis is a psychiatric disorder? No…not exactly. Midlife is a time of life that everyone goes through if they live long enough. Being at midlife isn’t a crisis in itself. But for many, a crisis can strike from a major change of life at that time, like divorce or changes in work or health. For some it’s as simple as aging… noticing gray hair or gaining weight or needing blood pressure medicine… Whatever triggers the crisis, it often spurs a fear of dying in some way. Realizing that you’re mortal and won’t live forever. Feeling like you haven’t achieved by now what you intended to… wondering if you’ll ever achieve your goals. Or if it’s even worth trying. Futility. Dissatisfaction with your life. Feeling hopeless, powerless to change what’s inevitable, like old age, declining health, fearing you’ll reach the point where you’re no longer useful…to anyone.

It makes you feel lonely and isolated. Work is no longer exciting, but a drudgery. And all that work just to pay the mortgage, the electric, gas, and water bills, the internet and grocery bills, clothes for the kids, college.

Where’s the energy, the fun, the hope for the future?

Take Justin.

At 43, he’s worked at this job for 14 years. He’s seen some of his co-workers come and go, but far too many continue to surround him with their bad habits, their complaining, their conflicts in the meeting room, and their bragging. HIs tolerance was running thin.

His long hours didn’t seem to pay off, either. He woke at 5am to shower and dress for work, fought traffic for over an hour to get there, then after a 10 hour day of high stress, fought traffic for an hour and 45 minutes to get home.

By that time, his wife was tired, kids were irritable… and so was he.

On the weekend, his only time off, he spent most of one day mowing the lawn and attending sports games for his kids with what time that was left. Male midlife crisis was beginning to eat at him.

What happened to enjoyment..? What a rat race.

He brought home more money than he’d ever dreamed he would, but it was gone after paying bills… before he got the chance to enjoy it.

As a young man, he enjoyed the thrill of conquest.

Seeing a pretty girl, approaching her with charm, watching her melt under the warmth of his attentions. But now he’d been married 15 years, and the thrill had been replaced by familiarity and responsibility. He wasn’t one to assault his wife’s security with infidelity. He’d made vows, and he had stood by them.

But, he found himself thinking about what it would be like, just once ,to feel the thrill of the hunt again.

Still, he wasn’t about to compromise his marriage or hurt his wife, even though a part of him loathed himself for it.

He thought about other things he could do for a thrill. Like buying a sports car. Or a motorcycle — a powerful luxury one — so he could feel the power between his legs at night on the open road. Maybe a boat. Which would offer the most “bang” for the buck?

Restlessness grew inside him as male midlife crisis progressed

Gray hair was gathering at his temples, and the sight of it made him realize he was past his prime. He expected to be in upper management by now, maybe even in the C suite. While he had a group of sharp employees reporting to him, many of them with masters degrees or higher, he still felt like a worker bee.

Over the next few months, his wife often looked into his eyes, searchingly.

Like she was trying to read his soul.

Finally, one day he approached her.

“Jen, I want to pull from our retirement savings account and buy a motorcycle. So we can have something to look forward to. Something nice, big, and powerful. We could go out at night and ride in the country. We need some sort of pleasure.”

“A motorcycle, Justin? Seriously? You’ve never shown interest in motorcycles… Where’s this coming from?”

Justin opens up

“I feel like I’m getting old. For the life of me, I can’t find any fun in life anymore. I do nothing but work at a job I’m fed up with, work in the yard, and go to the kids games. Nothing is for pleasure. My dad died at 54, which is not that far off for me. I wonder if we’ll both live long enough to actually need our retirement money. What does it all mean if all we do is work, then die?

“Remember the passion we used to have? The excitement? Where is it? I love the kids, and wouldn’t trade for them, but since they were born there’s been nothing for us anymore. I guess it’s been getting to me lately…

“Half the time, I lie in bed at night with my mind spinning, instead of sleeping. I can’t seem to turn it off. Then, day after day after week I drag through work exhausted. Call it midlife crisis in men if you want to — but all I know is that I’m sick of it.”

“Justin, honey, I really sympathize with what you’re feeling. I can imagine your work seems thankless at times. You’re a good man. And you do take such good care of this family. At the same time, it worries me to spend money out of our retirement savings on something as frivolous as a motorcycle. You are in that proverbial male midlife crisis age group, it’s true… but I have no idea if that’s going on with you or not.

“You’ve always been such a stickler about our saving for the future, and it’s surprising to hear you wanting to spend down that fund. It worries me.”

“Jenn, I think I regret not taking that promotion four years ago. It would have required our moving out of state and we wanted to keep the kids’ lives stable in school and with friends. We made the decision to stay here for their sakes, but my career seemed to stall as a result.

“Quite honestly, I’m haunted by the ol’ saying, ‘what might have been…’ We’ll never know but the excitement and challenge of the trajectory I was on has died down to drudgery, sameness, routine nothingness. I’m bored. Disappointed.”

He slammed his drink down on the table hard.

Alarmed, Jen shot him a look.

“Let’s keep talking, Justin… I don’t know what the answer is, but I ache that you’re suffering. I’ve been so busy for so long, I wasn’t in touch with what you were going through.”

Justin went off by himself under the pretense of organizing the garage. He just sat and stared ahead in the gasoline tainted air. He’d felt himself sinking for a good while. The motorcycle idea was his way of trying to find some release.

It looked like that wasn’t going to go anywhere.

Life was quickly losing its luster. Justin’s appetite diminished, because food tasted like cardboard…sawdust. Nothing. His responsibilities at work seemed to become overwhelming. He thought about death more and more, and about those he knew who had died. What had been a tragedy before was now overwhelming as he tried to wrap his head around what dying would be like.

Jen noticed a marked decline in Justin’s engagement in their lives. He seemed withdrawn, detached, and maybe even despondent.

She decided to invite his boss and wife over for dinner…hoping maybe it would give Justin a lift. Ed and Lizzie were solid, enjoyable people in their late 50’s and she felt like she and Justin needed an infusion of positivity in their lives.

The evening was going somewhat smoothly, in spite of how quiet Justin was. Finally, Ed turned to Justin directly and asked, “How’s life treating you?”

Justin replied, “Fine.”

Midlife Crisis in Men is Common

“When I was your age, Justin, I struggled. I don’t know what it’s like for you, but for many of us, the 40’s are no piece of cake. I questioned everything…my career, my marriage, my kids, my purpose. There were rough waters to navigate. I’m so grateful to Lizzie for riding it out with me. She couldn’t fix it, but she got me to go for counseling to help me resolve my disappointments with life, my fear of losing my purpose, and that horrific issue of missing the life of a young buck.

“You’re at the proverbial midpoint in your life, Justin. Do you think about it?”

Justin stirred, then crossed his legs. “If I were honest, I’d have to say yes.”

“Well, if you do, just know you’re normal. The hard part is to not make rash decisions when this is going on. I’ve known many men who lost their marriages. For me, the counseling helped. I also became depressed for awhile and sought treatment for that, too.”

The conversation turned to sports and then gardening. Overall, it was a pleasant evening, though Justin seemed withdrawn and irritable after they were gone. He got up and went to bed.

Jen realized she needed to give him space.

However, over the next few days he searched online about midlife, male midlife crisis, depression treatment, and anxiety.

He read several articles that differentiated between midlife reevaluation and depression, but hinted that depression could result when a guy determined to avoid bad decisions, and turned his anger and disappointment onto himself.

“Hmmmm…”

Ok, so this is something you don’t have to ruin your life over…rather…you can get some help.

He figured he needed to do something about the depression (if that was going on), if it was possible.

And he probably needed some sort of counseling to help him come to terms with all his regret and disappointment. He didn’t want to upset his family’s security and stability by losing his job or his marriage… even though a voice inside him screamed RUN!!

Justin learned that a prominent treatment for depression was IV ketamine treatment. So he called to find out more at a psychiatric practice with a strong reputation he found.

Then he googled psychotherapy for male midlife crisis, and a number of links appeared. He read their websites, and chose one who seemed to have an approach he could relate to.

With the help of the ketamine infusions, the dark cloud – that seemed to hold his outlook hostage – cleared away, and he felt hopeful again, even joyful. It had been a long time since he’d felt joy about anything.

In therapy, over the next year, he came to peace about his life, his age, his purpose, and the people he loved. He and Jenn did actually buy that motorcycle, and enjoyed day trips often. But they made the decision together to make time for themselves, individually and as a couple.

As his sense of purpose improved, so did his performance at work, and a promotion was offered to him before long that was in the same building, with a pay increase. It didn’t make him rich, but it sure did improve his ambition.

The future looked brighter.

A year later, Justin had lunch with Ed and told him how much his comments about male midlife crisis had been a lifeline to him, and how he appreciated Ed’s candor at a time when he couldn’t offer the same.

Ed just said, “Pay it forward, Justin. It’s great to hear you’ve got your fire back.”

And you?

Everyone goes through midlife, if you’re lucky enough to live that long. It can feel like the end, but it’s really the beginning of the rest of your life. And, it’s the time when you get to use the wisdom you’ve fought hard to gain during your first half of life.

But it can be a time when you feel bad for awhile. Confused, disillusioned, disappointed, frustrated, and sad.

If you can get support to help you navigate the feelings, and seek treatment if depression and/or anxiety become a problem, you can hopefully come out on the other side wiser, more settled, and at peace.

If you can relate to Justin and his struggles, if you’re suffering from depression or anxiety symptoms, call us.

Midlife is just a name for a milestone in your life, and can be manageable with the right support.

That’s what we’re here for. To support your best and rewarding life.

To the restoration of your best self,

July 3, 2023
IV Ketamine for PTSD Symptoms from Severe Abuse Trauma

Celeste quivered in the dark recesses of the closet… trying to breathe ever so quietly. She didn’t want to alert her husband to her hiding place. His violent assaults had become more and more severe…she could feel her eye throbbing and her lip swelling, but the worst was the soreness in her neck. He had almost crushed her airway this time. She knew if he found her he might finish her off. So she tried to breathe without making a sound. It was hard. She was terrified — and knew that this kind of severe abuse trauma leads to PTSD, but she couldn’t worry about that now.

Then, unexpectedly the closet door opened.

She froze.

Cam pushed the hanging clothes aside and peered into the darkness. She prayed he wouldn’t see her.

Then, with horror, she felt his hand close around her ankle, and he jerked her out of her hiding place by her leg. Her head bumped the wall as she was dragged out. She screamed.

He dragged her to the cat’s litter box and holding her hands behind her back he forced dirty litter into her mouth and down her throat. Celeste choked and coughed. Then gagged. She scrambled to get her feet under her so she could run, but he tackled her and forced her to the floor. He wrapped his arm around her neck and she could feel her airway closing off. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.

She went limp.

Cam loosened his hold to see what was going on. She took advantage of that split second he was off-guard, then twisted and kicked him in the stomach with all her strength. She spotted her keys on the table and pushed to her feet as she ran for the front door, grabbing the keys on the way. Out the door, into her car, she started it and threw it into gear. Celeste took off with tires squealing.

She looked in the rearview mirror. There was no sign of him.

She turned at one corner, then the next, trying to disappear. Then she turned her car toward the highway.

Celeste drove and drove, trying to calm down, but she was still shaking. The scenes of the morning played over and over in her mind. Terror that he would find her, pull up behind her on the road, kept her rigid with fear. She knew this kind of severe abuse trauma wasn’t normal in a relationship. She just couldn’t find a way to escape it, until now.

