Lori Calabrese, MD

Tag: IV Ketamine for PTSD

When Trauma Sabotages Your Life – You Can Overcome It!

Stephanie was a happily married thirty-something woman with 3 young children. She adored her husband and after 12 years of marriage, she still felt a thrill every time they held hands or caught each other’s eye. She fully expected the spark between them would see them through good times and bad, and they worked at actively communicating through every challenge. Of course, they had minor conflicts and bumps in the road from time to time, like any marriage does. But they built a life and family together, and Stephanie felt lucky and fulfilled. Then, everything changed. One evening right before Christmas, Stephanie’s husband told her he’d never loved her, and wanted a divorce. Stephanie was floored. She felt punched in the gut. Devastated. Shocked. Stunned. All she believed about their marriage seemed to have been fiction..? Her friend told her when trauma sabotages your life, it can be overcome. But how?

Her love and warmth and deep affection for her husband was not returned. Why?

Infidelity Shatters Trust in a Committed Relationship

It came out that he’d been seeing a “family friend.” He didn’t go home the next night, and the night after that. Then began coming home only in the morning to shower before work.

Stephanie saw him in the bathroom and flew out of bed in a rage. “How could you???”

He silently dressed and left for work…and Stephanie collapsed on the bed, crying in pain and betrayal. This man who had been so beautiful to her for the 15 years she’d known him, had turned into a stranger and a monster in a moment.

Cold. Without compassion or mercy. Brutal. Cruel.

What a fool she must have been. She felt ashamed. Humiliated. How could she think she was in a happy marriage? How could she have enjoyed him so much, when his loyalty was to someone else? The betrayal of her deep trust and love disintegrated her core. Trauma sabotaged her life, from wall to wall.

Painful thoughts of hurt, humiliation, betrayal, and loss swirled around and around in her head.

“So this is what it feels like when your heart is breaking,” she thought…For weeks, then months. Then years. She worked hard to build a new life, support her children, weave fun moments into their lives. If it wasn’t for her children, she thought she’d go to bed and stay there. Forever. But she didn’t. She kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Dinner Out is Ruined, Groceries Abandoned

Two years later she still felt like she would implode at the mention of his name. If she entered a restaurant, and saw him and “her” seated, she would walk out to keep from having a panic attack. If she saw them in the grocery store, her hands would start shaking, her palms would grow moist, and perspiration would break out on her forehead. She’d quickly leave, abandoning her groceries.

She wondered how others got over divorce. She didn’t think she was making any progress. How do you let go of the rage? How do you heal from the terrible hurt? What do you do to stop trauma from sabotaging her life? She felt like she was defined by her ex-husband’s rejection. Stephanie worried about her children and what her prolonged grief was doing to them.

As more time went by, the strain of her ex-husband’s betrayal wore her down. It ground away at her resources— including mental, emotional, financial, and physical. She had not experienced joy since he told her he was leaving nearly three years ago. Stephanie endured. She existed. She kept hanging on.

Maybe There’s More To It than Grief

Stephanie decided to see a therapist. On the recommendation of a friend, she made an appointment. After talking awhile, the therapist pointed out that she may have PTSD from the way it all happened. Considering her panic attacks, her severe reactions to having contact with her ex. Her increased heart rate and respirations at the thought of him.

The stress of living her altered life, worry about her children, fear of contact with her ex-husband, fear of reminders of the trauma … all hinted at her post traumatic stress and need for treatment.

There were long sessions with her therapist every week for months, but while she learned some things about herself, the panic continued.

Then, she read an article about PTSD and how IV ketamine treatment could be effective in treating it. She wanted her life back. Her self back. She wanted to be her best self for her children.

IV Ketamine Treatment Emerges as Her Solution

Stephanie googled “IV ketamine treatment” and learned it showed dramatic results in treating depression, social anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts. She also found blog posts and articles describing personal experiences about relief and remission following the treatment.

Stephanie felt hope in ketamine’s potential. Could it help her feel better? Could it help her reach freedom from the prolonged grief and pain of her divorce? Was it possible she could actually live again?

A search for psychiatrists who offered IV ketamine, and a scrutiny of those she found, led her to choose a practice in a nearby town. She began infusions the following week.

A Supplement that Can Enhance Outcomes

The doctor encouraged her to begin taking magnesium glycinate daily to help her glutamate receptors and neurons work more effectively with the ketamine.

By the third infusion, Stephanie felt a lightening of the weight that had hung over her for 3 years. It was subtle, but definitely there. She noticed other changes in her motivation, her ability to laugh, and her plans. Something was getting better inside her.

It May Take More Than 6 Infusions

All in all, 9 infusions were required, but it was worth the perseverance. A sense of resilience replaced the defeat and trauma. Her feeling of self respect seemed to fall into place, along with confidence to reach out and assert her desires. Stephanie realized that though trauma might sabotage her life, with ketamine it could be overcome.

A happy mom leads to happy children, and hers were no exception. Her life, and theirs, had changed — and there had been losses. But she came to accept that change is a part of life, and she could move forward and make her new life meaningful and rewarding.

And she did.

If you have had a life altering blow that seemed to dismantle your life, there is hope. And if the blow was so traumatic that you’ve been unable to move forward, but want to, we may be able to help.

So, if you’ve had trauma, betrayal, hurt…that’s led to depression or PTSD, and nothing has helped, call us.

It just could be that IV ketamine treatment can restore your peace, your resilience, your hope, and your freedom to live as your best self.

To the restoration of your best self,

November 29, 2022
When Abuse Leads to Overwhelming Stress at Work

Garrett is a 38-year old computer programmer who works in the IT department of a nationwide mortgage company. After ten years in the same department, the stress of the job seems to just pile upon itself. The short length of time allotted for projects to be completed, the abrasive attitudes of co-workers who are all under terrible pressure, the long hours into the night when something breaks down, the strain on everyone when a key member of the team leaves for a new job… Garrett is worn out and work down by the ongoing pressure and stress of his job…and doesn’t know how much longer he can endure. The stressful conditions of the job itself are abusive. And abuse leads to overwhelming stress.

Why Can’t People Just Be Kind?

By far, however, the worst stressor in his life ...is his boss. Daily chiding, screaming profanity, and humiliating Garett and his co-workers has destroyed the morale of the team. Garrett’s early annoyance with his boss’s bad attitude has evolved into a white hot fury he keeps under a lid. He does what he’s told but he feels himself losing his tolerance.

Day after day after week after month, the toxic atmosphere is so distracting and keeps Garrett on edge. He feels his creativity wane, his outlook darken. Until his mind has grown dull, and his bitterness toward his abusive boss grows hotter.

Finally, the last straw. It’s on a Monday morning. His boss gives a young, newer employee a promotion and a raise, and places him in a supervisory role over Garrett. He demotes Garrett to a position with less authority than he currently has. And he announces it to everyone. He makes Garrett an example of failure before his entire team.

Garrett is devastated. His boss is such a jerk.

From where Garrett’s sitting, his boss seems to derive actual pleasure from humiliating Garrett. The hurt and frustration fills him. Humiliation crushes him. From this point, he avoids making eye contact with his co-workers. He feels frozen, hopeless, and unable to do his job acceptably.

