A ramshackle two-story house leans in the distance, behind a rusty, crooked gate. Passersby hardly notice it anymore…it’s just become part of the landscape. But when an investor looks at it, he sees the potential. A life makeover for that house is called for. He buys the property and sends in designers and remodeling crews. With tender care, workers replace damaged and rotting beams and roof shingles, upgrade the 3 grand fireplaces, and turn the kitchen into a gourmet’s haven. Wood working and carvings are stripped, stained, and polished, and floors are restored to their gleaming origins. Rugs, furnishings, and lavish window treatments adorn every room, crowning the grand ol’ girl with the appeal of her former splendor. The house in the distance people had ignored… becomes the gem of the surrounding region.
This “life makeover” process can happen for people, too.
Meet Regina.
In her twenties, she felt like she had her ducks in a row. She worked at an upwardly mobile job, her career was strong, she met with friends on most weekends and enjoyed their company. She worked out at the gym 4 times a week, managed her finances within her means, and planned for the future. All of this gave her a feeling of confidence about her life.
Until the accident.
Regina was on her way to the grocery store when an SUV flew through a stop sign and T-boned her car. Regina was rushed by ambulance to the hospital where she underwent two surgeries for her left arm and left leg. Thankfully most of the damage was to her limbs and ribs… and she only suffered a mild concussion to her head. It could have been so much worse.
She had to take a leave of absence from work for her leg, arm, ribs and brain to heal. Regina found herself snacking, which she never did normally. She did get physical therapy every day to get her leg and arm functioning again, but it wasn’t like working out at the gym. Her body became flabby, and she gained weight… a little here and a little there.
The concussion made it hard to think clearly for awhile. Even after the swelling in her brain subsided, she still felt groggy and sluggish. With her pain, she just didn’t feel like doing more than she had to do.
The whole experience interrupted her life.
Her every-other-day workouts fell by the wayside, her income dropped. Regina felt herself sinking into listlessness. She was tired of trying so hard. Tired of working so hard in physical therapy. She missed the culture of her job, the friends, the activity, the energy.
It took 3 surgeries to get her leg functional, and two for her arm. By the time she had healed from the surgeries, her ribs were doing better…hurting less.
But her emotions weren’t keeping up. She also felt like she just couldn’t think anymore cognition. Regina, or Regi as her family called her, just couldn’t seem to think creatively anymore. How could she go back to her job? How could she compete?
Her best friend, Quinn, made the observation that she was just not her usual self. That all this had taken a toll. Regi knew what she was referring to. The dull, sluggish thoughts. Ugh. Where was the electric energy?
She had to admit, it was gone.
How would she ever earn a living again? How could she compete among her co-workers?
Quinn suggested she talk to a therapist or even see a psychiatrist.
All these sounded like big steps — and extreme measures, but maybe these desperate times were calling for something extreme. Like a life makeover.
Regi started by seeing a therapist who was highly recommended. They talked about how the fallout from the accident had led her to here: out of shape, weak on her feet, low on energy, embarrassed about her appearance, and deeply discouraged about who she was. She struggled about her lack of energy, lack of creativity, lack of sharpness and that sense of leadership she felt she had lost.
Her therapist Mika asked her what she felt she could control.
Regi thought for a few. “Not the accident. I had no control over that. But I can do something about my weight and energy by working out again. I don’t have the mental energy for the life I used to have but maybe if I could start to work out, the stamina will return.”
Mika thought that was astute and insightful and said so. “I also encourage you to see someone about IV ketamine treatment. Here’s the card for a practice I really trust. You may need to try a couple antidepressants first to see if they’ll help. But if they don’t, IV ketamine treatment may make a real difference.
“It’s fair to say that your life took a wrecking ball when that SUV crashed into you all those months ago. That accident didn’t just hurt your arm or leg or ribs. It wrecked the fabric of your life… everything that you relied on to function in this world.
It is what it is…but you’re now on the threshold of reinventing your life. You could do a full-on life makeover. And well you should. You need just the type of makeover that will infuse new energy and direction into your soul. Clarity and creativity into your thinking. And hope.”
Regi thought about it and realized that was exactly what she needed. A makeover.
The next morning she called the psychiatrist on the card, and made an appointment with her to talk about —everything. And she did. She wanted to know about IV ketamine treatment vs. antidepressants. The psychiatrist asked if she’d ever taken other antidepressants. Regi said no, not recently, but she had taken a couple different ones the previous year when the pandemic had started.
“Did they help?”
“Not really. After a few months on each one, I just stopped taking them. Eventually I just got better on my own, I guess.”
“OK,” the doctor replied. “Since you’ve been failed by two antidepressants, it’s probably a good idea to try IV ketamine treatment and see what it can do for you. That past experience may indicate you could have had “treatment resistant” depressive episodes.”
They agreed to start ketamine infusions.
During and after the first 4 infusions, Regi felt no different. She worried that if she was “treatment resistant” she would be resistant to this treatment, too. (She didn’t understand that she wasn’t treatment resistant, the depression was.) Then after the 5th infusion, she cried and wept all afternoon. That left her feeling relieved, and lighter.
“Hmmm…” she thought.
The next day she felt better, and laughed easily. Another surprise. She asked the doctor if crying was part of the ketamine experience.
And her doctor responded softly, “Every brain is unique. Your life experiences are unique to you. Some people laugh, some cry, some giggle, some have vivid dreams, some feel floaty, some feel like they’re in outer space during the infusion. Some notice changes afterwards deep within themselves. Let’s consider that weeping was something you needed and ketamine treatment helped.
“As you work on your ‘life makeover’ you may find there are some things that you want to incorporate, and some that you just need to shed…like in the makeover of a beautiful home. This is so much more than a house. It’s your personhood — without depression, the restoration of your best self. As you invest in various things important to you, those things will find their place in who you are.”
“That’s a whole new way of looking at myself, my future…even my hope,” Regi said. “I guess I expected the depression to just lift and disappear… and maybe it does for some people. But I can see the value in rebuilding myself with more love, more acceptance, more hope, and with an appreciation for my own gifts. I hope ketamine treatment will help me do that.
“What a revelation it all is.”
Regi continued until she’d had 8 infusions. It was getting close to Christmas and this was a good time to stop. By that time she was feeling some hope, and some calmness, and some wellbeing. She had the feeling the good emotions would continue to grow for awhile, especially as she continued to work with her therapist and her makeover.
It was empowering to consider that Regi had some role in all this. That looking for ways to establish and grow her “makeover” while she was also going to physical therapy and working out in the gym were all parts of the remaking of her as a whole person.
Within a few weeks, Regi was thinking much more clearly, and getting lots of creative ideas. Her outlook was bright again, and she decided it was time to go back to work. The new year had begun. What a perfect time to roll out her new best self!
As she attended her first meeting after so many months, she realized she was ready to be in this electric and energetic environment again. She seemed to hit the ground running, in spite of having been out of the loop for months.
Regi felt like her old self, only better.
Does the makeover of a new house — or a new life — sound like what you need? Have you had some blows and long term stress that seemed to wear down the life that worked so well in the past?
If you’re having symptoms of depression and anxiety, and a life that isn’t holding together anymore, and especially if nothing else has helped, call us.
Let’s team together to help you get your life functioning again.
It thrills us to share in the process of helping you find your best self, and participate in your own life makeover…if that’s what you need.
We’re here to help.
Wishing You and Yours Joy, Health, Love, and Loads of Hope in 2023!
To the restoration of your best self,