She exited at a random exit, and drove west until she reached another highway, then got on it and kept driving. Thank God there was gas in the tank.

He mustn’t find her.

After 2 hours of driving, she finally began to become calmer. With no where else to go, she called her Mom’s cell phone.

The sound of her mother’s voice made her tear up and her voice wavered.

“Mom, I’ve left him. Can I come to your house?”

“Of course, honey!! Where are you?”

“I’m not sure…I’ve been driving. I thought he was going to kill me this time…”

“Oh Celeste, honey, how horrible! I’ll help you. I’ll do whatever. I’m so glad you’re taking a stand to save yourself. Would it help if I met you somewhere?”

“No, Mom. I just want to come to you and be in a safe place. I need to park my car in the garage so if he drives by he won’t know I’m there.”

“Ok. That makes sense. Stay on the phone with me and talk while you drive so you don’t feel alone.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.”

In 45 minutes, Celeste pulled into her mom’s driveway.

She saw the garage open, so she pulled in and her mom, Jill, was there when she got out of the car. They closed the garage door and went into the house and locked all the doors.

Over the next few weeks, Celeste cried, slept, ate, and slept some more. For the first time, she described to her mom the violence, fear, confusion, and terror that had been her life for the last two years. All of the severe abuse trauma seemed to engulf her.

Her mom had encouraged her to file a report with the police the day after she arrived, so they’d have pictures of her black eye, swollen lip and cheek, and bruised neck and chest.

It was hard. She loved him, or so she thought. She had not told anyone about the violence… to protect him. Letting go of that protection and loyalty – to take care of herself – was extremely difficult.

She didn’t want him to continue hurting her, but she didn’t want to hurt him, either.

Still, she saw his car drive by the house a few times over the next few weeks. She hired a lawyer to help her with a restraining order, and she never went anywhere alone.

She felt so vulnerable.

Celeste found herself jumping at unexpected sounds, loud noises, voices when she didn’t realize someone was nearby. When she ran into an old friend in a grocery store, the friend hugged her and patted her back. She froze, broke out in sweat and began to shake.

She slept very little, lying in her bed tense and wide awake, and plagued by a rapid cycle of thoughts, memories, fears. When she did fall asleep, she had nightmares of Cam and soon woke up again.

She knew in her head she was living in a safe place now, but Cam seemed all-powerful to her, and she expected he could turn up anywhere at anytime…and she believed he’d kill her.

She found she was too terrified, more and more, to step outside the house. Walking to the mailbox to collect the mail made her feel terribly vulnerable, so she stopped doing it. Trips to the grocery store became too threatening, so she stayed home. Severe abuse trauma choked her when she considered leaving.

After awhile, she found she only felt safe in her bedroom.

So she stayed there. All the time.

Her mom watched her emotional state deteriorate more and more. She brought meals to her room, gave her plenty of time to herself, and sat with her on her bed sometimes to talk and offer moral support.

Finally, Jill got on her laptop and searched for an understanding of the symptoms she saw in Celeste. The hypervigilance, tension, and insomnia… her reaction to being touched, patted, or spoken to… her fear of leaving the house, then her room.

She felt gut punched and choked all over again. Apparently, 2 years of trauma had taken a toll.

PTSD from severe abuse trauma seemed the best explanation.

Jill talked to her about it and what she learned. She bought a book about it for Jill to read in hopes it would help her understand herself and her fears.

She also learned there was an effective treatment for PTSD using IV ketamine treatment.

IV Ketamine for PTSD

She read one article after another that explained neuroscience studies about how IV ketamine treatment can bring remission to symptoms of PTSD. The jumpiness, the panic, the fear and anxiety, the depression.

After printing off a pile of articles, she went to her daughter and told her what she’d found. She told her she was also searching for a place where Celeste could receive ketamine treatment.

Celeste started scanning the articles, writing notes in the margins as she read.

She began to feel hope that life could be better.

The idea that she didn’t have to live in a prison of fear and panic opened a window in her mind and light and fresh air streamed in.

She learned about how the stress of severe abuse trauma wears down the synapses or connections between brain cells, called neurons. That the neurons rely on those connections to send signals around the brain, communicating from one region to another. When those connections are lost, the signals can no longer be transmitted, and depression grows.

Cognition, courage, creativity, and hope all rely on those connections. The result is poor concentration, fear, panic, despair, and hopelessness… a cluster of PTSD symptoms. A cluster in general.

Celeste asked her mom to help her find a psychiatrist who treat her with IV ketamine treatment.

IV Ketamine Treatment

With her mom’s help, they found a practice within a couple hours drive and called to make an appointment.

There were other clinics closer to her home that offered ketamine treatment, but she wanted a prominent psychiatrist who understood her condition and could guide her as she received treatment. It felt safer.

After the first three infusions which were 3 days apart, Celeste couldn’t really feel any difference, and she began to worry. She read more articles about how long it should take to feel better, went online, started panicking that it wasn’t going to work….and then learned that everyone is different. Some feel a little better the first day, others after a couple treatments, others later than that… so she told herself to be calm and patient. It was hard to hold on to hope.

After the 5th treatment, it was as if a light began to turn on inside her. She felt slightly less nervous, less fearful, less panicky.

After that, with each treatment, she felt better and better. After 8 treatments, she felt remarkably better and noticed in the following couple weeks the improvement continued.

She decided to attend a therapy group of others who had suffered from PTSD. And it helped for awhile, then she didn’t feel as well as she had.

Sometimes a booster is the ticket

About a month after her last treatment, she seemed to be feeling shaky again, as the severe abuse trauma seemed to begin to surface again. So she called for a booster infusion. Once again, after that she improved dramatically again until she felt more like her old self than she had in a number of years.

Cam was arrested for assault, evidence was collected, and the case was built with her help and numerous visits to the D.A. Without ketamine, she could not have left the house, much less gone to his office for meetings to build the case.

As it happened, Cam was sentenced to 3 years in prison, which gave Celeste time to rebuild her life to some degree. But most importantly, she could live in peace with her surroundings, and her emotions.

The panic attacks subsided, her hope grew, and she decided to go back to school to get her law degree so she could help people who have been through what she had.

She could breathe again, and she looked forward with joy.

Do you know someone who suffers from PTSD?

IV ketamine treatment can do wonderful work in your brain cells and their synapses to soothe PTSD symptoms. In fact, it can help you achieve remission.

If you’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, or can identify with Celeste’s symptoms, and nothing you’ve tried has helped, call us.

One of the most effective treatments for PTSD today is IV ketamine treatment. We’ve been watching people like you recover from PTSD symptoms for years with the IV ketamine treatment we provide.

If you’ve been through severe trauma and fear has made your life feel like a prison, let us help you receive this remarkable treatment, so you can find freedom from the symptoms that keep you from living the life you deserve.

We’re all about helping you move forward with joy.

To the restoration of your best self,

June 26, 2023
When You Feel Alienated By Your Angry Child

Ben slammed the door with a resounding bang. “I’m outta here!!” He called over his shoulder as he charged down the street. Jill, his mom, felt defeated. She had tried so hard to be reasonable, caring, and sensitive to his mood. But apparently she had stepped on his toes, an error which had become a routine event lately. She didn’t understand why Ben was in such upheaval these days. She didn’t feel like she knew him anymore. Who are you and what have you done with my son?? she thought to herself. It’s tough when you feel alienated by your angry child.

It all started when he began high school. She and Ben had always been close, and shared a love of fishing, cooking, and watercolors. Since Ben was 10, they’d taken watercolor classes together and both had improved in their skill. Both of them had framed masterpieces hung around the house. And, since Friday night wasn’t a school night, they cooked dinner together as often as they could. They fished a couple times a month on weekends when weather permitted, and enjoyed coming home, cleaning the fish, and cooking it with corn on the cob and spinach salads.

But since Ben had started high school, it was as if he had no respect for her, no regard for her view points, or the boundaries she had always set. She felt so alienated by her angry child.

It hurt.

She knew that teens had conflict with their parents as they set out to find themselves, differentiate themselves as individuals from their parents. She knew that. But this seemed worse… more extreme somehow.

Scenes like this one, where he ran out banging the door and disappearing, were becoming more and more commonplace. But why?

Why was he so angry?

What was it that caused him to resent her so deeply?

After a year of his sullen withdrawal, his berating of her, and the complete absence of the bond they had always shared, the hurt she felt grew so overwhelming, that she began to withdraw, too. Her efforts to talk to him, listen to him, had proven futile.

Ben seemed to want nothing to do with her, and was not willing to express why he was so angry. Jill wracked her brain to figure out why.

After her husband had left, she had struggled from the pain, abandonment, and overall loss. For Ben’s sake, she had tried to rise above her pain and give him the happy childhood he deserved. Hence, the fishing, cooking, and art.

They enjoyed hiking together, camping near a river, and catching their dinner. So many wonderful memories were created in those years. Memories that also helped her move forward.

She knew Ben didn’t grasp her loss and grief… but she also knew she couldn’t grasp his. They both tried to understand, be compassionate and patient, and reach out for moments of joy.

It had worked, until the last year.

Jill’s gallant fight to rise above her grief finally began to crumble. Her own home felt like a war zone, and she was baffled as to why. Home was supposed to be a refuge from the harshness of the world, but hers had become a place where she was always on edge and isolated from love. Isolated and alienated by her angry child.

She had always tried to make it a refuge for Ben, and hadn’t anticipated “home” coming to this. Her loving effort to infuse joy into her son’s life just started to weaken. In the isolation she found herself in, disillusionment disintegrated into depression.

The pain of it was too much, and she felt herself giving up.

But she knew that Ben was in a vulnerable place in his life. He was a teenager and needed support and love and understanding to navigate all he was facing. But her energy for trying to help was waning. She didn’t know what to do to rise above all this. And she worried that other teenagers were his only input.

She could feel herself becoming numb…. not caring anymore about anything. Jill got on her laptop to explore what was happening to her, impairing her ability to show unconditional love to her son in his time of such need.

She tried googling the way she felt and what she could identify: isolation, loss, hurt, numbness, reduced energy… and a bucket of diseases came up. Jill instinctively knew that most of them weren’t relevant, but then she saw an article about the grieving process.

She recognized herself in the symptoms it described.

And she learned that if the grief process becomes stalled for some reason, it can funnel into depression. She started reading more about depression, and realized it sounded like a fit for what was happening to her.

Then she looked for treatment for depression — and learned that medications are helpful to some people, but at least 30-40% get little to no benefit from medication, so alternative treatments are often required for real relief.

The most promising alternative treatment she found was IV ketamine treatment.

She found listings of psychiatrists in her area, so she cross-referenced psychiatrist with ketamine treatment and found someone who seemed to offer it.

During a consultation appointment, the doctor diagnosed her with major depressive disorder, and they talked about medicines and treatments. They agreed to see what ketamine treatment could do for her.

By her third infusion, she began to see things differently.

She talked to Ben about her treatment, and that she believed it was helping. She was able to approach him in a newer, better way and he responded. As they talked she learned he was being bullied at school — she didn’t know! — and had been teased about the relationship he had with his mom, and so he had just slowly withdrawn.

Poor guy. In his effort to defend himself against the bullies, he had stripped himself of his most loyal supporter.

This discussion seemed to improve their line of communication, though Ben remained guarded. But, it was a start.

