\u201cYou may feel like you\u2019re going to die \u2014 but you\u2019re not. Your body is right here in this safe place and we are monitoring you to ensure you are safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what Steph Mahrle, a 43-year-old stay-at-home mom from Bergen County, New Jersey, was told before her first ketamine therapy session at Nushama Wellness Center in New York City.<\/p>\n
Mahrle had been battling complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) for years, and she was hoping the trippy drug would offer relief where other treatments hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
The warning from her integrationist \u2014 the person who helps patients prepare and then process what they went through \u2014 prepared her for when things got rough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I felt like I was falling into an abyss of space, I would use my [wedding] ring as a totem of sorts to ground myself. Reminding myself that my very supportive and loving husband was waiting for me after my journey really soothed me at times,\u201d she told The Post.<\/p>\n
Steph Mahrle grounds herself by touching her ring when the ketamine makes it feel like she is \u201cfalling into an abyss.\u201d Courtesy of Steph Mahrle<\/p>\n
When she first started, her sessions would last up to an hour and 45 minutes, which left her wobbly enough to use a walker to leave. After several months, she switched to a cane.<\/p>\n
Today, her sessions only take an hour, and afterward she\u2019s \u201cout of there lickety-split.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the journey isn\u2019t easy, Mahrle is emphatic that it\u2019s been worth it. By the time she started, she\u2019d done over a decade of cognitive behavioral therapy and two years of an SSRI \u2014 and though she was in a better place than where she started, she had a ways to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was still suffering with regular nightmares, disassociating with environmental triggers, and hypervigilance. I felt like I needed a hard reset to calm my nervous system. No amount of intellectualizing seemed to offer me lasting relief,\u201d she said<\/p>\n
\u201c[Ketamine therapy] is the only treatment I have found which calms my nervous system down enough so that I can actually reconcile the traumatic experiences I have survived.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a ketamine journey, I feel a deep sense of relief physically as well as mentally. That allows me time and space to reflect so that I can focus on my present more consciously.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ketamine on the climb<\/p>\n
Mahrle is just one of a growing number of Americans embracing the controversial drug to treat mental health issues that other treatments just can\u2019t touch.<\/p>\n
Clinics that offer ketamine therapy with medical supervision have increased in popularity in recent years, with some estimates putting it at over 1,000 in the US.\u00a0There are at least a dozen in New York City alone.<\/p>\n
Mahrle needed a walker to leave her early appointments, then a cane. Courtesy of Steph Mahrle<\/p>\n
\u201c[Ketamine therapy] is the only treatment I have found which calms my nervous system down enough so that I can actually reconcile the traumatic experiences I have survived,\u201d she said. Courtesy of Steph Mahrle<\/p>\n
An anesthetic, ketamine can distort your senses and have hallucinogenic effects \u2014 hence why it was favored as a party drug in the \u201980s and \u201990s, making ravers see vivid colors and feel like they were floating.<\/p>\n
But proponents say it can also rewire your brain if you\u2019re dealing with depression or PTSD. That\u2019s made it an attractive treatment for people who\u2019ve tried just about everything else and still can\u2019t get past their mental health slumps.<\/p>\n
And those using it may not be who you\u2019d picture.<\/p>\n
In another dimension<\/p>\n
For 75-year-old Rita Vainius from Socrates, New York, ketamine therapy was practically a last resort to treat chronic severe depression and trauma that had plagued her since her late 30s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in at least six hospitals and\u2026 had at least two or three suicide attempts,\u201d she told The Post.<\/p>\n
So when her psychopharmacologist recommended the ketamine, she was ready and willing to give it a shot.<\/p>\n