Weeks go by as he struggles to muscle through his job responsibilities. It’s just so hard to think. Before his boss took his position in Garrett’s department, Garrett had been a bright, promising employee, full of good ideas and creative solutions. Now he can’t seem to produce anything worthwhile. It’s like the lights have been turned out.

Weekend Getaway To Explore Options

Finally, Garrett and his wife take a weekend trip and talk. Garrett pours out to her his frustration, wounded pride, feelings of betrayal by his boss, and disillusionment. She says he needs to get out of that job, but he says he’s lost his edge and wouldn’t be able to find further employment. The strain of abuse leads to overwhelming stress.

So they talked about why he’s having so much difficulty on the job. Is the boss’s cruel treatment traumatizing him? Is he getting depressed from all the stress? All he knows is that he used to be exceptional and now he feels dull and stunted.

Lucy, his wife, had been reading some books lately. One of them, Ketamine for Depression by Stephen J Hyde, had been remarkably enlightening. She wondered if this treatment that had helped so many, would help Garrett. She described some of the personal stories in the book and Garrett was intrigued.

It sounded like this treatment could help trauma, depression, cognition, and social anxiety. It seemed possible it might help him.

A Special Treatment Restores Resilience

He googled “IV ketamine treatment” in his area and found a psychiatry practice that offered it. What a relief that he could go in after work. Finally, someone was getting it—that when you’re already under fire, you can’t afford to call out or take PTO. He scheduled a consult and was excited he could schedule infusions on Tuesdays and Fridays after work. That meant no one needed to know.

Whew.

Garrett didn’t feel any change after the first 3 infusions…. his wife encouraged him, pushed him to continue, read that this was not unusual. Then felt some lightening in his outlook after the fourth. He felt less depressed and took some initiative after the fifth. Then felt somewhat better again after the sixth. The seventh opened a door that brought in light…and hope. He found in the following weeks he had a spring in his step, and energy for people’s idiosyncrasies.

Within two weeks of his 7th infusion, he was becoming more and more creative, and his work became easier and easier for him. He felt like he was getting better and better now.

And he was resilient, so the boss’s comments just rolled off him. Garrett was so thankful, and relieved. He could live his life again. He and his wife could have dinner with friends. So much opened up.

He was ready to keep it going.

As we often say, ketamine treatment isn’t for everyone. And we continue to study it to learn why.

But for most people it’s transformative.

Here at Innovative Psychiatry, we’re focused on bringing this extraordinary treatment to you. We do all we can to help you get the most benefit from your ketamine treatment. That why, first and foremost, we offer IV ketamine infusions.

It’s what works. It’s where the most data is. And it’s the safest and fastest route out of misery.

Do you live or work in a situation where abuse leads to overwhelming stress? Is that stress leaving you worn down and worn out? If you experience the symptoms of depression like Garrett did and nothing has helped, call us.

We want to help you feel great again, back to your best self, and able to enjoy the rewards your life can bring.

With Thanksgiving upon us, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday, and that you have the resilience to enjoy this season and make memories you’ll treasure.

Happy Thanksgiving From Us to You!!

To the restoration of your best self,

November 21, 2022
Straight Talk: Let’s Be Honest About Excessive Social Media Engagement

Zach is 15 year-old high school sophomore. Some say that 14-15 can be the hardest teen years. Insecurities about identity, body image, personality, and a need for acceptance without the freedom of driving can add seemingly insurmountable pressures for a young person. But those miseries and uncertainties can be compounded by the hostile input that occurs through excessive social media engagement.

Zach was a more serious student who tried to do well in school. He had a few friends who were academically focused like him. They kept to themselves to avoid bullying by those who had nothing better to do. Occasionally, Zach or one of his friends, was the target of attacks on social media, and it was so cruel because of the public humiliation he felt.

The more often it happened, the more he withdrew into himself. It seemed like life was about keeping his head down and enduring.

He was ashamed that he’d been singled out and rejected by the crowd, and he wondered if he’d ever overcome all this, or if he would fail at life because of his shame. Zach and his friends talked about all the heartache excessive social media engagement caused, and how it affected them. The most resilient of their friends, Noah, reminded them that by studying hard in high school, they’ll be better equipped in college, and one day the cruel kids will end up working for Zach, Noah, and their friends. He encouraged them to focus on the long game.

Pep talks like that helped. A little.

After his homework one night, Zach googled what he thought were his symptoms. He had begun to wonder if his social withdrawal was a psychiatric problem, or whether there was something wrong about him the bullies could see that he couldn’t.

In his search results, up came link after link to articles about major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders like antisocial disorder. He found online tests and videos he watched to help him diagnose himself.

Then he researched the medications often found effective in treating his “symptoms.”

Trouble was, Zach’s “symptoms” weren’t actually symptoms at all. They were a natural part of surviving adolescence. Zach’s limited perspective as a 15 year old who was experiencing bullying online didn’t take into consideration his overall coping skills and challenges he was facing.

But he didn’t know that.

He decided to talk to his parents about his concerns and what he had learned on social media. YouTube videos had convinced him he had the classic symptoms of antisocial personality and general anxiety disorder. He asked his parents to help him see a psychiatrist.

His parents loved him and wanted him to feel their support. They agreed with Zach that excessive social media use among his high school students was destructive. They called around to get a recommendation for a psychiatrist, then called for an appointment.

When Zach and his mom arrived for his appointment, she told the doctor that Zach had researched his symptoms and discovered he had antisocial personality disorder. She asked if the doctor could prescribe medication for him.

The doctor raised his eyebrows.

“Antisocial, huh? Let’s take a breath and talk about this.”

The doctor proceeded to ask Zach some questions, listen to his answers, and then ask more. Before long, Zach was engaged in the conversation that included his childhood, his home life, the bullying at school, and his experiences with social media. They talked about his friends, and his relationship with his parents, and his performance in his classes.

Finally, the doctor sat back and smiled.

“Zach, first of all, you don’t have antisocial personality disorder, so I want to set you at ease about that. I think the bullying you’ve experienced face to face and on social media has triggered some anxiety for you. You seem to have healthy relationships with your friends, as well as your family, and you’re investing considerable effort to do well in your studies. These are signs of a healthy 15 year old guy who’s taken it on the chin several times due to thoughtless, ill-adjusted teenagers.

“I’d like to see you get some counseling to help you let go of the opinions of others, and I’m giving you a list of some counselors you can call. I’m also prescribing 6 months without social media, to give you relief from the cruelty you find there. Hopefully that time will give you the space you need to sever the influence that cruel, idle peers have tried to hold over you. Hopefully, you’ll find this excessive social media engagement is something you can live without.

“Here’s a prescription for a very low dose of anxiety medicine — No, it’s not a benzodiazepine — to help reduce your worrying while you work on these changes.”

“I’d like to see you in a couple weeks to check on how things are going and how the medicine is doing. Do you think you can work with this plan?”

“Yes,” Zach said. “I’m going to try. I’m sorta overwhelmed with the counseling, but I’ll try.”

And he did.

Six months later, Zach was feeling more like himself, had learned to ignore the irrelevant voices of “haters,” and had gained confidence in who he was through group counseling with other peers.