Jill continued with her infusions, realizing that to be who she wanted to be for her son, she needed to take care of herself. The process of it all also helped her change the way she saw herself in her son’s life — to being a support person for the life he wanted to build, rather than an integral part of everything. And she began to feel hope that should wouldn’t always be alienated by her angry child.

She learned to let go, to some degree.

She received 8 infusions in all, and went back for booster infusions twice, a month apart. By this time, Jill was feeling resilient again, and that continued to grow. She found a way to talk with Ben about how he was feeling, in the face of what was going on at school.

Ben could see a huge improvement in his mom’s outlook and attitude, and he began to wonder if this treatment could help him, too. They talked about it, and made an appointment with the same doctor, who diagnosed depression and social anxiety, and told Ben that ketamine treatment might help a great deal.

But before they set up his infusion schedule, she impressed upon him and his mom that ketamine doesn’t help everyone. However, she believed there was every reason to hope it would help him. Still, they would have to see.

The evening after his first infusion, Ben admitted to his mom that he’d been having thoughts of suicide, but they seemed to be gone now. He had been too afraid to talk about it, but now that they were gone, that in itself was such a great relief.

He felt a subtle improvement with each infusion and by the 4th, he was feeling like smiling again. He joked with his mom on the way home, and they both laughed. How refreshing that was! She was getting inklings of a time when she would not feel alienated by her angry child. That her child wouldn’t always be angry, but could find peace.

Jill didn’t take it for granted.

She asked Ben about friends he had, anyone he actually enjoyed. He mentioned one friend he trusted. Jarrad. She suggested that he invite him for pizza, and if that went well, how about a camping/fishing trip?

By this time, Ben was feeling better, more confident, and less withdrawn. They set it up and they all had a great time.

As time went by, Ben and his mom had plenty of bumps in the road. Because, after all, he was busy in the process of growing up and becoming independent. But they were always able to talk, treat each other with respect, and truly want the best for each other.

Through the crucible of the year Ben was 15, Jill had learned about allowing him to set boundaries and she treated them with respect. In turn, he had learned that his mom had his back and respected the young adult who was emerging.

They had both suffered deep loss, but they learned, with the help of ketamine treatment, that life can move forward. And that it should.

What about you?

Do you find that the transitions your child goes through make you feel isolated? Have you experienced loss so profound it has interfered gravely with the course of your life? Your ability to function?

If you can identify with all that Ben or Jill went through, and nothing you’ve tried has helped, call us.

Life is hard. Not all the time, but sometimes it really is. And sometimes when it’s hard, the shock and loss can feel crippling.

But there’s help.

We’re here to help you cross the bridge from isolation and incapacitation to freedom, confidence, and hope.

Let us help you experience your best.

To the restoration of your best self,

May 8, 2023
The Metabolic Mind Video about Anorexia

We’ve talked before about our work with Caroline to help her recover from anorexia nervosa, and the subsequent pilot study with 5 women who had suffered from anorexia for many years. In both cases, we used a combination of a nutritional intervention that created therapeutic nutritional ketosis without weight loss and IV ketamine infusions to silence the anorexic voice. Recently, we participated in an interview on a video posted on twitter by Bret Scher, M.D., on a Metabolic Mind broadcast.

Dr. Scher interviewed three of the five of us who co-authored the pilot study: Barbara Scolnick, M.D., Guido Frank, M.D., Ph.D.

The idea behind the whole project was really sparked by Barbara Scolnick, MD. Barbara is Caroline’s aunt and had been searching for a way to help Caroline since she was a teenager.

Caroline began to suffer from the symptoms of anorexia when she was 14, and though her family helped her to get treatment, nothing worked. Even if she gained weight in treatment, she would lose it again once treatment was over. She had a drive to starve.

The “Anorexic Voice”

The problem was the need to silence the anorexic voice that mercilessly shamed and berated her for eating.

By the time Caroline was 30, she told her aunt she couldn’t live like this the rest of her life. Something had to change. She wanted help to find a way out of anorexia after suffering from it for 15 years. But, like most of those who suffer with anorexia, Caroline was afraid of food. The “voice” of anorexia convinced her that eating anything would make her disgusting and contemptible. So she had come to live on a few peanut m&m’s a day.

Barbara realized that the ketones Caroline’s body produced seemed to make Caroline feel good. At least at first. That the state of starvation felt “right” to Caroline. So Barbara first suggested Caroline take a dose of MCT oil daily to see if the ketones that came from it would help her.

Adding ketones to cells seemed to help

Caroline reported that, in fact, she did feel better as she took the MCT oil. The ketones were helping. She believed she was getting better. But not enough better. So Barbara and Caroline flew to see Beth, a registered dietitian Barbara had met a few years before in her search to understand what a therapeutic ketogenic diet might be able to do to help Caroline.

Beth taught Caroline about this way of eating small meals packed with nutritious fats to increase the load of ketones Caroline’s cells had at their disposal. And while Caroline started with small servings, she realized that this keto diet that made other people lose weight, did not make her lose weight. She said, “See? My body IS different!”

After some time eating these ketone producing meals – not a weight loss diet! – Caroline realized she was feeling even better still.

But there was a problem.

At times, while she was eating this way, she would say she was getting her old familiar “voice” back (the real Caroline). But the anorexic voice wasn’t fully gone.

So Barbara contacted me, to talk about adding IV ketamine infusions to Caroline’s therapy. By this time, Caroline’s weight was stable, but she was still plagued by the cruel, shaming anorexic voice. We hoped that the neuroplasticity that ketamine created would reduce the anorexic voice.

IV ketamine infusions

And so we started IV ketamine infusions. We were all learning together with her, as we sought to find a treatment that would work. In other words, a treatment that would erase the anorexic voice.

After the 3rd infusion, Caroline woke up the next morning and that shaming voice was silent. Gone!

She told me she didn’t think she needed any more ketamine, and felt like she had found a cure! But we did one more infusion for good measure.

Caroline felt elated!

And so were we.

After Caroline experienced such wonderful results, we began to talk about expanding this protocol with more people.

Caroline entered remission that lasted for months and months for the first time since she was 14. And she worked with us to design and carry out a pilot study as we sought to see if a small group of anorexia sufferers could experience similar results from therapeutic nutritional ketosis, and we followed that up with a series of ketamine infusions, like we did for her. Caroline’s support role for the participants turned out to be invaluable. Could we silence the anorexic voice?

Beth Zupec-Kania, the registered dietitian who specializes in ketogenic diet therapy, and who helped Caroline, designed a similar dietary intervention — like the one Caroline used — for the women in our pilot study. We carefully screened and chose 5 adult women who had suffered from anorexia for years, and were medically stable.

We invited them into a home setting, where we talked, prepared meals together, and ate together— 3 meals a day plus two snacks. All of the women helped prepare these ketogenic meals, and actually achieved ketosis by the end of the weekend… and it happened so gently and beautifully.

Then, they went home and continued it with peer coaching, to maintain ketosis without weight loss, for 4 to 8 weeks. At that point, they received a series of ketamine infusions.

Conquering Fear of Food

Keep in mind that fear of food, fear of eating because of the fear of gaining weight, is a primary characteristic of anorexia. So for these women to participate in a study that was very different from the “all good is good food” approach they’d had in treatment settings, they wanted assurance they wouldn’t gain weight from eating fat.

Fat is a four letter word for a lot of people with anorexia.

Because they had anorexia, we wanted to assure that they wouldn’t lose weight. We didn’t want it to backfire and kick up their anorexia.

That’s the beauty—and the challenge—of this dietary intervention: because the keto diet is famous for making people lose weight who WANT to lose weight, they were reassured that they would not gain. So they were willing to try this.

It wasn’t “a diet.” It was a ketogenic metabolic therapy — an approach used as a medical treatment— in this case, to reduce psychiatric symptoms associated with anorexia.

Happily, we got to witness wonderful outcomes from our work with these women. Then we wrote the paper together and published it. We’re so thrilled to have it out so that others can see our results, and spread the word about the continuing research that still needs to be done to bring this treatment safely to those who need it.

Through this experience with Caroline and the women in our pilot study, we’ve come to recognize that the core of this illness … that thing we target to bring to remission… is the “anorexic voice.”

That even though a patient with anorexia may go into residential treatment and begin to eat and gain weight, once they are home from treatment, they often loses the weight they have gained…because of the cruel anorexic voice.

To silence the anorexic “voice”

In Caroline’s case, it seemed the dietary intervention provided the ketones her brain needed and even hungered for, but it wasn’t enough until ketamine infusions silenced the voice. Still… can the voice be truly silenced without the therapeutic ketone dietary intervention? And what about our ketogenic metabolic therapy alone, without ketamine infusions? Can that work by itself as effectively as the combination did? We need studies that explore these and many more questions. And carefully controlled studies involving larger populations of people are also needed.

And these studies need to be conducted with strict supervision and care.

Dr. Frank pointed out that we don’t know what causes anorexia or depression, and the symptoms of both can overlap. In addition, anxiety plays a large role in anorexia.

But he emphasized that what you eat can change your brain. He is interested in dopamine. And neurotransmitters like dopamine can be normalized in the neurons by certain fats added to the diet. We can learn so much more by studies along this line.

I often tell my own patients that we all start out with big, beautiful neuronal trees, branched out in gorgeous canopies. These broad, luscious branches become continually pruned by stress, trauma, inflammatory processes, and anxiety. As this happens, we have symptoms of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and more.

Neuroplasticity can help us find a way out.

If you can reduce inflammation through a therapeutic ketogenic diet, enhance GABA through a therapeutic ketogenic diet, provide emotional and metabolic support throughout this with per counseling and medical and psychiatric supervision… and put this together so that patients flourish metabolically, you might SPARK something that gets neuroplasticity going through BDNF (brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor). Then you may have real possibility for growth to happen. And that new dendritic growth can get myelinated by the lipids (healthy natural fats) that you’re eating on a ketogenic metabolic therapy that you weren’t eating before.

Don’t Try This At Home

We see enormous hope to silence the anorexic voice. But this protocol isn’t something to do on your own. Anorexia is a metabolically dangerous condition that must be managed very carefully. We need a foundation of extensive research to establish a safe protocol before this treatment is widely applied.

And we do hope to see this effective treatment for anorexia nervosa emerge through more research.

If you have symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, or suicidal thoughts that aren’t being helped, call us.

We address brain energy and how therapeutic nutritional ketosis as well as IV ketamine treatment can help a variety of psychiatric conditions every day through the arms of our Metabolic Psychiatry and Ketamine treatments.

We’re on a mission to find new ways to help you get better and live your best life.

To the restoration of your best self,

April 24, 2023
It’s Never Too Late to Heal from Brokenness and Failure

Caryn lay in bed, looking around the room. She’d been here in this bed for months. The mess had piled up from doing so little, and her finding no initiative to get up and do anything. No energy, either emotionally or physically. She looked across the room at the pile of clutter collected on her desk. She’d never lived like this before. She liked a tidy house, but had just been enduring…surviving…for the past year. (How could she heal from the brokenness and failure that overwhelmed her?) Her closest friends had known her for many years, and knew this wasn’t like her. They instinctively knew something was wrong. She thought that surely she could get up and just start putting things away from the top of that dresser, but when she tried, she gave up in a few minutes. It was just too much.

She had a history of periods of depression, but Caryn had finally seen a psychiatrist when she was in her 40’s. After a few tries they’d found an antidepressant that helped. That one medicine had helped her feel like herself again, and supported her through the ups and downs of life. When a loved one had died, she was sad and she grieved a good while. But she still functioned. It wasn’t like the depressions that used to cut her off at the knees anymore… until now.

