DOSE:

90 - 140 mg

IV

Ketamine

BODY WEIGHT:

165 lb

Suggestions for Maximizing Ketamine Benefits

Overall, my experience with ketamine was profoundly beneficial and tectonic in scope! A true “B.C.-A.D” experience, if that makes sense. In terms of an overall description for each of the eight ketamine infusions undergone, there were really only two different kinds of sessions I experienced; the first few treatments, which “shook loose” and dissolved unhealthy things like anxiety, old childhood fears, trauma, anger, grief, depression, even to an undeniable degree the fear of death - in very powerful, awe-inspiring and at times truly frightening ways (most of the fright came from having such a tsunami of insights, to the degree that one thinks their brain can’t possibly contain it all), and the later sessions, which were equally powerful and life-changing but felt as matter of fact as lying back getting a regular dental cleaning.

Each session became increasingly healing - a snowballing of goodness, really, and I continue to process a lot of what I experienced. Fortunately, one of my oldest friends runs a ketamine clinic so the set and setting was as comfortable as I could have hoped for. How something can be so enormously healing on a mental, emotional and spiritual level while at the same time feeling so physically ho-hum as the later treatments did is beyond me, but that’s how it felt.

It’s been two months since the treatments and the afterglow remains, no doubt in part because I’m taking much better care of myself than I did when depressed. In my experience laughing more, having an immeasurably lighter heart and an enthusiastic openness to life are just a few of ketamine’s many side effects, hence better physical and mental well-being.

It became a running joke between Dr. Y (who administered my treatments) after I told him immediately following the 3rd treatment that I‘d had such a feeling of inner renewal I was going to hereafter think of that date as my second birthday. Then after the fourth treatment I said I needed to update my 2nd birth certificate to THAT date, and this kept happening as the cumulative benefits kept piling up following each successive treatment.

The following are just my opinions, although they also include specific instructions given to me by two deeply wise and knowledgeable people, one of whom is the amazing Dr. Y.

Importantly, I know that whatever happened during these treatments it was perfectly okay and was all happening only for my benefit and betterment. These treatments really are a Divine gift.

In order to maximize the treatment benefits, it was of paramount importance that I come into the sessions with a body, mind and mindset that would allow for the greatest amount of healing to be received during each treatment (or as best as one can be prepared for the previously undreamed of complexity and multi-layered healing experience that is a ketamine infusion). NOTE: Ketamine is the only psychedelic medicine I’ve ever taken, although when I feel like I’ve absorbed what I needed to learn from it I plan on moving on to others. Here goes:

Physically, I was as clean as I could be; my only real job before, during and after this entire process has been to heal and be healed, and the following has helped keep me as centered and balanced as possible.

- Avoiding fast food, processed foods, junk foods. Trying to eat only organic, non-GMO foods (more expensive, true, but this investment in future happiness and energy will pay for itself many many times over.)
- Avoiding excessive alcohol.
- Doing a detox/cleanse.
- Exercising daily in some form.
- Drinking lots of water before, during and after treatments. But laying off liquids for the few hours pre-treatment.
- Eating lots of earthy vegetables that grow on or in the ground. To help keep me grounded during the sometimes-trippy ketamine journey.
- Eating lots of warming, spicy, liquidy foods like soups, stews, chili or other spicy, salty foods, along with meals using peppers, ginger, clove, cinnamon, garlic and other warming spices.
- Getting lots of sleep and good rest, particularly the night before/day of treatments.

- I take benzodiazepines; I tried to not take my medication the night before treatment. This was fairly difficult for me as most of my appointments were by necessity in the mid-afternoons, and since I’d been taking 2-3mg of clonazepam daily for decades for social anxiety disorder. I always took my “security” bottle into the treatments with me with the intention of taking a clonazepam immediately after treatment since I had only taken enough of a dose the previous night (at the farthest possible time before my treatments as I could manage) to stave off having too much anxiety, but strangely I never felt any need to take a dose afterwards until many hours after the treatment, when my body would tell me I physically needed to take some. I’m still reducing the benzo dosage (down to about 1mg/day) and completely off both the Wellbutrin and Seroquel I’d been taking for depression and insomnia.

On a mental level, it’s extremely helpful to balance the two hemispheres of the brain as much as possible. This allows the ketamine (which is already going to make new neural pathways to activate new ways of thinking, seeing and engaging with the world) to more effectively and efficiently open up connections across hemispheres, which leads to “trans-hemispheric”, or whole-brain thinking, which then leads to feelings of wholeness, of inner balance, increased emotional regulation and completeness within oneself. Along with this inner unification comes an outer feeling of unity with and connection to other living things to an amazing extent.


- Making a playlist of at least 75 minutes of music I find meaningful. There are lots of YouTube videos of “Solfeggio Frequencies”, very soothing sounds, and the absence of words made it easier for me to not overthink things, which helped me to better experience each session in the moment as it unfolded. I personally found the 528Hz YouTube videos to be the most relaxing, but to each their own.

- Recording myself on my cellphone, and telling the currently-hurting part of myself anything I felt it needed to hear to heal. Ketamine does plenty on its own but this technique was really helpful, and as an exercise felt like a good form of therapy on its own. I didn't have to say anything profoundly wise or special, in fact I could just repeat a meaningful word or phrase every so often for the entire recording - just speaking from my heart to my heart.

- This part was impossible, but to the highest extent I was able, going into each treatment with as few expectations as I could. Of course I wanted whatever pain I was experiencing to diminish, but to the extent I was able to go into each experience with the understanding that every single thing I saw, thought or felt during these amazing times was my teacher, my friend (though I may not always believe this in the moment).

- Being cheerful! Remembering that I was doing these treatments as an investment in a happier life, so to be happy and grateful that this treatment even exists for me to try! I speak from a place of profound grief when I say it’s a true privilege to live in a time of increasing acceptance of medicines like this. My identical twin brother took his life before it became available to the general public, and it’s impossible for me to believe, given our identical DNA, that he wouldn’t have benefited from ketamine to the same degree that I have.

- Lastly, being very kind and patient with myself during and after this process. Being aware that I may have been depressed, anxious, angry, etc., for so long that some close friends and/or family wouldn't know how to relate to the new, healthier me, but I let that be their problem. My longtime, never truly depressed, girlfriend had this reaction, and after trying unsuccessfully for several days to convince her that I hadn’t turned into a raving drug addict (her exact description), I said in exasperation, “If you only knew how happy I am in my heart you’d be so happy for me!” After that, she relented and is now perfectly happy for the new me, but I know others may not be as open even after hearing such a statement.

[Reported Dose: "90-140mg, gradually increased over 8 treatments"]

Exp Year: 2020	ExpID: 114728
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 55
Published: Sep 21, 2020	Views: 2,527
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Ketamine (31) : Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Depression (15), Medical Use (47), Glowing Experiences (4), Retrospective / Summary (11), Hospital (36)