He was feeling more comfortable in his own skin, and worried less about what others said about him.

Meanwhile, across town, his friend Noah had been talking with Jeb about his sullen outlook, hopeless demeanor, and bitter attitude. Noah explained to Jeb what he himself had been through after his dad died. Noah told him he was already depressed, but medication wasn’t helping…then his dad died and he just gave up. He described to Jeb what that felt like, and how his grades dropped and he didn’t want to be around anyone.

Then, someone in his math class told Noah about IV ketamine treatment. He called the doctor the classmate told him about, went in for a long appointment (with a million questions) and started ketamine infusions. Already after the first one, he felt better and by the end, he felt like himself again. He had the strength to grieve his dad’s death, while still functioning at school and with friends. Noah said that sometimes you need help just to work on your life.

Jeb told him that he would talk to his parents about it.

Turns out, Jeb’s dad had heard the story from a friend at work how IV ketamine treatment had transformed the man’s daughter… that it was like a miracle after years of depression. He was immediately on board about Jeb’s interest in getting treated.

A couple months into the summer, Zach ran into Jeb, and he was his old self. He was back at his best self. They talked and laughed and caught up, and agreed to go to a movie on Saturday. Noah and Ethan joined them and the four had a great time. They talked openly about what an amazing year it had been, as though they had passed from dark to light.

IV ketamine treatment isn’t for everyone. There is a small percentage of people who don’t seem to benefit from it, at least so far. Others benefit more from changes in their lives…their infrastructure…to support their healthy frame of mind. They also may need changes in their environment — like friends they choose or excessive social media, for sure. But for those who need treatment to restore their brain structures and their resilience, ketamine treatment offers a rapid and robust antidepressant transformation in most people. Chances are, it can change your outlook and your life can be rewarding again.

If you suffer from depression, general or social anxiety, PTSD, or suicidal thoughts, and nothing has helped, call us.

We get up early and stay up late, studying, conferring, and seeking the latest research, finding ways to help you get better. Let us hear from you.

To the restoration of your best self,

October 17, 2022
Did You Know Alcohol & Substance Misuse Increase Suicide Risk?

Tom woke up, his head pounding, and he ached all over. The dark cloud that followed him everywhere was back. The partying last night gave him a brief reprieve, but it was over. He slowly dragged himself out of bed and thought about how disappointing it was that he woke up. He didn’t realize he was playing with fire, or that alcohol and substance misuse increase suicide risk.

He just wanted relief.

The nagging wish to stop living like this wrapped itself around him and through him to his core. It wasn’t the booze and pills that he wanted to be free of. It was the darkness, the pit, the vacant emptiness, the ache.

His lifestyle of repeatedly over indulging, getting high, and oblivion was the one thing that gave him minutes of relief.

Minutes when he felt good for a change.

Tom drank a couple mugs of coffee to try to clear his head, took a shower, and headed to his job. He had a degree in business management, but since the depression and anxiety had gotten so much worse, it flattened his ambition. He was just hanging on. Trying to get through the day. In fact, he held on to get through the hour…the slow, dragging minutes.

By lunchtime he didn’t know if he could get through the day, but he needed this paycheck. So he had to endure…and thought about what he would do after work to feel better. He started planning in his head to occupy his mind. That was a whole lot better than just slogging through work.

That night, Tom met up with friends he sometimes partied with. He contributed a bottle of bourbon, malt whiskey, and a case of beer he put on ice. The other two friends brought more of the same, plus some pills.

Tom hated the morning after. He always did. But the whole purpose was to construct relief. Respite from his misery. And this time was no different. He wanted to drown his pain. So he popped pills, guzzled beer and slammed shots with abandon.

However, this time he didn’t wake up with his head pounding. The “blackout” that followed all that he swallowed pulled him into a coma. One of his friends woke up from his own stupor and couldn’t wake Tom or his other friend. He called 911.

Their friend was pronounced dead at the scene, and Tom was rushed to the hospital where emergency personnel fought for his life.

After 2 weeks in the ICU, Tom began to gain consciousness. They told him his alcohol poisoning was nearly fatal, which was really hard for him to grasp. But it was even worse realizing his friend William had died that night.

Were they trying to end their lives? Had they tried to die before and — since it hadn’t happened — did they think they were indestructible? Was it really “partying” or was it flirting with death, in hopes of escaping their misery..?

These are questions that surround the growing numbers of people who misuse alcohol and substances… and die as a result. Do they realize that alcohol and substance misuse increase suicide risk?

Is an overdose suicide or an accident?

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Research has illuminated the complicated relationship between alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder…and suicidal thinking, suicide attempts, and suicide deaths. The purpose of National Suicidal Prevention Month is to inform society and equip you to recognize risk factors among your own friends, family, and coworkers.

For a long time we’ve recognized that alcohol and substance use disorders are associated with suicide risk. And when substance use is combined with alcohol use, there is a much higher risk of fatalities by suicide.

When you consider that alcohol and substances are widely used to self medicate symptoms that may not have been addressed and treated, it makes sense to treat the symptoms and talk openly about suicidal thoughts that can be stopped by IV ketamine.

Alcohol and substance misuse are not the only risk factors for suicidal thinking or fatalities —but they can increase risk of suicide a hundred fold.

A hundred fold greater risk. That’s staggering.

When you identify these risk factors in the life of someone you care about, you can save a life by opening up conversation about suicidal behaviors and thoughts.

Talk about the symptoms that lead to self medication — because there is hope through treatment of those symptoms.

And IV ketamine can stop suicidal thoughts in a few hours. And allow you time to seek the treatment that will make your life better.

If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or plans, call 988, the National Suicide Hotline.

Someone who understands what you’re feeling is waiting to talk with you.

If you’re plagued by thoughts of suicide and want to seek IV ketamine treatment to stop those thoughts, call us.

IV ketamine can stop those thoughts in an afternoon, and buy you time to seek treatment and counseling for a more rewarding life.

We’re here to help.

To the restoration of your best self,

September 19, 2022
Smashing Anorexia with a Therapeutic Ketogenic Diet Plus IV Ketamine

Halley put on her makeup and looked in the mirror. She abhorred her round face and the fat on her chest and arms. She quietly resolved that she’d swim more laps tomorrow, because the 30 laps she swam daily just wasn’t improving her appearance. It was hard, so hard, to go out in public because she knew in her gut that she would be secretly criticized for her excess weight. She saw an article about treating anorexia with a ketogenic diet plus IV ketamine, but she didn’t read it. She tossed it aside. Halley didn’t believe in anyone’s solution. She wanted nothing to do with it.

Maybe it was denial. Or maybe it was some sort of cosmic nagging and shaming. She didn’t know. But she didn’t want to hear it. She fought guilt and shame every day.

Halley had been avoiding family meals for a year or more, because she just couldn’t load up on all that heavy food. It was easier to go to the gym during dinner time, and privately eat 4 peanuts, drink powerade, and chew a stick of gum. When she ate with the family, it always seemed to descend into a conflict over what she ate. Too exhausting.

One day, Halley’s mom walked into her room and found her crying in front of the mirror.

“What is it, honey?” She put her arm around her painfully thin daughter and gently squeezed her.