Antidepressant Just Stopped Working

But now, for whatever reason, the antidepressant had stopped working. She couldn’t sleep… but lay awake through the nights with her mind racing. All too often, she saw the sun rise, as she soaked in despair.

And she seemed to keep plunging deeper. Caryn lived alone, and the pandemic had isolated her in her house. She found herself revisiting memories from her life. She thought about a string of incidents that took place with various loved ones. Her sister, her children… her parents.

And though she’d always been a generally kind and understanding person, she wasn’t perfect. She knew that. But the excursions through her mountain of memories took her on deep dives into the depths of what occurred in those incidents. It seemed her insights were heightened and distorted, and she found herself privy to how her oversights and less than sensitive responses to people she truly cared about had caused them deep hurt.

She hadn’t realized at the time, but now all these mistakes came flooding in.

She couldn’t bear to think she had scarred people she loved. Could they heal from her mistakes? Could she heal from such brokenness…. Such failure? The more she thought about these incidents in the past, the darker she felt. Her energy for life seemed to drain away.

Her husband had left her when the children were growing up, and she had been devastated. When he left, her belief in herself – and her sense of worth – went with him. If she had been a valuable person, he would have wanted to be with her. At least, that seemed obvious to her at the time. She suffered that her poor children had had to grow up with only her as a parent.

When her children were born, she believed in herself and her talent as a wise and loving parent. But now those beliefs seemed to dismantle and disintegrate by the day, and she became increasingly more convinced that she had utterly failed them all.

The more she thought about it, the darker she became inside. And the darker her outlook, the more numb she felt.

Sometimes the memories of the business she had built flooded her. Talk about failure. Could she ever heal from it and the brokenness that had replaced it? She was on her game back then. She’d overcome her divorce grief to build a worthwhile business that performed an important service.

She had pushed through her fears and had developed a client list of Fortune 500 companies. She flew around the country solving IT problems, while managing a team of 24 contractors who did the same. Her company’s reputation for clean, fast, and brilliant solutions grew fast and she enjoyed a level of income and respect she’d never dreamed.

Then, the software her team supported became less popular after 12 years, and the need for their skills waned. They worked together to build new, more marketable, skills for the current market, but their expertise wasn’t as deep, and their reputation suffered. For four more years she held onto her business with white knuckles, until she had to close it.

She had been devastated. Stripped bare.

Now, the pandemic was subsiding.

But as she lay in bed, she felt like she would drown in the pain of those failures. Her sense of inadequacy, as she looked back over her life, overwhelmed her. It seemed impossible that she could heal from the brokenness of her failures and mistakes.

Broken dreams, shattered hope, splintered relationships. What a mess she’d made of her life.

Where could she go from here? What was left?

Caryn found herself wondering if this is how life ends. She felt isolated from people who loved her. It didn’t seem to her it would matter much to others if she just died. She thought of the expensive set of sharp cooking knives in the kitchen drawer. It would be so easy to end this.

Steeped in that thought, she was jarred back to the present with a knock at the door.

Her old friend, Renee, stood there with sacks of groceries. Caryn felt self-conscious about her appearance, but grateful for the food. Going to the grocery store was a rare occurrence for her. It was just too hard to get out.

“Caryn, how are you feeling?”

“I’m ok, Renee. Just not up to much.”

Renee responded, “I wanted to tell you that one of the teachers at school talked to me today about her husband, who has been struggling with depression for nearly a year. They heard about IV ketamine treatment and that it can lift depression dramatically. She said her husband went to a psychiatrist who offers this treatment combined with a special diet, and after a couple months her husband seems like his old self again.

“I wrote down the name of the doctor, in case you might like to research all this online.”

“That sounds very nice. I’m so glad for her husband. It’s hard for me to share the enthusiasm, but that could just be because I don’t feel enthusiasm about anything these days. I question whether I can ever heal from the brokenness and failure I feel. But I will look online to see what I can find. I appreciate you giving me the information.”

Renee put the groceries on her kitchen counter, hugged her, and left.

So Renee got back in bed and googled IV ketamine treatment, and the name of the doctor. She learned that depression isn’t just a “mental” illness, but an illness that affects the whole body.

It helped her understand why she didn’t feel like getting out of bed. Why her limbs felt heavy and without energy. Why her lack of energy felt mental, emotional, and physical. In fact, it was spiritual, too.

The idea that something was wrong in her whole body, and that there could be treatment for it, gave her the first glimmer of something akin to hope. Maybe…just maybe…she could get treatment that would help her feel alive again.

Was It Possible?

Caryn felt such a deep need to heal from her brokenness and failure, and had no idea if this treatment could help. But she called her daughter and son-in-law, and asked if she could stay with them a few weeks so they could help her get to her infusions. They welcomed her and promised to pitch in with driving her.

Then she called the doctor she’d learned about and made an appointment for an evaluation.

It was hard for her to shower, pack some clothes, and load the car. She spread the arrangements out over 2 days – she was moving slowly – then set off on the 2 hour drive to her daughter’s house.

Since she’d been in bed so long, she had very little stamina. But her daughter helped her get ready and drove her to each infusion appointment. In between they talked at length about improving her diet with foods rich in flavonoids, omega 3 fatty acids, and low carbs…as well as taking walks together each day to start building her stamina again.

With her daughter putting blueberries and strawberries in front of her each morning, and glazed salmon, cucumber, tomato, mozzarella and onion salad for lunch, and chicken piccata, avocados, and asparagus for dinner, Caryn began to notice a change.

She was feeling better.

They took short walks with the dog in the mornings and afternoons, then Caryn rested afterward.

She didn’t notice much change after the first three ketamine infusions, but after the fourth it seemed that a wall was coming down inside her. Hard to describe but she could feel it.

And light began to trickle into her consciousness replacing the darkness that had been her constant companion for so long. She was beginning to believe in the routine they had created, as she felt the bottomless pit inside her filling in more and more.

She’d been adrift, but now it felt as through a solidness was growing under her feet. Like she was less vulnerable. Less hollow.

Despair was fading.

In its stead she felt bits of hope at first, then more and more.

She began to believe she really could heal from all the brokenness and failure that had smothered her.

After a month with her daughter, Caryn hugged her and her son-in-law and thanked them for their help and support when she needed it so desperately, and assured them she was ready to go home.

Once home, she hired someone to come over and help her put things away and clean the house so she had a fresh start. After that, she had the clarity of mind and purpose to put things away again as she used them, so she could continue to enjoy the clean house. The miracle was that she could.

She gave herself rest breaks and times of solace when she needed it, but began to occasionally call up Renee and meet her for lunch. Then, she made time for another friend, too.

Recovery was a process, but IV ketamine and her daughter’s care had given her the tools to move forward.

And she was so grateful to be feeling so much better.

And what about you? What about your loved ones?

Can you identify with the things Caryn suffered?

Depression can come unexpectedly. And it can seem to swallow all of yourself.

But there’s hope.

If you’ve been hurt, disappointed, devastated by the actions of others… or yourself… and have been overwhelmed with despair, call us.

Don’t let failure and brokenness become life threatening for you. You can live again, relish joy again, and and build loving relationships again.

Let us help you find your way back to joy.

If you have thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself, call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Hotline. Talk to someone who can help.

To the restoration of your best self,

March 6, 2023
When You See that Not All Kids are Butterflies

Marc and Amber had two children. One who was outgoing and gregarious…who never met a stranger…and one who was shy, inhibited, and thoughtful, as well as very intelligent. Cecie was the outgoing one who lived in joy and exuberance, but not all kids are butterflies. Liam was the deep thinking, brooding one. When they were young, Marc and Amber thought they’d never have to worry about Cecie who seemed to have the world at her feet. But they did worry about Liam, as he usually seemed so tied up in knots, rarely relaxing. As the oldest, he looked after Cecie to some degree, but she tried to help him, too. When they were very young, Liam was too shy to order French fries for himself, or an ice cream. But Cecie loved to stand on her tiptoes, peer over the counter, and order for both of them. And Liam was happy for the help.

However, what really worried his parents was that Liam found it so difficult to make friends. Amber would accompany him to class on his first day of school the first few years, and strike up conversations with students at nearby desks. She saw it as priming the pump, so to speak. Once she could encourage conversation between Liam and at least one other student, she would bid him goodbye and leave the classroom. It was the best she knew to do to ease his pain.

Even as a young child, Liam’s palms sweated when he was in social situations. His face would freeze, and he’d be stiff all over. It was so difficult for him to relax and engage with others. He could hardly talk. He wanted friends, but couldn’t overcome the frozen state that would overcome him around his peers. Bottom line, it’s just a fact that not all kids are butterflies. What’s easy for one may be extremely difficult for another.

Giving Liam Tools

Amber worked with him from a young age to help him develop positive responses to new people, by smiling and reaching out to shake their hands… and saying, “I’m Liam. I’m glad to meet you.” Liam was relieved to have something he could memorize and do in those terrifying, awkward moments.

Marc recognized that his son struggled to function around people he didn’t know, but saw that he was relaxed and happy at home. He didn’t see what Amber saw, as Liam tried to navigate his way through so many situations. They enrolled him in Little League, to help him work with a team, and to have access to other boys his age.

Thankfully, there was usually a kid who was so outgoing that he reached out tenaciously to overcome Liam’s withdrawal and connect with him. If they hadn’t, he would have never had a friend. He just couldn’t ever seem to make any overtures toward others around him. When he was thrown into situations that presented him with mandatory interaction, Liam just tucked his chin and endured.

Amber worried.

She thought about what life would throw at Liam when he grew up. How would he apply for a job? How would he survive in college? Living with a roommate in the dorm? How would he ever relax enough to develop friendships with girls…? To eventually date? Would he ever become independent enough to build a rewarding, meaningful life? She recognized that not all kids are butterflies, but how could she help him overcome the obstacles he faced?

By the time Liam was in middle school, he was developing more and more interest in computers, software, apps, and games. He would play online games with others and found it so much easier to interact online where he was anonymous.

Marc and Amber were glad to see him spreading his wings, at least virtually. They were glad he was actually connecting with people he didn’t know. They talked with him about being safe, and not allowing himself to be lured away from the house, or to let anyone have access to his own computer from the outside.

With impatience, Liam said, “Of course not.”

They knew he was intelligent as well as self protective. In spite of being so withdrawn, he was also pretty savvy. They hoped that playing these games would help him develop social skills in a way that would eventually pay off in his life in a bigger sense.

Maybe a Party Would Help

They encouraged him to invite friends over…maybe have a party. He looked at them aghast.

“A party..? I have one friend. I don’t know people to invite to a ‘party’ for gosh sakes. But thanks for trying.”

Ok, so not all kids are butterflies. Amber knew so well that Liam marched to a different drummer. Even so, she tried to get acquainted with the parents of the one friend Liam spent time with. She encouraged Liam to invite the friend — Jason — to spend the night. She was always always looking for ways to help Liam branch out, relax, enjoy life, and make friends, even in little ways.

Meanwhile, Cecie’s social life bloomed constantly. She had slumber parties, pedicure parties, cookie swaps with her friends. She was always busy, always enthusiastically planning something new and exciting. It was all Amber could do to keep up with her daughter’s schedule.

You might say she had a child on each end of the extreme. One was such a social butterfly, she kept Amber exhausted. The other was such a loner, it kept her worried about whether he’d ever be able to function in the world.

