Innovative Psychiatry
Excitement about IV Ketamine Recently, I shared my perspective about the consensus statement released by the American Psychiatric Association’s Council of Research on Novel Biomarkers and Treatments Task Force. Their statement was about the use of IV ketamine for treating mood and other psychiatric disorders. That Task Force, in its consensus statement, assured members of the […]
Do you know someone who’s been listless and hopeless for a really long time? More than weeks or even months … someone who’s been taking antidepressants for years, and has never really felt better? Have you noticed how years of despair affects a person’s outlook so deeply that their personality seems to change? Clare’s story Take Clare. […]
JAMA: “Ketamine for Depression” Buzz The mental health community is all a-buzz about IV ketamine for treating depression and other psychiatric disorders, and for good reason. For the first time, people who’ve been treated without success for years are experiencing relief and enjoying their lives. For anyone who has suffered from psychiatric disorders without relief […]
Why do we always talk about IV ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, rather than just ketamine? Can’t we give it any old way…ketamine IV, IM, or IN for depression? Why is it so important that it be given as an intravenous infusion, rather than as an intramuscular injection or an intranasal spray? Ketamine IV, IM, or IN […]
In a recent post, we talked about the impact of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) on the prolific development of neuronal synapses, or nerve connections, in the brain. BDNF is like a rich, organic compost that spurs dense growth. And we talked about how IV ketamine turbo boosts brain compost and multiplies the connections in your […]
Ever notice how some people seem to collapse under an onslaught of traumatic experiences, and others almost seem to rise above them? Almost as if demonstrating their resilience? Why some people get PTSD and others don’t..that’s the question. People tend to say the latter type is “strong”… and the former type is weak…unable to withstand […]
Stigmatizing Term: Mentally Ill I used to think I was an expert in this stuff. The stigma of it all. Mental illness. Man, I hate that phrase. I don’t hate many things, but I hate that phrase. Always hated that phrase. Truly, I think I hate every awful syllable of that phrase. I never utter it. People who […]
IV Ketamine Infusions Restore Jacob couldn’t remember the last time he was really at his best self. He’d struggled from day to day since he was about 4. Getting out of bed, getting dressed, and going to school, from first grade through high school… every day had been awful and just exhausting. As he got […]
Ketamine Off-Label Talk about ketamine off-label and it’s hard not to get a raised eyebrow or two. The one-eyebrow raise is the curious, skeptical, quizzical, or disapproving look when someone hears about IV ketamine infusions for depression, just before she takes a deep breath and then dismisses it. But the two-eyebrow raise is another matter entirely. […]
“I hope I don’t have bipolar disorder.” “It’s not bipolar, right?” “How do I know if it’s his bipolar disorder or if he’s just being a brat?” “Everyone just throws that term around like it’s the menu of the day—bipolar disorder is so overdiagnosed, it’s not funny.” The words are tough to hear. The phrases […]