Halley’s tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I’m so fat! I try and try to diet and exercise but I stay so heavy. I hate myself.”

Her mom embraced her. “Halley, you’re not fat! You’re really thin…”. Then, her mom realized they might slip into a conflict, so she added, “Honey, you’re beautiful, inside and out.”

Halley rushed out of the room. She felt like a total failure.

As her weight dropped more, her mom became more and more worried. Halley’s face went from slender to gaunt, and her arms lost shape, as her muscle mass diminished.

But Halley kept working out, running now and swimming laps, eating little to nothing. And feeling like she was heavily overweight. She felt appalled at her appearance, but it was a distorted perception. To observers, she looked rail thin, but when she looked in the mirror she thought she looked massive.

At some point, Halley realized she hadn’t had a period in months. She’d been so busy with working out she hadn’t noticed. This scared her because she thought she wanted to have children some day. Her hair was brittle and falling out. It collected on her brush like a haystack.

Finally, her mom convinced her to get a check up so the doctor could evaluate why her hair was falling out and her periods had stopped.

The doctor spent time evaluating her, asking questions, doing lab work, and listening. Then diagnosed anorexia nervosa. Her doctor referred her to a dietitian and a psychiatrist.

But there was a problem.

Even though the doctor recommended group therapy for Halley, the inner drive to restrict her eating and push through excessive exercise continued. There was a voice in her head that drove her. It shamed her for eating, it shamed her when she looked in the mirror, it degraded her and made her feel deeply unworthy.

So she tired of the group therapy eventually. The reason? That anorexic voice still drove her.

She was angry about the anorexia diagnosis. Didn’t believe anything was wrong with her. Not really.

But she felt bad… sad…pretty hopeless. And empty. She felt ashamed to be around friends, and just didn’t feel very connected anymore. To anyone.

Halley also felt light-headed more and more often. Sometimes dizzy, and somewhat weak.

One day she collapsed.

Her mom ran to her room when she heard the crash and found Halley on the floor unconscious. Mom dialed 911 and paramedics arrived in 7 minutes. They told her mom her blood pressure was low, and her pale color could be anemia. They transported Halley to the hospital and admitted her to ICU.

Halley remained semiconscious for 3 days, while she received IVs of electrolytes, TPN (total parenteral nutrition), fluids, and iron. Lab work revealed her electrolytes were out of balance, and her liver and kidney function were out of whack, too. And she was very anemic. Thankfully, her heart wasn’t damaged — but it could have been.

As her body’s electrolytes, fluids, and glucose balanced, Halley did a lot of thinking. She had to face that something was very wrong with her life … and potentially damaging. Even though she was glad she had survived this, she knew she needed to do something. She decided she needed to open herself to help, treatment, and changes in her life.

The day before she was discharged from the hospital, a nurse came to talk to her. She told her that her own daughter had suffered from anorexia for years and but had recently turned it around using a special program developed by a team of specialists. Medical doctors, a registered dietitian specializing in medical ketogenic nutrition, peer counselling, and a psychiatrist.

The approach included education, peer support counselling, a specially designed therapeutic ketogenic diet plus IV ketamine treatment.

And it is new. We first wrote about it here 2 years ago, in a blog about Caroline, the first patient we treated with this sequence. And then published a case report about her remission from chronic anorexia.

Another Study To Replicate Results

Recently we conducted a pilot study with 5 women who had struggled with chronic anorexia for at least 10 years. This was our next step to replicate our outcomes from the first case study. We’ve just recently published that data in Eating and Weight Disorders: Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity.

Our team included an internist, a registered dietitian specializing in medical ketogenic nutrition, a psychiatrist, peer support counselling.

Similar to the initial case study with Caroline in 2020, the subjects in our pilot study were thin—but partially weight restored—and medically stable enough to participate. (This was key.) But they were still plagued by the shaming anorexia inner voice, distorted perceptions of their shape and weight, and seriously low self esteem.

They began a specially designed therapeutic ketogenic diet — aimed at nurtritional ketosis, not weight loss — and maintained it for several weeks.

There is no psychiatric medication that targets specific residual symptoms of the compulsions, self-starvation, and the anorexic voice — and so they often continue even after weight has been restored to normal. And all too often, relapse occurs. Because the anorexic voice just hangs on and torments.

To effectively treat anorexia, the compulsions and that shaming voice must be targeted and quieted.

This is what this two-part protocol was aimed to address and where IV ketamine infusions come in.

After at least 4 weeks of maintaining the therapeutic ketogenic diet, each participant received a series of IV ketamine infusions (modeled after the success of the first patient we treated with this approach.)

And the voice quieted. In fact, it disappeared.

We followed the participants closely, presented our preliminary results in Oxford, UK and published our results at six months follow-up. Four women showed significant improvements across the measures we used to assess recovery and remission; one relapsed and was admitted to a residential program.

This approach of using a therapeutic ketogenic diet (an approach that induces safe, nourishing nutritional ketosis — not weight loss or starvation ketosis) may seem counterintuitive, but it’s based on science, and evidence supports it.

This isn’t keto from YouTube.

Our approach offers a potentially life-altering and lifesaving two-part treatment for a deadly disorder.

More research is needed to understand the mechanisms in the brain that result in quieting these compulsions and the anorexic voice, and in studying this treatment sequence in anorexia. A lot more research. But we’re excited to discover and report something truly new and hopeful for so many who have suffered so long: a very careful therapeutic ketogenic nutritional approach followed by IV ketamine.

If you’ve struggled with symptoms of chronic anorexia for a long time … if you think you might want to work with us … if you’re interested in the program we’re developing, please contact us.

Tell us a little about yourself and your story.

Let’s talk. Let’s start something new.

To the restoration of your best self,

September 5, 2022
Does Your Teen’s “Selective Hearing” Drive You Batty? There’s More To It…

“Riley? Riley… RILEYYYY!!” “MOM, why are you YELLING?” “Because you aren’t ANSWERING ME!!” Sound familiar? Does it seem like your teen has her ears stuffed with cotton? What about when it’s her friends talking to her? They have her undivided attention, right? Your teen’s selective hearing can drive you bonkers…

What is this? Is it just rebellion? A breakdown of respect?

It turns out there’s a neurobiological change that happens in your teen’s brain that results in their “selective” hearing. Before puberty, they’re hardwired to recognize their mother’s voice amidst other voices. They associated that voice with nourishment, as well as social and language learning. The sound of that familiar and important voice lights up multiple parts of the child’s brain.

But all that changes at puberty.

Get this: A study conducted at Stanford University delved into this phenomenon to better understand it. Led by Daniel A. Abrams, Ph.D., and Vinod Menon, Ph.D., they set out to learn more. After discovering in previous years that children 12 years old and younger can recognize mom’s voice with a 97% accuracy, they wondered: what about older kids? They also saw that mom’s voice set in motion multiple brain areas. Functional brain imaging scans allowed researchers to visualize them.

Brain regions like the reward centers, emotion processing areas, and the auditory cortex were activated. (The job of the auditory cortex is simply to process sound.) Of particular import were brain networks that give a person the ability to differentiate when information introduced is particularly worthy of attention. That’s the key.

For an infant, the mother’s voice signals nourishment, comfort, language and social learning.