Like nearly 3 million Americans<\/a>, Vainius was dealing with treatment-resistant depression<\/a>, or severe depression that doesn\u2019t improve with other treatments over a significant period of time. She\u2019s been on antidepressants, but said she\u2019d had \u201cups and downs\u201d over the years.<\/p>\n Rita Vainius, 75, is one of a growing number of patients turning to ketamine therapy to beat back depression that doesn\u2019t respond to other treatments. Courtesy of Rita Vainius<\/p>\n Her ketamine treatments had some ups and downs too.<\/p>\n \u201cThe treatment itself\u2026 can be quite intense,\u201d her daughter, Iri Greco, said. \u201cSometimes she has so much fun. We\u2019ve had silly conversations where we\u2019re just goofing around. But we\u2019ve also had some bad experiences. We\u2019ve had crying. We\u2019ve had a couple of arguments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very emotional and I sometimes start to go downhill,\u201d Vainius added. <\/p>\n \u201cI have had some wonderfully weird and healing dreamscapes. The music is much more intense! It feels like I am dancing with and between the notes.\u201d<\/p>\n Karen Zechowy<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a definite altered state of mind where you perceive things visually differently. Everything is sort of magnified; everything is dimensionally different than normal. And in my case, I can get very emotional very easily.\u201d<\/p>\n Vainius\u2019 infusions typically last around 90 minutes, and she found that afterward, she needs time to regain full mobility and feel steady on her feet.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never tried to walk around \u2026 I wouldn\u2019t be able to,\u201d she said. \u201cEven when I\u2019m coming out of it, I\u2019m still not steady on my feet, and that\u2019s after it has subsided. You really don\u2019t have the control over your body that you normally do. Your body doesn\u2019t respond to your movements, or your movements don\u2019t correlate to what your mind wants to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Vainius\u2019 infusions typically last around 90 minutes, and she found that afterward, she needs time to regain full mobility and feel steady on her feet. Courtesy of Rita Vainius<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a definite altered state of mind where you perceive things visually differently. Everything is sort of magnified,\u201d she said. Courtesy of Rita Vainius<\/p>\n A journey to a trip<\/p>\n Karen Zechowy, 52, was also not responding well to traditional treatments, with depression taking over her life.<\/p>\n \u201cI was in isolation from the world,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t even answer the phone, respond to an email, get to a Zoom meeting, pick up the mail. I had agoraphobia and did not leave my apartment\u2026 I could not do activities of daily living such as brushing my teeth or showering for over a year.<\/p>\n \u201cI have been hospitalized several times for depression and suicide attempts. I\u2019ve tried many, many medications since the age of 17 and several modalities of therapy. Ketamine was the first medication that treated my suicidal ideation.\u201d<\/p>\n At first, her infusions lasted for hours, and she experienced sensations like numbness and visions \u2014 both of which are common with ketamine treatment.<\/p>\n Karen Zechowy, 52, had been hospitalized for depression. Ketamine makes her feel numb, happy and relaxed. Courtesy of Karen Zechowy<\/p>\n \u201cAfter a few minutes, I begin to feel lighter,\u201d she explained. \u201cI would feel numb, happy and relaxed for an hour. Until recently, I would have periods of seeing a fun, electric, vibrant red.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019d pass the time by listening to music like Hugh Jackman\u2019s songs from \u201cThe Music Man\u201d and Weird Al, which led to an intense listening experience.<\/p>\n \u201cI have had some wonderfully weird and healing dreamscapes,\u201d Zechowy said. \u201cThe music is much more intense! It feels like I am dancing with and between the notes. The lyrics hit deeper.\u201d<\/p>\n The relief Zechowy felt after her treatment outweighed the process of IV ketamine therapy, and even surpassed her previous experiences on medications.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter suffering from all the side effects of psychiatric medications such as weight gain and even rage, it felt like a gift from above that my depression treatment could be such a wonderful hour,\u201d she admitted. \u201cThe hourlong infusion felt like a vacation from pain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUntil recently, I would have periods of seeing a fun, electric, vibrant red,\u201d she said. Courtesy of Karen Zechowy<\/p>\n She likes to listen to Broadway tunes and Weird Al. Courtesy of Karen Zechowy<\/p>\n Doctor\u2019s orders<\/p>\n While ketamine is a relatively newer treatment for mental health conditions, there are several advocates for the drug \u2014 especially those who provide it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you look at the studies for ketamine on mental health, well over 90% of the clinical trials have specifically focused on clinical depression, including major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder,\u201d said Dr. Nico Grundmann, MD, the co-founder and medical director of Ember Health, a ketamine therapy clinic in New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cKetamine was the first thing that gave me a glimmer of hope that I could change, that I could have a different life.