She loved them both so much. How could she prepare both of them for what life would throw at them?

By the time Liam was in high school, his academic accomplishments were remarkable. But he refused to attend the awards ceremonies each year to receive his rewards for his performance. He wanted nothing to do with the crowded auditorium and the noise of all those people talking. Not all kids are butterflies, but it grieved Amber that her son couldn’t go to the ceremonies for the rewards he had earned.

By this time he had refused to go into another barbershop or hair dresser’s for a haircut. Again, he just couldn’t handle the noise or the people he didn’t know. So his hair grew. And grew.

And he spent his waking hours outside of school with his nose glued to the computer screen.

But, Marc and Amber had to admit that it wasn’t all bad. Liam was developing real, marketable skills in the thousands of hours he spent on the computer. He’d learned how to design and build apps and had even sold one to a business that offered fishing guides and tackle.

Even so…how would he go to college when he couldn’t handle noise or strangers? How could he live in the dorm…? How could he go to work eventually and support himself?

Permanently Dependent Middle Aged Child?

Amber pictured…in her mind’s eye… Marc and herself in their 60’s with their son in his 40’s still living at home and interacting with the world on his computer. What if he didn’t overcome this? It wasn’t that a job like that wouldn’t be honorable. It was that there needed to be more to his life than a computer screen. Marriage, children, baseball games, skiing, hobbies…all the things people enjoy when they aren’t working. It made her sick to think of her beautiful son withdrawn and dependent on his parents to protect him from a world of people and places. Sure, not all kids are butterflies, but didn’t he deserve to be happy? Was he happy?

She just didn’t know how to help him.

She and Marc talked about it from time to time, wondering how they might encourage his development. Such a gifted young man, but hidden away in his own personal cave.

Then, Marc read about depression and social anxiety. He recognized the symptoms that he saw in his son. Armed with that insight, he googled treatments for depression as well as treatments for social anxiety. IV ketamine treatment kept emerging in the articles he read.

Apparently, ketamine treatment demonstrated effectiveness in many cases of depression, and for some, could relieve the symptoms of social anxiety. He learned that social anxiety could critically interfere with social development, job interviews, and independence.

He talked with Amber about what he’d learned.

That Liam’s extreme withdrawal could actually be symptoms of a condition, as opposed to just being his personality. His sweating palms, shaking hands, frozen facial expression were caused by anxiety. And it could be treated.

He also talked to Amber about herself. Sixteen years of worrying about her son had become almost obsessive, and her tensions, fears, and exhaustion might also be symptomatic of depression and anxiety in her, too.

Amber agreed to call a doctor in their area who’d been mentioned in one of the articles they read. She made an appointment for all three of them to talk with the psychiatrist.

The doctor wanted to see Amber and Liam individually, then she spoke with all three together.

She agreed that ketamine treatment could be of great benefit to Liam, and could open up so many possibilities for him. She also agreed that Amber’s stress had worn down her resilience and hope.

The doctor encouraged the family to consider ketamine treatment for both of them, with the understanding that ketamine isn’t for everyone. In some cases, it didn’t result in the desired outcome…at least, initially. But in the vast majority of cases, it could be transformative…and even lead to remission.

Hope Rises

Liam felt hope for the first time in is life. He really wanted to receive the treatment, and they scheduled him for the infusions to begin that day. Maybe it could turn out ok that not all kids are butterflies. Maybe just maybe?

Amber was reluctant at first. But when she saw her son’s transformation over the next few weeks, she agreed with Marc that she should schedule treatments for herself, too.

Liam felt better after the first treatment. He felt like a load was being lifted off him. With each infusion, he felt more relaxed, more comfortable in his own skin, and more at ease with others. He signed up for the debate club at school and excelled at each competition. His confidence grew as his team mates praised him and patted him on the back.

Amber was amazed at Liam’s improvement. But it was like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. However, after her own third infusion, she noticed feeling better. She continued with 7 infusions in all, and found herself flooded with hope, confidence, and creativity.

As a family, the four of them began to enjoy each other in a new way. They laughed together with Liam cracking as many clever jokes as Cecie did. Liam found himself spending more and more time with his friends on the debate team, sometimes at his house, and sometimes elsewhere.

Confidence Helps Him Excel

By the time he graduated with his hair pulled back in a man-bun, he had earned 3 scholarships for the university he planned to attend. It no longer mattered that not all kids are butterflies. Liam was excelling for who he was.

Liam looked forward to college and to living in the dorm. He was ready to leave home and spread his wings. Marc and Amber could hardly contain the gratitude they felt about Liam’s blossoming.

And Amber had the energy and initiative to enjoy her husband on a new level, without the worry that had kept her captive for so long. She found new things to do with Cecie and enjoyed the trips they took together exploring universities for her.

Sometimes the stress of one family member spills over into others in the family. Sometimes there are those who suffer in the most obvious way, but others who suffer in the shadows.

Ketamine treatment is versatile, and can treat a variety of conditions.

If you or your loved one has suffered from symptoms like Liam or Amber did, and nothing else has helped, call us.

We want to see you bloom and enjoy the best you, you can be.

Give yourself the hope, creativity, confidence, and resilience you need to live your best life.

To the restoration of your best self,

February 27, 2023
What To Do When Letting Go Breaks Your Heart

“Kayle! Kaaaaaayle!! Are you home?” No answer. Beth called again, then ran upstairs to check his bedroom. She knocked on the closed door. “Kayle?” Silence. Beth opened his door, and there was Kayle, sound asleep. The room smelled like body odor, and his dirty clothes were piled on every surface, and hanging from every protrusion. It was 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Had he been asleep all day? “Kayle! Wake up!! It’s 4pm and you need to get up. Did you look for a job today? Were you up all night?” Kayle’s sloppy life style, lack of motivation, and self absorption was getting to her. She and Sean, Kayle’s dad, had reared him to be responsible and hard working, but it didn’t seem to work as well with Kayle as with the other two. They knew they needed to put their foot down. But little did they know, they were about to find out what to do when letting go breaks your heart.

Kayle’s older sisters were both good students, and worked at jobs while carrying a full load in college. But Kayle was the youngest, and the least motivated of the three. What was most upsetting was that he seemed to lack the moral fiber they had tried so hard to instill in their kids.

When Sean got home from work, Beth talked with him about Kayle.

“Whatever we’re doing with Kayle, it isn’t working. He seems to have gotten into a pattern of staying up all night and sleeping all day. He’s caught up in himself and his friends, without taking responsibility for his own life. I think we need to think about requiring him to pay rent or else get his own apartment. Something that will force him to get a job and take responsibility for himself. What do you think? Since he finished high school he seems to think he’s on a permanent vacation.”

“Whew Beth! What brought this on?”

“I got home at 4 this afternoon and he was sound asleep. Clearly he’d been asleep all day. He’s not building his own life…it’s worrying me to the bone! To make matters worse, he needs a shower and his room smells like he does. I seriously wonder what goes on at night while we’re sleeping…”

“Ok, ok Beth. I see what you mean. I’ve been so busy with work I hadn’t realized what he’d been up to. Let’s talk with him this weekend about his options.”

Beth and Sean went to bed… and at about 1:45 am the doorbell rang.

“What the heck..??” Sean picked up the bat he kept by the bed and headed downstairs to see who was at the door at this time of the night.

He opened the door to two police officers.

“Is something wrong? We didn’t call 911.”

One of the officers spoke up. “Is Kayle Jackson here?”

“Yes, he’s in bed. May I ask what this is about?”

“We need to speak with him please. Would you wake him up?”

“Yes, OK. Would you like to step inside?”

Sean let them into the entry hall, and went upstairs to wake Kayle. When he reached his room, he tapped on the door then opened it. No one was in Kayle’s bed. In fact, Kayle was nowhere to be seen. By now, Beth had donned her robe and met Sean in the hall. A slow dread creeped up the back of her neck…the feeling that they were about to find out what to do when you have to let go…and letting go breaks your heart.

“What’s going on?”

“The police are here and want to see Kayle. But he’s gone! No sign of him!”

Sean quickly returned downstairs and told the police that Kayle wasn’t in the house and he was supposed to be in bed.

One of the officers handed Sean a card, and asked him to call him immediately if he heard from him.

Sean and Beth couldn’t sleep the rest of the night. They made coffee and sat together in the living room. Their hearts were gripped with fear for Kayle, and they were also angry that he was up to something dishonorable…whatever it was.

As the light of dawn shone through the windows, they heard the kitchen door open and close. Footsteps padded through the house toward the stairway, then they saw him.

“Kayle?”

He stopped in his tracks and spun around to see them both sitting in the living room. Busted, he thought.

His dad asked, “Where have you been??”

“Just hanging out with friends.” Kayle shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Kayle, the police were here. They’re looking for you. What have you done??”

Kayle cleared his throat, then said, “I’m sure it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it.” He turned to start up the stairs.

“Kayle Sumner Jackson! Don’t you dare blow us off. It IS a big deal when police come to the door at 2 am looking for you. I have the phone number they left and you need to call and find out what it’s about. You have a lot of explaining to do, and we have to talk about decisions that need to be made.”

“Dad..Mom…I am not going through this right now. I’m not going to let you intimidate me. I’m certainly not going to call them. Right now I’m going upstairs to go to bed. I’m no longer a kid, and I will make my own decisions.” With that, Kayle ran upstairs and slammed his bedroom door. Once again, the realization hit them that they were going to have to let go and letting go breaks your heart.

Sean and Beth fumed. Where did their son get the nerve to treat them so disrespectfully??

The doorbell rang. Again.

Sean answered the door to the same two officers. It was now 6:30am.

“Hello, Mr. Jackson, we followed Kayle here, and saw him enter your house from the back. May we come in? We need to take him into custody before he escapes again.”

“Yes, come in. But what is this about..?”

The officers told him they needed to speak directly to Kayle. They started up the stairs to find his room.

Sean and Beth heard them announce themselves and then heard some scuffling. Then Kayle and the two police officers started down the stairs with Kayle in handcuffs.

“Mr. Jackson, we’re placing your son under arrest.”

They walked out the front door, led Kayle to the patrol car, opened the back door and guided his head down into the car. After closing him into the back seat, they drove off.

Sean and Beth were speechless.

Stunned.

Something inside Beth snapped. Shattered.

What was happening to her son? Where did they go wrong? What would happen to Kayle? What would it be like for him in jail? All night long? And then what? This wasn’t likely to go away.

WHAT had he done??

Of course, they called their lawyer friend. Asked him to find out what Kayle was being charged with. What should happen next?

Beth felt like she was in a time warp. She couldn’t think, her heart felt like a stone in her chest. How could they have been so oblivious? Letting go was breaking her heart…

Days turned into weeks and revelations abounded. Kayle had been involved in selling prescription drugs to students. Where did he get them? How did this happen? As charges were filed, and he was arraigned, it became more and more clear that Kayle wasn’t the innocent but lazy kid they thought he was. He had been selling these drugs since he was in high school.

The police had too much evidence for the lawyer to make this go away. When they visited Kayle in jail, there was a hardness about him. He wasn’t sorry for breaking the law, just sick that he’d been caught.

Sean was angry.

A slow, hot, boiling rage burned inside him. Beth was heartbroken. She’d wanted to protect Kayle from anything like this ever happening. She’d tried to guide him when he seemed to be veering off during his teens. But apparently, he had connected with friends who influenced him to partake in activities that were illegal, and unfortunately he’d gotten away with it until he was breaking the law in a serious way.