These researchers set out to build on this previously discovered information. If an infant needs to focus primarily on mother’s voice for survival and development, what happens when a child reaches adolescence?

Needs change. Survival depends on other needs being filled.

In the new study, they compared responses to auditory tests of children under 13, to those 13-16. The latter group is in an age of transition, when a dependent child grows toward adulthood. To achieve that independence, his prowess at reaching out to others outside his family must be developed.

Because of that, he experiences a shift in who he’s drawn to focus on. (And he’s not even aware of it. Nature just flips the switch.) Researchers discovered that the process of becoming independent is initiated by a subconscious biological signal. This turns on a teen’s ability to connect socially outside his family. He becomes more and more attracted to the unfamiliar voices of potential friends and companions. He wants to be in their company and spend time together. As a result, he becomes socially skilled outside his family.

As disrespectful as this “selective hearing” may seem, it’s actually a vital and normal part of teen growth and development, when everything else is normal.

However, sometimes there are other circumstances that complicate the teen’s “selective” type of hearing. Adolescent depression is an example. When a teen is depressed, he may not feel much like responding, especially to someone in his family. That’s a symptom all its own and can complicate the neurobiological shift in focus a teen experiences toward those outside his family.

The first step in communicating with your teen comes in recognizing that as much as he needs you until he’s ready to make his own home and take care of himself, he also needs to safely transition to that independence.

That can be a painful process for both parent and teen. But if you, as parent, can recognize that his instincts to pull away are biologically based, you can better guide him patiently to take those steps toward independence, safely. Allowing his maturity to catch up with each new stride.

The second step is to be informed and familiar with symptoms of psychiatric disorders that can seriously complicate the process. And if those symptoms emerge, you’ll be there to help him find the treatment that can make all the difference for him.

For disorders like treatment resistant depression, bipolar depression, PTSD, social anxiety, panic attacks, and symptoms like suicidal thinking, IV ketamine treatment can restore, renew, and give him hope. It can stop suicidal thoughts in an afternoon. It can help your teen move forward with building his life, engaging with friends, and performing in school.

These symptoms can interrupt your teen’s development, but ketamine can set him back on solid ground.

If your teen exhibits symptoms beyond just selective hearing, or if you struggle with symptoms of your own, call us.

Get the help your teen and your family need to enjoy resilience and balance.

And you can get back to the “simple job” of patient, loving support and guidance as he grows into the future ahead for him.

To the restoration of your best self,

August 29, 2022
Do Parents with Social Anxiety and Panic Pass It On to Their Kids?

School is starting. Teens are beginning their academic year in junior high, high school, and college. Exciting and a little scary… for parents too. Do parents with social anxiety and panic pass it on to their kids? Anxiety disorders run rampant for this age group. General anxiety, social anxiety, and panic plagues many teens, along with co-morbid depression and bipolar depression.

Research confirms that a child who has a parent with anxiety holds a compounded risk of anxiety. It’s even more true if both parents have an anxiety diagnosis.

The more we understand that relationship the better prepared we are to help those parents’ offspring who are at risk. These conditions can be responsible for absence and avoidance of school. In fact, when they’re severe, it can become almost impossible for your teen to endure.

We know that genetic connections and watching an anxious parent respond to anxious situations increase the likelihood of a child showing signs of anxiety, too.

And the more this occurs, the stronger that response — or reaction — exhibits itself in your child.

By the teen years, kids can become entrenched in these patterns. And the responses become “knee-jerk” reactions.

Social anxiety, panic, and general anxiety can interfere with your child’s normal growth and development, making it more and more difficult to make friends, perform in class, and enjoy success. When symptoms drag on without successful treatment, it can be extremely difficult to apply for a job, perform in the workplace, maintain a relationship, enjoy marriage (yes, some people do!)… and so much that’s a part of a rewarding life.

To better understand these risk factors, a team led by Barbara Pavlova, Ph.D. and Rudolph Uher, M.D., Ph.D., at Dalhousie University, embarked on a study to show how parents pass their anxiety disorders down to their children, and published it in JAMA Network Open.

They showed that children whose same-sex parent suffers from anxiety disorders are more likely to suffer from anxiety than those whose opposite-sex parent has such a disorder.

By age 10. (Yes, you got that right: 10).

And the lowest risk of a child’s developing anxiety disorders exists when neither parent suffers from these disorders.

But the likelihood is almost as low when the parent with anxiety is effectively treated for it. When anxiety symptoms are treated, and the parent has relearned responses that don’t convey fear to fearful or worrisome circumstances, their child can learn healthier responses, too.

Anxiety disorders are the most widespread psychiatric disorders, and among the leading causes of disability.

When you understand the impact your own anxious responses have on your child, it’s easier to see the importance of treating your own anxiety, as well as your teen’s. You may not even realize you struggle with anxiety… the way you are may just seem like it’s just the way you are…

Worried a lot of the time… with thoughts running through your mind so much that they keep you from sleeping at night. Maybe it’s extremely difficult for you to walk into a crowded room, or attend a party where you don’t know many — or any — people? …Maybe you just avoid gatherings like that.

Or maybe sometimes anxiety builds and builds until you just shut down… or want to cry, or scream… or you just freeze and can’t make yourself function.

Maybe sweat breaks out on your face, your palms, in your armpits. And it’s completely beyond what you can control. Social anxiety, panic, and excessive worry can not only interrupt your normal living, but can be complicated by depression. And they can influence your behavior around your children, and interrupt their lives, too.

But IV ketamine treatment can be transformative for these conditions, and other disorders.

Research has shown what a difference IV ketamine treatment can make, in you, your spouse, and your teen.

By releasing mRNA to turn DNA “ON”, brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) is released and turbo-boosted proliferating the brain cells. Dendrites and dendritic spines explode by the bushel, sending signals throughout the brain like a flood. Your brain can light up with creative and positive thought, solutions, and hope.

The darkness and oppression that’s trapped you… the anxiety and tension… dissipates and can be replaced by joy.

Yep. Joy.

We’re ready for you at Innovative Psychiatry to help you find that joy and hope through IV ketamine treatment.

When you come in, you’ll be led to a quiet, beautiful room where you can relax in a heated, zero-gravity leather recliner, listen to the music you bring if you choose, and close your eyes to receive your infusion and get the most from it.

You’ll notice a trim, white box on the table that’s specialized for destroying bacteria, viruses, and molds of all kinds, leaving your room free of pathogens — and giving you a germ-free space to breathe and relax. Your safety is important to us, and in this ever-changing COVID environment, you will be completely safe from infection. Using plasma cell technology, we’ve installed a unit specific to the square footage of each treatment room throughout our offices. (Who else does that?)

We’re meticulous — and for years we’ve pioneered best practices, set the standards, and led the pack.

It may take 6 infusions for you to feel better, and to achieve remission from your symptoms… or maybe 8, 9, or 10. (Every person and every brain is different.) But we’re committed to help you receive the full benefits of your IV ketamine treatment.

Ketamine isn’t for everyone, but it can be transformative for most. Chances are it will provide you with the peace, joy, and hope you need.

Give yourself the benefit of what 21st century psychiatry can offer for treatment-resistant disorders.

