Should you try IV ketamine? I’ve lived with bipolar for over thirty years, and after 18 IV ketamine infusions, I share my personal experience of ketamine therapy for bipolar depression, how I support neuroplasticity in the two weeks after every infusion, and why ketamine and psychedelics are in the news, from the United Nations to the FDA.
I am not a clinician, and nothing in this episode is medical advice. Please make any decision about your treatment together with your psychiatrist or mental health professional.
This month, the use of ketamine for depression and psychedelics was discussed at a mental health leadership forum at the United Nations, and this week I shared my lived experience as the patient on a panel hosted by Ember Health. Eighteen infusions in, ketamine is a foundational part of my mental healthcare. People ask me one question more than any other: “Should I try IV ketamine?” My answer might not be what you expect.
If you live with bipolar depression or depression, love someone who does, or are curious about ketamine therapy, this conversation is for us. Share this with someone who is considering ketamine therapy.
In this episode you will learn:
- IV ketamine for bipolar depression: what 18 infusions have changed in my mental healthcare
- Ketamine and medication: how I went from four medications to one mood stabilizer, working with my psychiatrist
- My honest answer to “Should I try IV ketamine?”
- Ketamine and neuroplasticity: the daily practices I use in the two weeks after every infusion, when the brain is more able to form new connections
- Why I set an intention before each ketamine infusion
- How the ketamine and psychedelics conversation becomes more meaningful when it comes back to everyday life
- Why I submitted a public comment to the FDA about IV ketamine for depression and insurance coverage
Listen to my ketamine series on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts:
Part 1, Episode 69, 30 Years of Trying to Fix My Brain: https://youtu.be/cvlg94ZfSpg
Part 2, Episode 70, What Happened When I Said Yes: https://youtu.be/2OBG69hw9h4
Part 3, Episode 71, What’s On The Other Side of IV Ketamine: https://youtu.be/arpbHu18YXQ]
I am a patient at Ember Health, with no affiliation and no payment of any kind.
Ember Health: https://emberhealth.co/
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