Beth felt like she was walking in a gray sludge. She felt so crushed. So heart broken. She couldn’t separate her heart from her love for Kayle. She wished she could protect him. But Beth also felt furious, betrayed by him, and abandoned. How could he turn his back on all they stood for? He knew better.

It took weeks before she could cry. But one day she decided to clean his room, and gathered up his smelly laundry… and sat down and cried and cried. She poured out her heart, her loss, her fear, her disappointment.

After that, it was like she just went through the motions. Her emotions seemed dead. She felt hopeless. It felt as though Kayle was dead, except he wasn’t. He was still her baby, her youngest, and he was vulnerable in that jail with all those other criminals. She was just sick about it. Her sense of helplessness warred with her desire to protect her son and the recognition she needed to let him work out his own life, mistakes, and consequences. It was all unbearable to her. Letting go was painfully breaking her heart.

Kayle’s story was a blur. He was arrested, without remorse, faced trial, was convicted, and sentenced to 3 years in prison.

A few months after he went to prison, Sean sat down with Beth and talked with her about the need for her to let go, and try to live for her family and for herself. He reminded her that she had two more children besides Kayle, and a husband who loved her. He emphasized that as heartbroken as they both felt, Kayle had made a series of terrible decisions over a period of years. They both still loved him and would love him whether he was in prison, or free. He was their son.

Beth told him she just couldn’t function. She felt so dead inside. And she knew that grief contributed to it. But she had absolutely no energy to do anything or care about anything. She didn’t know how to find her real self again. She knew she loved her husband and family, but couldn’t seem to express it. Everyone saw it. Letting go of Kayle was breaking her heart.

“Beth, honey, I’ve been talking to our friend Ben. Since he’s a psychiatrist, I thought he might have some ideas to help us through this. He pointed out that my ongoing rage is probably a symptom of depression… that this isn’t uncommon in men. And he said you really sound depressed to him — though he couldn’t diagnose you without talking to you.

“He suggested IV ketamine treatment.

“He said it’s been providing extraordinary relief to people around the world who are depressed. Maybe that could be a possibility.”

Sean and Beth went together to the doctor Ben had recommended for a consultation. Even though their symptoms presented so differently, they were both candidates for IV ketamine treatment. A family friend drove them both to each treatment. After the second one, Sean noticed the anger that had consumed him seemed like it was dissolving. After the third treatment, Beth began to feel the stirring of some emotion.

They continued until they felt better. Sean received 8 treatments, and Beth received 10 plus a booster a month later.

By that time, they were both finding joy in daily living, laughing while they prepared dinner, talking freely again. Their letters to Kayle were much more upbeat and hopeful. And Kayle was sounding better and better. He was remorseful that he had not tried harder to build his life when he had the chance, and was turning a new leaf for his future. He planned to go to city college when he got out.

They hoped that was true, but knew only Kayle could make that happen. Still, they would support him if he did. They’d learned a lot about letting go and how it can break your heart.

In the meantime, Sean and Beth made an effort to visit the girls at school periodically, to keep their family close. They were just so relieved that they had the energy and motivation to do it.

Sometimes a family can seem shattered by a serious crisis.

Sometimes we need help to pull the family back together and re-establish purpose and connections.

A treatment like ketamine can put the tools for growth and healing back in your hands.

If the stress of a severe crisis has worn you down and you’re experiencing symptoms like Beth or Sean, call us.

Ketamine treatment isn’t for everyone. We evaluate you carefully to determine if you’re a candidate. And if you are, we can work with you to rediscover your best self. We can help you recover by showing you the steps you can take to be who you strive to be.

Give yourself the best advantage for a rewarding and fulfilling life.

To the restoration of your best self,

February 20, 2023
Worry About His Apathy? IV Ketamine Treatment Can Help

Dan and Teresa were worried. It had been going on so long, they couldn’t remember when it started. Their son, Will, had been a good natured boy growing up, and had shown responsibility and good intentions when asked to tend to tasks to contribute to the family. He had always had a sparkle in his eye, enthusiasm for family projects, and did his best to carry his weight. But somewhere along the way, he had become more passive, quieter to some degree…and less interested in conversation with his parents. Or at least it seemed that way. It seemed that he honestly didn’t care about much of anything. Dan’s worry about his apathy was eating a hole in his heart.

Why Was Will So Apathetic?

He didn’t have many friends as far as his parents could tell, and showed little interest in inviting them over. He spent a lot of time alone in his room, playing video games or watching TV. He’d been a conscientious student through middle school, but now his grades barely passed. When they set limits on his alone time, and insisted he do his homework, it made only the slightest difference in his overall grades.

Dan and Teresa tried to talk with him but he just didn’t have anything to say. He just stared at his lap and said, “I don’t know…” over and over.

It was maddening, frustrating, and irritating. But mostly they were getting really worried about him. They didn’t seem to know Will any more. That was the worst of it. That and the fear they felt for his future. Their worry about his apathy dominated their minds.

After racking their brains to try to think of something to draw him out of his funk, it occurred to them he might enjoy a family camping trip… and maybe he’d relax enough to talk… even a little.

Family Camping Trip

So they scheduled it for a 3 day weekend that was coming up, and packed up his favorite foods for the trip. They also rented a kayak, hoping he might enjoy paddling around the lake.

Will didn’t fight the idea of going, but he also showed no enthusiasm for it. Even this! Teresa was tempted to feel offended, but she tried to push those thoughts out of her mind. Hoping for the best, the family took off for a state park an hour away.

Teresa tried to strike up a conversation in the car, but Will only answered her questions with a single word: yes… or no. Finally, she popped in a CD hoping that music would soothe whatever was wrong.

But what was wrong? Why did Will seem so disconnected? Did anything matter to him?

Dan was tied up in knots about it. He had trouble focusing on his job, or accomplishing much of anything. His intelligent and gifted son seemed to have checked out of life. In a couple years he would need to go to college to try to start to build his future, but Dan knew if something didn’t give, he’d never make it in college.

His fear for his son seemed to translate to stomach pain. The more he worried, the greater his pain. He knew he should probably talk to his doctor about it, but he just didn’t have time for this right now. It was such a distraction. He feared for Will. And his worry about Will’s apathy made him just want to put his fist through a wall. Would he ever be able to take care of himself?

Will Sheds Some Light

Their camping was uneventful until the second day. Dan and Teresa were cooking fish they’d caught in the lake over an open fire. Will was hungry and enjoyed the aroma of the fish and veggies cooking. He broke the silence.

“Listen you guys, I know you’re worried about me. I don’t know what to say. Just don’t feel like doing much of anything. I don’t care about school or friends. Really, I don’t care about anything. But I don’t know why. I know I used to when I was a kid. But it’s like something died inside me. I don’t know what happened.”

Teresa put her arm around her son.

“Thanks for opening up about it, Will. We’ll help. If you’re willing, we’d like to pursue some ideas to try to help you. Would you be willing to see a doctor?”

Dan added, “Sometimes pressures and hormones make it really tough to figure things out. Be patient with yourself, son.”

They ate the smoky food in silence, but some tension had been broken.

Dan Gets His Own Insight

Dan realized, in the relief of that breakthrough, that he’d let his own worry for Will overwhelm him and interfere in his life and work. He’d become irritable with his wife and son…and avoided emotional intimacy with them because he couldn’t face the failure he felt about raising a son who wasn’t OK, who might not be successful. He’d lost faith that his son was going to grow up to be OK.

He had to shake himself to remember that life can be messy. It doesn’t always follow a smooth, linear path to a happy ending. And his family needed him to be available, engaged, and caring. He needed to be on his game. But his worry about Will’s apathy was so intense at this point, he felt like he needed some help to be functional again…for his family and for himself.

After searching the internet to see what might help, he learned that ketamine treatment had proven particularly helpful for depression and anxiety. After studying what he could about doctors in his area who offered it, he settled on a psychiatrist with a strong reputation, and made an appointment to discuss it.

Dan Takes a Step to Get Help

It occurred to him that this same treatment might help Will, but he felt like Will needed some time to accept — and participate in — treatment, and he also knew that he needed help so he could help Will.

His initial consultation with the psychiatrist revealed he was actually depressed, and that since he had tried a couple different antidepressants (that didn’t help) the previous year, he needed something more.

IV Ketamine Treatment

So he was scheduled for IV ketamine treatment, which involved 6 or more infusions over about 3 weeks.

After each infusion, he felt a change. It was subtle at first, but by the third or fourth infusion he realized he was beginning to feel better about himself and his life. He felt some hope about Will, and began to know that Will was going to be ok with time and support.

He received 7 infusions in all, and continued to feel better and better over the next few weeks that followed.

A New Lease on Life

By then it seemed his patience had grown, as well as his insight into Will’s situation. Dan felt a new lease on life, to tell the truth. And he had more and more energy for engaging with his wife and son. He found ways to talk with Will that his son responded to favorably, and trust began to grow again between them.

Teresa was so relieved to have her husband back, and together they built their relationship stronger and deeper. Plus Will’s outlook began to also improve in that atmosphere.

Will finally told his parents he was worried about his own apathy, and that he’d like to talk to the doctor about ketamine treatment for himself. Watching the change in his dad gave him hope that maybe there was help for him, too.

The doctor explained that ketamine treatment wasn’t for everyone, but since Dan and Will were related and Dan had responded so well, chances were good that it could help Will, too.

As it happened, Will responded very well to his own ketamine treatment. Though he couldn’t tell any difference after the first few infusions, he could feel himself feeling again after the 4th. It wasn’t dramatic at first, but still undeniable.

After 8 infusions, Will’s motivation grew stronger, and initiative replaced the apathy that had plagued him. He started doing better and better in school, and by the end of the year was making A’s and B’s. Confusion and brain fog gave way to more clarity. The future began to matter to Will, and he started thinking about what career he might want to prepare for in college.

Life Takes a Turn

Dan, Teresa, and Will grew closer after weathering depression, anxiety, and hopelessness together, then recovering together after ketamine treatment. They had forged a bond, and developed insights together they hadn’t had before. They no longer worried about anyone’s apathy — because it just wasn’t there anymore — and were free to enjoy the richer aspects of life.

They branched out socially, like they hadn’t in years. Will developed more friendships and Teresa and Dan began to get out more, too.

It’s amazing how restoration of hope and resilience can affect so many aspects of life.

But it can.

If you’re worried about a family member, and it’s affecting your performance at home or at work, you can probably relate to Dan. Or maybe you struggle with apathy yourself…?

Apathy may not be a willful refusal to ignore what’s important. It can be a symptom of depression.

If you’re struggling a lot like Dan or Will, and you haven’t found anything that helps, call us.

As Will’s doctor pointed out, ketamine doesn’t help everyone, but it can be remarkably helpful to most who receive it.

Applying your efforts to building a healthy infrastructure, living a lifestyle that supports joy, and eating a diet rich in flavonoids and healthy fats, you can increase the benefits you receive from your ketamine treatment.

Let us help you celebrate your best self for a long time to come.

To the restoration of your best self,

February 13, 2023
When Life Tanks – You Can Still Land on Your Feet

Tom was worried sick. After twenty years of marriage, his wife had left. He had three kids, Bella and Dylan at home and Bodin in college, and he was desperately trying to keep their family afloat. His wife, Karen, had had an affair with the guy across the street. Then she moved out to pursue a new lifestyle. Her behavior had been erratic, and she was drinking heavily. Tom was afraid for the kids to be alone with her, afraid of the danger of her driving under the influence. The kids missed her dreadfully, and cried that she had left. They were too young to understand her behavior, and blamed Tom that he “drove her away.” When your family tanks–how can you land on your feet?