If these conditions sound familiar, call us.

We’re committed to help you get better with IV ketamine. This is about you and your teen.

To the restoration of your best self,

August 22, 2022
Anxiety, Panic, and Depression in Teens: IV Ketamine Offers Hope

Anxiety. Some people never struggle with it. A little bit of anxiety for them can be a motivator to study for a test, practice lines for a play, or learn math. Those who experience small spurts of anxiety can often perform very well. But when anxiety grows out of bounds it’s no longer motivating. When it explodes into fear, it can freeze you in place, making it extremely difficult to take care of things you need to do. That’s especially difficult for teens in school — including getting ready for college. And when issues crop up like anxiety, panic, and depression in teens, it can be just too much to manage.

Emma’s Anxiety

Take Emma. As a young child in her elementary school, she loved learning to read, working on group projects, and helping with the scenery for the class play. She wasn’t shy… but wasn’t outgoing either. She was just task oriented, good at things, and liked to excel.

But as she got older, social anxiety crept in. Going into a full classroom if she was late made her feel like she would die a thousand deaths. (So she tried very hard to not be late.) The anxiety that built inside her about giving a report in front of the class or participating in group discussions or projects robbed her of the motivation to do a good job. She worried and worried about it and then, exhausted, just wanted to disappear.

Some days she was so exhausted by it all that she just stayed home. Told her mom she had a sore throat or upset stomach.

Then, when Emma was 15, she woke up one day and the anxiety about going to school overwhelmed her. She dropped to the floor crying and couldn’t move. Her mother came in to tell her to get dressed or she’d be late. But Emma couldn’t do anything. She felt frozen and helpless. She cried and cried harder, and told her mother she couldn’t do more than she was doing. Her mom was caught by surprise… but thought Emma was testing her boundaries. She was sick of the drama, tired of the hormones, and wanted Emma to just get up and go to school.

But no matter what her mother said, Emma remained in a heap on the floor.

Anyone who has had a weeping teen knows that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. Her mom knew she could try to get her daughter dressed out the door, but she couldn’t force her to participate in school. She decided she better try a different approach.

She asked her daughter what was wrong. Why was she crying? Emma took a long time to answer but finally said she didn’t know what was wrong. So she stayed home again and spent the day relaxing. Anxiety, panic disorder, and depression created a complex knot of overwhelm for this teenage girl.

She took a mental health day.

She took a lot of them.

Eventually, Emma graduated from high school. She was so relieved to be away from that world that she was euphoric… and hoped she’d be ok now.

Emma spent the summer doing things she enjoyed with her closest friend. She didn’t have a ton of friends since social anxiety caused her to stay to herself or with the friend she knew well. In August, it was time to move into the dorm at the college where she was scheduled to start. The last week she was home anxiety choked her. She wasn’t sure she could do this… so many people she didn’t know! How would she register? How could she move into a dorm with a stranger? Who would she eat with?

The fears spun in her mind faster and faster. She felt like she was frozen in a vault unable to communicate with anyone. Her parents tried to help her get ready and pack, though she couldn’t focus on it. They drove her to the campus and helped her carry her boxes to her dorm room.

Then they drove away and she was alone.

Anxiety interferes with life changes

She froze where she stood. She was the first one in the room. And it was small. The terror of being in her room and facing her roommate was too much. She didn’t move. Emma worried that her roommate wouldn’t like her, and she’d have nowhere to escape to get away from her. She finally walked to the library to find a place she could be alone. It wasn’t long before she found a cool, dark corner where she could huddle.

After a couple hours there, Emma forced herself to go back to her dorm, and after standing outside the door for 20 minutes trying to get the courage to go in, she finally held up her card key, buzzed herself in, and walked in. She and her roommate introduced themselves but neither wanted to talk much.

And so it began.

Emma managed to go class, spent her weekends studying in her room or the library, and got through the semester. But once the next semester started, she was in trouble. Anxiety rose more and more until she couldn’t leave her dorm room. She didn’t make it to many classes.

She stayed in her dark dorm room and slept instead of going to class. Emma slept all the time. Kids down the hall and acquaintances from her classes stopped by but she didn’t answer the door. She couldn’t face going outside and walking to class. Couldn’t face other students. She’d gotten so far behind she felt too overwhelmed to fix it. And she was placed on academic probation. Now she had to tell her parents what was going on.

Emma felt so much shame. Abject failure. But no idea what to do to turn this around. She felt like there was something wrong with her. She believed she was just weak. Inept. Worthless.

Social anxiety, panic, and depression were a complex set of problems, on the heels of COVID, that proved too difficult to overcome.

Reaching out for help

She decided—finally—to talk to one of the campus counselors. Even though she had no idea what they could do, Emma knew she needed some sort of help.

The counselor asked lots of in-depth questions about Emma and her history, her school life, and her family life. She got Emma to talk about what her thoughts were when she avoided class. Counseling on campus is short-term. So she gave Emma the name of a psychiatrist nearby who might be able to help.

Emma called her parents and told them what she was going through, about her grades, and about the counselor. She cried — a lot. She asked her parents if they would help her see the psychiatrist. They agreed.

Her visit with the psychiatrist was enlightening. He told her that she had social anxiety, and depression—and probably panic disorder. He prescribed meds that day and she started taking them. But she felt tired, wasn’t sleeping well, and after a couple months she was still getting no relief. She felt no different. He tweaked her meds—a couple of times—and suggested a different therapist to see one-on-one for CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) for anxiety… but she didn’t want to do that. Her social anxiety was too intense for her to tell her story. All over again.

And then he told her that 30-40% of people with anxiety and/or depression aren’t helped by traditional medicines and treatments.

She wished she’d known that before wasting so many months.

And he gave her the name of a psychiatrist who offered IV ketamine treatment.

Really? How would she know if she was even legit?

Emma called and made an appointment.

But she felt no different after the first infusion. And started to worry—maybe this wasn’t going to work?—even though she knew that it could take a few infusions before her symptoms turned around. The dissociation was interesting… weird but interesting. She hoped it would help.

That panicky feeling calmed a little after the second infusion later that week. Just a bit. But every little bit helped.

A few days later, she went for the third infusion. She felt just a bit better the next day. Not a lot. But a little.

Then, on the day of the 4th infusion, she began to feel less and less anxious, less out of control of her life, less afraid. She could tell it was helping. With the 5th and 6th infusions, she felt better and better… but was still a little shaky as she tried to make arrangement for a new semester. The doctor suggested she come in for another one or two infusions. She was almost there.

After 8 infusions, she wasn’t afraid anymore. The depression was gone. Emma had the courage to face the school officials and made a plan with the campus counselor about repairing the damage to her GPA… She embraced her responsibilities and met with tutors. She started spending time with her roommate (who turned out to be a really nice girl) and they actually became good friends. Emma was so much better that she felt normal.

Anxiety and panic disorder can go together. We call that co-morbidity. (What a word, right?) In Emma’s case, her depression was another whole thing she suffered from. With so much going on, she couldn’t figure out how to function or manage her life.

This is actually pretty common in teens and college students. New stressors—like starting high school or college—can trigger even more severe anxiety. It can bring on depression. And make your teen—or you—shut down.