\u201d <\/p>\n Karen Zechowy<\/p>\n \u201cWe have 50% more studies on ketamine than we do on Zoloft at this point in time for clinical depression. As long as you\u2019re treating one of those two diagnoses, you can be comfortable that this is an incredibly well-studied treatment process.\u201d<\/p>\n But ketamine does come with side effects<\/a>, including hallucinations, forgetfulness, euphoria and making the user feel disconnected or not fully in control \u2014 things both Mahrle and Vainius experienced.<\/p>\n While the hallucinations can be therapeutic, some patients can find them scary or anxiety-inducing. There are also some potential physical downsides, like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision, increased blood pressure and raised heart rate.<\/p>\n Clinics that offer ketamine therapy with medical supervision have increased in popularity in recent years, with 500 to 750 ketamine clinics across the United States as of 2024.\u00a0There are at least a dozen in New York City. The Washington Post via Getty Images<\/p>\n It\u2019s strongly recommended that sessions be supervised<\/a> due to possible side effects and how patients respond to the drug.<\/p>\n \u201cClinics, if they\u2019re following any of the legal frameworks or the regulatory frameworks, are monitoring patients until they\u2019re medically dischargeable, that they\u2019re safe to go back to New York after having been physically and mentally cleared because the ketamine is out of their system,\u201d Grundmann said.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also room for abuse, especially involving unscrupulous doctors or people with a history of addiction \u2014 as was the case for \u201cFriends\u201d star Matthew Perry<\/a>. <\/p>\n Earlier this year, Dr. Salvador Plasencia<\/a> pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, having supplied the actor despite\u00a0knowing he was \u201cspiraling out of control with his addiction.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Vanius has her daughter, Iri Greco, come along for appointments. Courtesy of Rita Vainius<\/p>\n What comes next<\/p>\n Though Mahrle expressed immense gratitude at the relief she\u2019s felt, she admits that ketamine isn\u2019t for everyone \u2014 and you also need to keep doing \u201ca lot of mental work\u201d once you leave: \u201cThe day following the experience is all meditation and reflection for me.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a one-and-done treatment, either. \u201cKetamine doesn\u2019t prevent depression in the future,\u201d Grundmann said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a cure for depression in the sense that you\u2019ll never need treatment again if you do this.\u201d<\/p>\n It was, however, a fresh start and life-changer for Zechowy, something even her family noticed.<\/p>\n \u201cI told my family it and they could clearly see the change in me,\u201d she said. \u201cKetamine was the first thing that gave me a glimmer of hope that I could change, that I could have a different life.<\/p>\n \u201cKetamine gave me a shot at life. It was a second chance.\u201d<\/p>\n Vainius looks forward to continuing her treatment, as ketamine therapy provided her with more relief than she could ever have hoped for.<\/p>\n \u201cKetamine therapy gave me my life back,\u201d she admitted. \u201cA life that mental illness \u2014 clinical depression and unrelenting anxiety \u2014 had totally stolen from me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cYou may feel like you\u2019re going to die \u2014 but you\u2019re not. Your body is right here in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91123,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[530,537,497,6947,61598,163,85,46,482,522,61599,10994,3073],"class_list":{"0":"post-91122","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-anxiety","9":"tag-depression","10":"tag-drugs","11":"tag-exclusive","12":"tag-experimental-drugs","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-il","15":"tag-israel","16":"tag-medication","17":"tag-mental-health","18":"tag-party-drugs","19":"tag-ptsd","20":"tag-therapy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}