He not only felt helpless, he was helpless. And so betrayed. The kids seemed to be instinctively protective of her. He understood and tried to support their emotions, while continuing to be strong so they’d feel secure. But he didn’t feel strong. He felt like he’d unravel at any moment.

Friends of the family tried to help by taking the kids to school when they missed their bus, dropping by with dinner, and shuttling the kids to their practices and home again. Tom was beyond grateful for the kind souls who helped in so many ways while he was at work.

But in his core, he’d never felt so gutted, so without resilience, in the face of all this. Although he required they clean their rooms and help with folding clothes, he was tolerant with just how little they did; they barely completed their chores. Everyone was hurting.

Then the phone calls started.

Late night drunken phone calls from his estranged wife, accusing him of all sorts of despicable acts that came out of her twisted, inebriated imagination. She was immune to reason, and the fact that he had never even thought of doing the vile acts she accused him of made no difference. Her bitterness toward him drove her to tell all these horrors to the kids. And the trusting kids believed her.

After he would end the call, he’d quake with sobs, unable to believe his wife of over 20 years could even think these things. How do you land on your feet in this chaos?

But as terrible as all this was, his deepest fear was the potential damage to his kids. Bella and Dylan were in middle school. They were old enough to assert themselves and express their anger, but too young to be able to reason what was reality and what was imaginary on their mom’s part.

After living lives as a happy family, with activities, responsibilities, and rewards, this traumatic situation had crashed into them out of left field. Everything they had grown up to believe in was being shattered. Their trust was shattered. How would they ever be OK again and land on their feet?

How would they live their lives after seeing their very foundations disintegrate beneath them?

Next, it came out that his wife had been living with a new guy, but had left him and was living with another.

How could he let his children go to her house? In the midst of all that?? But if he forced his will, it would alienate the kids even more than they already were.

He told them often how much he loved them, and how heartbroken he was that they were going through this chaos, but it was hard for them to hear. They were torn about whether they could believe him because it would imply their mom couldn’t be believed. They didn’t really want to consider that.

And what about school? The trauma and chaos in their family life caused school to dim in importance for them. Tom talked with them often about how important it was to try to stay engaged in school and not let it slide. That their involvement in something steady, stimulating, and reliable could really help them get through all this.

Tom tried so hard.

To keep their home intact, eat evening meals at the table so they could talk about their day, to ask about their homework and how it was going for them. They insisted on going to their mom’s house so he gave in. But each time he worried and worried that they’d have access to alcohol, or some other substance. He knew his wife lacked boundaries when she was like this.

He also worried about a car accident if his wife drove impaired.

Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined he would one day use the courts to protect his kids from their own mom. She’d been a great nurturing mom up until now. It was shattering. He seriously wondered if there was any path back to restoring their family. He deeply feared he would have to parent the children alone. They deserved so much more. He desperately hoped they could land on their feet a year from now.

After the kids told him about a close call in the car, he talked to his lawyer to require the kids have visitation with their mom at his house, so he could keep them safe. And that made the kids more angry.

Tom’s work suffered severely. But after 25 years in a strong company, they were giving him lots of slack to manage the crises in his family. However, he just couldn’t seem to revive the creative thought that had earned him his position. When he was at the office, he was stymied by distraction, wondering how the kids were doing. He hoped his oldest was managing to keep his grades up in college.

Time would tell about that.

Finally, he had to sit down and think hard about the stress. The kids were suffering from a great deal of stress, but it wasn’t just the kids. He, himself, was suffering. And it was affecting everything. His work, his effectiveness with his children in their time of need, his own health and wellbeing. Something just had to give.

He decided to make an appointment with the psychiatrist his wife had seen. He wasn’t sure what he needed, or if he could get his feet back under him. But it just seemed like a good place to start.

The doctor was so sorry to hear what was going on with Karen. She hoped Karen would reach out for help. But she wanted to focus on Tom and how the traumas and tragedies were affecting him.

His constant worry, exhaustion, and anxiety plus added depression symptoms, made him a candidate for a special treatment.

Since antidepressants he had taken earlier that year hadn’t been effective, she recommended ketamine treatment to help him gain hope and resilience. She said it could also calm the unrelenting worry and fear and help him land on his feet again.

By the third or fourth infusion, Tom could tell he was changing. It was hard to put his finger on it, because it was subtle, but he was feeling stronger… and getting trickles of hope.

By the 6th infusion, he was laughing at times, and feeling a bit more relaxed.

He continued for 2 more infusions and began seeing a therapist to help him untangle the emotional paralysis he’d felt. Hope was growing inside him every day. The energy to tackle work was coming back.

And he began to rise above the chaos at home and think of fun things to take the kids to do, to help them unwind and talk more freely. As a family, they broadened in their thinking together as they communicated about what had happened with their mom, but also about their hopes and dreams for their own lives.

They enrolled in riding lessons together, so they could enjoy horses and the fresh air as a family. And they went camping, talking by the fire, making s’mores, and hiking in the mornings.

Little by little, over time, life began to balance out.

Meanwhile, Karen kept her appointments with her psychiatrist, and started taking her medications again. Her times with her children became more stable, and less traumatic.

Bella, Dylan, and Bodin learned to let go of their naive views of their parents, and by living the realities of the crisis, became more adapted to the humanness of their family members, as well as more forgiving. With counseling, they learned to support, rather than attack. They all worked together to land on their feet.

A family crisis can be shattering when it dismantles the preconceived views family members hold of themselves as a unit. When that happens, it can require energy, adaptation, and a changing perception of people and events. Ketamine’s ability to enhance neuroplasticity can help with this process. It can also repair dendrites and dendritic spines in the synaptic connections between brain cells to improve and increase signaling across the brain. Its action in the lateral habenula can restore your power to enjoy.

While ketamine treatment isn’t for everyone… for reasons we don’t really understand… it can work extraordinary results in so many people who are just trying to land on their feet.

If you identify with Tom and his anxiety, depression, and exhaustion in your own family crisis, call us.

Ketamine treatment can’t solve the fallout of divorce, but it can help you build resilience and hope for balancing out and living a rewarding life again.

Remember: we work every day together with you to help you live well again, and embrace the challenges you face, through treatment, diet, and a healthy life. Give yourself a chance at the best life for you.

To the restoration of your best self,

February 6, 2023
How to Avoid Helicopter Parenting Your Almost Adult Child

Helen’s quiet, studious daughter Lizzie, didn’t really date in high school. Helen worried about her social life some, but it was still reassuring that she was safe at home. When she graduated and went to college, her social life developed around her dorm. First her roommates, then their friends and boyfriends. By her second semester, she had gone on some dates and was dating one boy frequently. Helen had the chance to meet him when a group of them came home for the weekend and Lizzie held a little gathering. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and was reportedly a good student. But he was soon replaced by another and then another. Her new found freedom had led to some drinking parties and a new found boldness with boys that seemed to be leading her into less than wholesome relationships. Needless to say, her mom became more and more worried. She was torn between being too overly involved and avoiding helicopter parenting her almost adult child.

When a Child Leaves the Nest

Helen had brought Lizzie up to behave in a way that was circumspect, to always keep her dignity and wits about her, and to follow her instincts when it came to evaluating people. In short, to listen to her gut. But the current boyfriend… now in her sophomore year of college… wasn’t someone Helen felt her daughter was safe with. When she met him, her skin crawled, but she tried to keep a friendly facade in hopes he didn’t sense it.

She knew her daughter, and knew Lizzie would have to see through him herself. The guy had a “bad boy” air all about him. It was all Helen could do to avoid running screaming from the room.

At the end of the weekend, as everyone piled in cars to go back to school, she whispered in her daughter’s ear, “Please be careful, honey. I love you.”

Lizzie knew her mom was serious, but she determined she would make her own decisions about her own friends. So she continued forward with her friends, their activities, and her latest boyfriend.

Helen had trouble sleeping that night after Lizzie went back to school. Not knowing what she was up to, seeing what her new friends were like. And spending a couple days around this guy she was seeing.

Making Her Own Decisions

She knew Lizzie had to find her own way and that she didn’t want to be a helicopter mom, but the risks to her daughter’s life and well being loomed like a thunder cloud overhead. She sent Lizzie text messages hoping she might find out about how Lizzie perceived this relationship. But Lizzie was evasive and said very little. Helen walked the tightrope about avoiding helicopter parenting her almost adult child.

For the next few weeks, Helen found it hard to eat. Her heart was in her throat, as anxiety about Lizzie’s welfare rose up inside her. She tried to go about her routine, commuting to work, buying groceries, attending meetings. Still, her palms were sweaty and her stomach churned. Headaches became a daily occurrence.

Then she got a call from her daughter. Lizzie had had a terrible fight with “the guy” and was crying.

“He fights dirty,” Lizzie cried.

“What do you mean, honey?”

“He’s mean, has a dirty mouth, and criticizes things I’m insecure about…he ridicules me and humiliates me.”

Helen paused a moment. “Lizzie, this is a sign of abuse and of a destructive relationship. I hope you’ll take a hard look at how this argument went and walk away from him. At least think about it. You don’t want someone in your life longterm who’s abusive, right?”

Once again, Helen knew she risked being a helicopter parent to her almost adult daughter. It was so hard to know when to speak and when to bite her tongue. It tied her stomach in knots.

Mom’s Advice Not So Welcome

Lizzie took a breath. “I’m not sure I want to break up with him over this. Maybe this was just a bad day for him… I’ll let him cool off a few days then talk with him.”

Helen privately shook her head. She knew she had to brace herself to endure while her daughter…who was perhaps a bit naive… worked her way through what was best for her.

Again, she didn’t sleep. She wrestled with her pillow and sheets all night anguishing about this unsavory guy and Lizzie. Wondering if he was ever violent…how persuasive he was when he wanted to be… how far he’d go to get his way.

She worried, and worried, and worried.

She wondered if Lizzie felt a bond with him or just didn’t want to be wrong about him. Frankly, Helen couldn’t imagine what Lizzie saw in him, but maybe she was too old to see his charm. He seemed sleazy to her. But she also knew that lots of young girls are attracted to the bad boy image. He was disgusting to Helen, but she had to avoid helicopter parenting her adult child so she bit her tongue and tried to be gracious and loving.

Daughter Withdraws

A week later, Helen called Lizzie to see how she was doing and if she was feeling better. Lizzie seemed distant, guarded. She chatted a bit, but wasn’t at all transparent or natural.

So Helen worried. She couldn’t eat much. Her stomach was too upset. She didn’t sleep much. Images of her daughter swirled in her head. Fears her daughter would be scarred if she stayed in this relationship.

But her daughter wouldn’t talk to her.

She believed the best she could do for her daughter was to love her. To keep the channels of communication as open as possible. She sent her an occasional card in the mail with a few sentences about simple things going on in the neighborhood. Or the latest gossip at the hairdresser.

This seemed to help. Her daughter welcomed the pleasant notes that didn’t refer to her boyfriend.

Helen finally talked to her friend about her situation. She didn’t give a lot of detail about her daughter…just that she was worried about her safety with the guy she was dating. Her friend, Jessica, listened compassionately. Then she pointed out that while Lizzie was finding her way through this challenging situation, Helen needed to take care of herself.