It’s important for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about mental health symptoms, and seek help when symptoms interfere with daily living. Symptoms like anxiety can be easy to misinterpret or overlook, so it’s really valuable to talk about how they feel. If they learn to talk about their experiences as they go through challenges, it will be easier to identify problems that need to be addressed…and treated.

It will be easier to develop resilience.

And if unexpected symptoms emerge, you’ll be in a better place to help.

If Emma’s experiences sound at all familiar — and if treatment isn’t making a dramatic difference — call us.

We’re here to help you with innovative solutions—and to help you reach for remission.

Let’s see if we can get your life back.

To the restoration of your best self,

August 15, 2022
Ketamine for Bipolar Depression in Teens

Jarrett woke up with the weight of the world on his chest. He was so weighted down, so hopeless, and felt like he’d explode. He went to the kitchen, poured a glass of milk, drank it, and slammed the glass down on the counter. Then stomped outside, gripping his fists at this side. Jarrett didn’t realize he had bipolar depression in teens.

He was fed up with feeling this way. So irritable, sometimes explosive, impatient, and full of shame. He felt like a monster when he was like this. With such a short fuse, he snapped at his family, then stormed out of the kitchen.

Later, at school, he felt saturated with self-loathing and despair. Agitation stirred in him as he went to class and tried to focus. Just sitting in his seat seemed impossible, so he’d ask to go to the restroom just to be able to move around. And he dreaded going back to class. So he messed around, procrastinated going back. Finally, he returned to the classroom and folded his arms, stared at his lap, and just sat there until class was over.

This misery wasn’t new to Jarrett. He had been struggling with bipolar depression in teens for two or three years… just irritability at first, but then one day his parents had said something to him about inappropriate behavior and it cut him to the quick.

Suddenly, he felt himself getting angrier and angrier, and spewing words with an intensity he never had before. His mind was swirling with panic and offense, and he felt utterly betrayed.

The shocked look on their faces revealed they didn’t understand his reaction. He felt justified in his rage, more than he ever had before. The pain he felt from their accusation was the deepest he had ever felt. They could see he was genuinely hurt, but couldn’t understand why he felt so strongly.

And that was the beginning.

After that, other situations and disagreements led to similar reactions. His forceful words were peppered with profanity and vulgarity. Sometimes the culmination of this upheaval gave way to Jarrett storming out the door, ignoring their calls for him to come back.

Sometimes he was gone an hour, sometimes two or three. But he usually eventually returned in a calmer frame of mind, sometimes sorry for his outburst.

As he got older, the outbursts grew louder and went on longer. Then he began to form friendships with more troubled kids his age. His parents grew increasingly more worried and tried to influence how he spent his time. But it became more and more difficult to supervise him.

They were afraid for him, and made an appointment with a psychiatrist to try to get him help. The doctor diagnosed Jarrett with bipolar I disorder. Jarrett grew darker, and more depressed… and hopeless. They could hardly get him out of bed. He missed school because he just wasn’t functioning. Bipolar depression in teens can be so debilitating that school attendance can become almost impossible.

He seemed to sleep around the clock. Getting him to wake up and go to a doctor’s appointment was difficult…sometimes next to impossible. When they finally did, the doctor prescribed some medicines, some of which had intense side effects. Jarrett’s tolerance for the added difficulties caused by the medicines wore thin.

The medicines weren’t making much of an improvement in how he felt, and the side effects were complicating his misery.

He didn’t want to live like this any more. He wanted to die.

Finally, Jarrett read online about IV ketamine treatment for bipolar depression. He read about people who had been greatly helped by it. Even though it wasn’t a solution for all his symptoms, it might help resolve the depression symptoms that wound their way through everything.

When he told his parents about IV ketamine treatment, they searched online for more information, and for a psychiatry practice that offered it. They called the doctor who diagnosed Jarrett’s bipolar disorder to see if he would provide it, but he told them he didn’t offer it. Then they found a psychiatrist who offered IV ketamine treatment and made an appointment.

After a thorough evaluation, he began his first infusion treatment.

That afternoon after the infusion, he didn’t feel quite as deeply depressed, but he wondered if it was just that he was hopeful that this treatment would help. Sort of a placebo maybe?

The infusion was a new experience. He felt like he was floating and had sensations and images in his mind. It felt like he was moving through time and space. Overall, it was pleasant, and a bit curious.

A few days later, he went for his second infusion. That evening, he definitely felt a mild improvement. It wasn’t his imagination this time. He could tell something was changing. The difference was mild, but a great relief. Jarrett wondered if this was the full result of the treatment.

But, the following week he went for his third infusion and felt even better afterward. His hope was growing.

The 4th, 5th, and 6th infusions led to his feeling better and better and better. And in the weeks that followed his outlook continued to improve. He still needed treatment for his manias, but they didn’t come that often, and the freedom from depression made it so much easier for him to manage his school work.

Jarrett had hope for the first time in years.

He began to focus on his schoolwork to make up the time he had lost. For the first time since third grade he felt like he might have a future after all.

Bipolar disorder is the 4th leading cause of disability in young people ages 10-24. Often diagnosed in adolescence, it can wreak havoc during your teen’s formative years. Symptoms like emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and irritability can show up during earlier childhood before mania appears. Bipolar depression in teens is a severe form of depression that can interrupt your child’s childhood and adolescence, interfering with their normal growth and development, distorting their perceptions of themselves, and crushing their ability to succeed.

IV ketamine treatment can be transformative for your teen. The chaotic symptoms of bipolar disorder can scramble your child and make it difficult for him to focus on goals. When symptoms of depression disappear, the illness can become much more manageable. Your teen can feel more in control of his life.

Kids don’t understand when these symptoms emerge in them. They often feel angry and justified in their anger, incensed that they would be challenged. (Sounds like adolescence, doesn’t it? The difference is the intensity of the anger, how misunderstood they feel, and a cluster of other symptoms at the same time.) That son or daughter you were able to reason with in the past may no longer negotiate or cooperate.

If he or she seems irrational, panicked, and possibly violent, get help. This may not be a war of wills, but a mood disorder.

We can help.

To the restoration of your best self,

August 8, 2022
If Your Teen is Thinking of Suicide: Save Her with IV Ketamine

Shannon was 13 and woke up almost every morning disappointed to realize she was still alive. Her last thought before falling asleep was usually hoping, praying, she would not wake up in the morning. Her misery was difficult to describe but it involved every aspect of her life — parents and family, her school work, her friends, and her health. Shannon knew something was wrong. But didn’t know what IV ketamine could do. (When your teen is thinking of suicide, she may not even realize that’s where that could really go.) Her mom always said, “If everything and everyone around you seems wrong, maybe it’s time to look at yourself.”

She did look at herself, and didn’t blame anyone else for her frame of mind. She didn’t intend to be creating trouble of any kind…she just felt so bad…so, so bad. Shannon felt like a failure at school, always hearing from her teachers that she was she was “not living up to her potential.” She couldn’t focus, didn’t have the drive to do her assignments or study. And coping with other kids at school every day was painful and exhausting. She had nothing to say, and people shunned her because they thought she was standoff-ish.

Shannon didn’t intend withdraw, but it was all she could do. Her social anxiety was cruel and crippled her efforts at connecting with anyone.

She didn’t feel like her parents understood her, and her brother and sister never stopped ribbing her and poking at her.

Her parents would have sit-down talks with her and try to whip up her motivation, her commitment to her “responsibilities” … and it just discouraged her all the more. It proved to her what a failure she was.

They thought she would grow out of it, that time would just eventually give her a little boost, or that she would find a surge to enjoy life.

So they waited.

Shannon thought about dying often, but didn’t know if she had the courage to take action.

Months and months of this without improvement led Shannon’s parents to find a therapist and psychiatrist for her, and they put all their hopes on this treatment. Over the next year, fruitless talk, prescribed medication, adjusted doses, and then new medication…. brought no improvement.

Shannon had lived with this despair, hopelessness, anxiety, and listlessness, as well as feeling utterly worthless, for years — and she just couldn’t do it anymore. It seemed pretty clear to her that the rest of her life would be like this. The only solution was to stop living.

Then at school, a girl in her class told her she’d been in class with her for two years and noticed Shannon always seemed to carry a burden. Since she’d herself been deeply depressed, and had been a teen thinking of suicide, she thought she recognized it in Shannon.

She said, “I just want you to know you’re not alone. I’ve been there.”

Shannon told her she didn’t know why she felt so bad, and turned to walk away. The girl, Christy, rushed to catch up.

“Do you ever feel like you want to die? I did, and I wonder if it’s the same for you,” Christy offered.

“All the time,” Shannon responded.

“Would you like to meet up after school? Maybe we could hang out…talk…?”

Shannon was hesitant. She didn’t really know Christy that well, though they’d been in classes together. She was afraid she wouldn’t have anything to say. It would take energy she didn’t really have. ….Still, Christy seemed to understand what she was going through. She pushed herself to accept.

“Ok.”

They met and walked to Christy’s car. She drove them to a cute little place that served frozen yogurt.

They each got a cup and found a table. Before long, Shannon was talking about her situation and Christy listened, seeming to know how to ask the right questions.

Finally Shannon asked, “How do you know so much about all this? You seem fine.”

Christy told her about her own depression, how desperate she had felt, how hopeless. Then she read about a treatment that turned out to be her answer.

“IV ketamine treatment.” It’s used for anesthesia, but in the last 10 or 15 years it’s become a pretty amazing treatment for depression. It’s not like the pills you’ve tried. Some people feel great after the first infusion. For others, it takes a few infusions before they feel better. In general, the treatment requires a series of infusions, 6 or 8 or so, maybe more, and it can transform the way you feel. It’s hard to describe, but my suicidal thoughts stopped — it was like poof! — and my depression completely lifted.

“The reason I approached you, is because I know what it’s like to be deeply, dangerously depressed. I know the thoughts you probably have, and I wanted you to know there is hope. If there is anything I can do to help, I will.”

After Christy took Shannon home, Shannon talked to her parents. She told them about her talk with Christy and her desire to look into IV ketamine treatment. They all looked online for more information, to understand the risks and benefits.

Christy had given Shannon the name of the doctor who had provided the treatment for her so Shannon gave it to her parents. Before bed, Shannon’s mom gently asked her if she had had any thoughts of dying. She thought maybe her teen is thinking of suicide.

Shannon stared at her hands.

Her mom told her that in her research of IV ketamine, she had learned that ketamine was especially good for suicidal thoughts. That it can actually erase those thoughts.

“Shannon, honey, hang on. Tomorrow I’ll call and get you an appointment. Let’s see what this treatment can do. Will you hang on with me?”

Shannon nodded.

The next day, her mom made an emergency appointment and took Shannon in for a comprehensive consultation and she was able to get a ketamine infusion that same afternoon.

Within a couple hours, Shannon’s suicidal thoughts stopped. The depression didn’t feel much better yet but the thoughts and images of killing herself were gone. They made appointments for the rest of the series of infusions.

After the second infusion, Shannon thought she might feel slightly better. Still hopeless, despairing, and without energy, but she got out a book from English class and began to read an assignment.

She hadn’t made any effort with school in months. Initiative, her mom thought.

Then, after the third infusion, she could tell she was feeling better. Like sparks of light were seeping through the darkness of the last few years. From that point, she continued to feel better and better. After her 7th infusion, she was laughing, talkative with her family, sometimes singing under her breath. And as time went by she just kept improving. She worked with her teachers and explained her story, and made arrangements to make up her missed work.

Her parents were flabbergasted at the change they saw in her. She completed the year with A’s and B’s in every class, and enjoyed her school work… was motivated to excel. She talked on the phone with friends… and even went on a few dates.

Shannon and Christy became good friends, with their common history of depression and recovery. And together they reached out to other teens who were thinking of suicide.

Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people between the ages of 10 and 14. It’s the second leading cause of death in people aged 15 to 24. It’s extremely important to recognize signs of depression as well as signs of suicidal thinking in teens and take action.

Because teens can be impulsive, suicide is a higher risk at this stage of life. The prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until the mid twenties, so executive decision making can be impaired. Teens may not think of the consequences of a decision that an adult over 30 is more likely to consider.

In addition, while depression is a serious risk factor for suicide, about half of those who commit suicide did not have symptoms of depression.

Some people can seem fine, are productive and excelling in life, when they cause their own death. So it’s important to talk with your teen about suicide in an open and matter-of-fact manner. Check in with them often.

Be sure your family is familiar with the new hotline for suicide: 9-8-8.

And know that IV ketamine treatment is available to help you recover. It’s not a fluke or a passing trend. (People might have thought that years ago when I first started providing this treatment.) Ketamine has been used for over 50 years safely. You may hear people disparage this amazing medicine as a horse tranquilizer, a psychedelic used on the streets as Special K, and other misnomers. The fact is that it’s been used in combat since the Vietnam war, is used for an anesthetic for humans and animals — and in the 21st century, it’s been studied and used effectively for depression, and other mood disorders. Like most good medicines for pain, ketamine has also been abused as a party drug for its dissociative properties.

But make no mistake.

IV ketamine is one of the most, if not THE most, effective depression treatments available. It has a broad effect on the brain in the hippocampus, amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and the lateral habenula. It turns on mRNA which switches DNA to “ON” and triggers a proliferation of brain derived neurotrophic factor. This in turn acts like a compost to turbo boost the dendrites and dendritic spines on the brain neurons, to vastly multiply connections between brain cells, lighting up the brain with creative thought, bright emotions, hope, and confidence.

When your teen is thinking of suicide — when your child is thinking of suicide— you may recognize the signs… or you may not even dream they’re considering it because they appear so active and successful. Don’t be caught unawares. Encourage your kids to talk about their feelings. And know that a self-reliant successful person can be suicidal without showing signs.

Our goal is to help those who feel trapped in their frame of mind and in suicidal thoughts. Ketamine can stop suicidal thinking even before depression lifts—and that’s ok. It can save a life. It can save your life.

If you feel like Shannon, or worry about your own suicidal thoughts, call us.

We’ll help you with the best ketamine treatment available to be free of those thoughts, and give you the time you need to pull in everything you need to get better.

You’re not alone. We’re here to help.

To the restoration of your best self,

August 1, 2022

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