Talking to A Friend

“Helen, you’re not sleeping…you’ve lost weight you couldn’t afford to lose. You’ve taken this so hard, and worry is robbing your health. Your fears for Lizzie are backfiring onto you. I know it has taken a lot of courage and strength for you to resist taking her out of school and bringing her home. And as scary as this is, I believe you’ve made the right decision at this point.

“Lizzie will learn so much through this awful situation, but she won’t learn it if she is being shielded by you. She’ll just resent you. And maybe make worse decisions about guys going forward. You just must focus on taking care of yourself while she works through this.”

Helen knew Jessica was right.

“Jessica, how did you get so wise?” Helen chuckled.

“I’ve had two kids in college, and there were some scary times as they learned to navigate their way to adulthood. Listen, let’s go to lunch. I want to tell you about someone who helped me when things got really tough.”

Jessica and Helen clocked out at work and walked to a nearby sandwich shop. They took their food to a corner table and Jessica began.

Jessica’s Story

“When my Isabelle was in her third year at the university, and Jimmy was a freshman, they both developed problems. Jimmy was drinking heavily and skipping class, so his grades were not great. Isabelle had gotten serious with a guy who was selling drugs. I didn’t know that at first. But one night there was a police raid at a party where they were and everyone present was taken into custody.

“It came out that Isabelle hadn’t been participating in the sale of the contraband, but she had tried some hallucinogenic pills that night for the first time. It was the beginning of a time of enormous crisis, and a legal battle to try to keep her life from being ruined by a felony. Talk about the temptation to helicopter parent an almost adult child!

“Watching both my kids crater the same year was shattering for me, and I eventually became deeply depressed. I could hardly function to help them through the process. It was all I could do to dress and show up at the court hearings and meetings with the lawyer.

“We gave both kids an ultimatum, because the situation was so severe, that either they could clean up their grades and distance themselves from these friends, or we would stop paying for school and they could drop out and get jobs to support themselves.

“Thankfully, they both made hard decisions and sought out counseling on campus. They also got to work on their studies. They’re both doing well now. It was a close call. But I had to face that my love and commitment to them combined with my powerlessness to live their lives for them led to depression and anxiety. And I had to get treatment for myself.

“I learned about a practice that offered ketamine treatment, and sought counseling to help me make better decisions as a parent of transitioning young adults. Around the 4th infusion, I began to get feelings of light inside myself. And the slightest hint of hope. By the 7th, I could tell I had turned a corner.

“After 8 infusions, a booster infusion a month later, and a year of therapy, I feel resilient, full of hope, and joy for today and the future. It was a turning point in my life.”

Helen Reaches Out for Help

Helen took a sip of iced tea and thought hard. “May I have the phone number for the practice that does this ketamine treatment?”

That afternoon, Helen called the practice and made an appointment.

While Helen focused on her treatment, she had less contact with Lizzie, who was facing her own situation by herself.

Lizzie Takes a Stand

One weekend, Lizzie showed up at home for the weekend. She wanted to talk.

“I broke up with Ethan, Mom. He was volatile and manipulative. I was trying to prove to myself that I was strong enough to love him. But yesterday he slapped me. That was the final straw. I told him we were done…that I would never be with someone who physically hurt me. To be honest, I’m so relieved it’s over.”

Helen wrapped her arms around her daughter and hugged her long and hard. She was so glad she had backed off and avoided the helicopter parenting of her almost adult child. Finally. It had paid off.

“I’m so relieved for you, Lizzie. So relieved. I’m so proud of you for standing by your principles.You’re a fine young woman, and you deserve to be loved, respected, and nurtured. Good for you.”

They talked off and on all weekend about school, grades, her experiences with Ethan, and Helen’s treatment. It was eye-opening for Lizzie to realize what her mom went through, but she was also proud of her mom for putting her well being first. It was something Lizzie would always remember for herself, too.

What About You?

Do you find that your worry about your child threatens your own wellbeing? Have you been losing sleep, finding it hard to work, suffering gastrointestinal or headache symptoms, or even trembling at times? Have you lost your footing in trying to avoid helicopter parenting your adult child?

Ketamine treatment isn’t for everyone, but can be so effective for people who suffer from depression, some forms of anxiety, PTSD, social anxiety, and suicidal thoughts that won’t stop.

If you suffer from these conditions and and what you’re doing isn’t helping, call us.

Ketamine treatment can provide relief from symptoms that interfere with your life. Diet changes can also enhance ketamine’s benefits. And its neuroplasticity can help you change your thinking to a more resilient outlook.

We are here to help you build a stronger foundation for building a more rewarding life.

It’s all about you achieving your best self.

To the restoration of your best self,

January 30, 2023

Category: Ketamine

Articles About Ketamine from Lori Calabrese, MD | The Ketamine Blog

Breakthrough anesthesia medicine proves life-changing for many who suffer from severe mood disorders.

Early Testing was Cautious

Researchers Still Learning All Ketamine Can Do

Ketamine Does More Than Bring Relief, It’s Transforming

Ketamine is NOT for Everyone

Why Ketamine Sometimes Doesn’t Work

Male Midlife Crisis? If Depression Results IV Ketamine Can Help

Where’s the energy, the fun, the hope for the future?

Take Justin.

By that time, his wife was tired, kids were irritable… and so was he.

What happened to enjoyment..? What a rat race.

As a young man, he enjoyed the thrill of conquest.

Still, he wasn’t about to compromise his marriage or hurt his wife, even though a part of him loathed himself for it.

Restlessness grew inside him as male midlife crisis progressed

Over the next few months, his wife often looked into his eyes, searchingly.

“A motorcycle, Justin? Seriously? You’ve never shown interest in motorcycles… Where’s this coming from?”

Justin opens up

“Remember the passion we used to have? The excitement? Where is it? I love the kids, and wouldn’t trade for them, but since they were born there’s been nothing for us anymore. I guess it’s been getting to me lately…

“You’ve always been such a stickler about our saving for the future, and it’s surprising to hear you wanting to spend down that fund. It worries me.”

“Quite honestly, I’m haunted by the ol’ saying, ‘what might have been…’ We’ll never know but the excitement and challenge of the trajectory I was on has died down to drudgery, sameness, routine nothingness. I’m bored. Disappointed.”

He slammed his drink down on the table hard.

Alarmed, Jen shot him a look.

It looked like that wasn’t going to go anywhere.

Jen noticed a marked decline in Justin’s engagement in their lives. He seemed withdrawn, detached, and maybe even despondent.

The evening was going somewhat smoothly, in spite of how quiet Justin was. Finally, Ed turned to Justin directly and asked, “How’s life treating you?”

Midlife Crisis in Men is Common

“You’re at the proverbial midpoint in your life, Justin. Do you think about it?”

Justin stirred, then crossed his legs. “If I were honest, I’d have to say yes.”

Jen realized she needed to give him space.

He read several articles that differentiated between midlife reevaluation and depression, but hinted that depression could result when a guy determined to avoid bad decisions, and turned his anger and disappointment onto himself.

He figured he needed to do something about the depression (if that was going on), if it was possible.

Justin learned that a prominent treatment for depression was IV ketamine treatment. So he called to find out more at a psychiatric practice with a strong reputation he found.

With the help of the ketamine infusions, the dark cloud – that seemed to hold his outlook hostage – cleared away, and he felt hopeful again, even joyful. It had been a long time since he’d felt joy about anything.

As his sense of purpose improved, so did his performance at work, and a promotion was offered to him before long that was in the same building, with a pay increase. It didn’t make him rich, but it sure did improve his ambition.

The future looked brighter.

A year later, Justin had lunch with Ed and told him how much his comments about male midlife crisis had been a lifeline to him, and how he appreciated Ed’s candor at a time when he couldn’t offer the same.

And you?

If you can get support to help you navigate the feelings, and seek treatment if depression and/or anxiety become a problem, you can hopefully come out on the other side wiser, more settled, and at peace.

Midlife is just a name for a milestone in your life, and can be manageable with the right support.

IV Ketamine for PTSD Symptoms from Severe Abuse Trauma

She froze.

Then, with horror, she felt his hand close around her ankle, and he jerked her out of her hiding place by her leg. Her head bumped the wall as she was dragged out. She screamed.

She went limp.

He mustn’t find her.

The sound of her mother’s voice made her tear up and her voice wavered.

In 45 minutes, Celeste pulled into her mom’s driveway.

Her mom had encouraged her to file a report with the police the day after she arrived, so they’d have pictures of her black eye, swollen lip and cheek, and bruised neck and chest.

She didn’t want him to continue hurting her, but she didn’t want to hurt him, either.

She felt so vulnerable.

Celeste found herself jumping at unexpected sounds, loud noises, voices when she didn’t realize someone was nearby. When she ran into an old friend in a grocery store, the friend hugged her and patted her back. She froze, broke out in sweat and began to shake.

She knew in her head she was living in a safe place now, but Cam seemed all-powerful to her, and she expected he could turn up anywhere at anytime…and she believed he’d kill her.

After awhile, she found she only felt safe in her bedroom.

So she stayed there. All the time.

Finally, Jill got on her laptop and searched for an understanding of the symptoms she saw in Celeste. The hypervigilance, tension, and insomnia… her reaction to being touched, patted, or spoken to… her fear of leaving the house, then her room.

PTSD from severe abuse trauma seemed the best explanation.

She also learned there was an effective treatment for PTSD using IV ketamine treatment.

IV Ketamine for PTSD

She read one article after another that explained neuroscience studies about how IV ketamine treatment can bring remission to symptoms of PTSD. The jumpiness, the panic, the fear and anxiety, the depression.

She began to feel hope that life could be better.

The idea that she didn’t have to live in a prison of fear and panic opened a window in her mind and light and fresh air streamed in.

Celeste asked her mom to help her find a psychiatrist who treat her with IV ketamine treatment.

IV Ketamine Treatment

After the 5th treatment, it was as if a light began to turn on inside her. She felt slightly less nervous, less fearful, less panicky.

Sometimes a booster is the ticket

The panic attacks subsided, her hope grew, and she decided to go back to school to get her law degree so she could help people who have been through what she had.

Do you know someone who suffers from PTSD?

One of the most effective treatments for PTSD today is IV ketamine treatment. We’ve been watching people like you recover from PTSD symptoms for years with the IV ketamine treatment we provide.

When You Feel Alienated By Your Angry Child

But since Ben had started high school, it was as if he had no respect for her, no regard for her view points, or the boundaries she had always set. She felt so alienated by her angry child.

It hurt.

Scenes like this one, where he ran out banging the door and disappearing, were becoming more and more commonplace. But why?

Why was he so angry?

Ben seemed to want nothing to do with her, and was not willing to express why he was so angry. Jill wracked her brain to figure out why.

She knew Ben didn’t grasp her loss and grief… but she also knew she couldn’t grasp his. They both tried to understand, be compassionate and patient, and reach out for moments of joy.

It had worked, until the last year.

She had always tried to make it a refuge for Ben, and hadn’t anticipated “home” coming to this. Her loving effort to infuse joy into her son’s life just started to weaken. In the isolation she found herself in, disillusionment disintegrated into depression.

The pain of it was too much, and she felt herself giving up.

She could feel herself becoming numb…. not caring anymore about anything. Jill got on her laptop to explore what was happening to her, impairing her ability to show unconditional love to her son in his time of such need.