Ketamine Insights
Molly Dunn & Lynn Schneider
Got feelings? This podcast is for you. Mental health challenges meets psychedelic medicine. We give practical insights from experienced patients, helping everyone better understand depression, OCD, bipolar disorder, and psychedelic medicine. From the practical (like a guide to accessing therapeutic ketamine), to the profound (like spiritual awakenings brought on by psychedelics), we share patient-centered knowledge to help people and their families better understand the psychedelic landscape today.
Co-hosts Molly Dunn and Lynn Schneider are old friends who usually live on opposite sides of the world. Molly, a disabled writer from Chicago with treatment resistant depression and other chronic illnesses, has been a ketamine patient for several years. Lynn, our resident genius empath, is a longtime friend, relative, and ally of people who struggle with mental health challenges. Together, we fight stigma, go on tangents, and crack each other up.
We are not trained mental health experts. We provide context to help you do your own research.
Hit us up at [email protected] and https://ketamineinsights.com/ and @ketamineinsights on Instagram.
~~If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, dial 988. You are never all alone.~~
Remember to advocate for yourself, and never ration your joy.
All episodes
Best episodes
Seasons
Top 10 Ketamine Insights Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Ketamine Insights episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Ketamine Insights for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Ketamine Insights episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Psychedelic Medicine & Childbirth: A Midwife Shares Wisdom on Patient Centered Care
Ketamine Insights
05/31/24 • 61 min
Host Molly welcomes midwife and activist Betsy Merbitz to discuss the importance of patient-centered care in childbirth and in psychedelic therapies. Our conversation delves into the distinctions between holistic and medical models, focusing on the role of the individual as the primary healer. Betsy describes her work as a Certified Professional Midwife, the importance of holding space, and the historical context of the medicalization of birth. We explore the role of profit-seeking in the creation of our current healthcare systems while bemoaning the lack of accountability built into those systems.
We note that both psychedelics and childbirth have long histories of traditional and community-based care providers, and we discuss the dangers of excluding them in favor of for-profit models. The episode concludes with insights on how to center patient voices in the emerging field of psychedelic medicine, drawing parallels to the birth community.
In this episode we reference Dr. Neel Shah. Here are two articles about his work. These articles unfortunately do not use gender inclusive language.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/hospital-management-practices-cesareans/
https://www.consumerreports.org/c-section/biggest-c-section-risk-may-be-your-hospital
We also reference Ayize Jama-Everett, one of the creators of the documentary A Table of Our Own. The interview I reference is from an episode of the Psychedelics Today podcast, which can be found here.
If you enjoy Ketamine Insights, please share it with a friend and rate and review it on your favorite podcast platform. Online engagement (such as ratings and reviews) helps us reach a larger audience.
Support us and join our community at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
or at https://mollydunn.substack.com/
Email us at [email protected] (we love to hear from you!)
You can also find all of our episodes on YouTube and our website ketamineinsights.com
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
06/18/24 • 51 min
We hear a powerful story about the power of MDMA to help heal PTSD.
An FDA advisory committee recently voted against approval of MDMA as a treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), despite extremely promising results from clinical trials. So, in this episode, Molly speaks with Cristina Pearse, founder and CEO of the Protea Foundation, who received MDMA treatment as part of the recent trials. Cristina describes the impact of her childhood trauma as a powerful tsunami. With the help of MDMA-assisted therapy, she says, it became just a puddle at her feet.
Together, we discuss the potential of this medicine, the FDA study design, the recent vote, and the role of advocacy in securing access to this life saving medicine.
If you enjoy Ketamine Insights, please share it with a friend and rate or review it on your favorite podcast platform. Online engagement (ie. ratings and reviews) helps us reach a larger audience.
A New York Times article about the FDA vote on MDMA, which took place on June 4, 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/health/fda-mdma-therapy-ptsd.html
You can read (MDMA applicant) Lykos' response to the vote here: https://news.lykospbc.com/2024-06-13-Lykos-Therapeutics-Statement-on-FDA-Advisory-Committee-Meeting
Support us and join our community at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
or at https://mollydunn.substack.com/
Email us at [email protected] (we love to hear from you!)
You can also find all of our episodes on YouTube and our website https://ketamineinsights.com/
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
As always: Remember to advocate for yourself, and never ration your joy.
05/03/24 • 58 min
Lynn is back(!) for a fun conversation about holistic ways to improve mental health. From exercise and energy healing to sobriety and sleep hygiene, we discuss practices that can complement ketamine therapy,
A companion episode to S1 Ep3 ("Comparing Depression Treatment Options"), this episode can help you feel empowered to choose which of your many treatment options you want engage in, and how. Treat it like a buffet and take what you like :-)
If you enjoy Ketamine Insights, please share it with a friend and rate and review it on your favorite podcast platform. That really helps us reach more people!
Join our community at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
or at https://mollydunn.substack.com/
Email us at [email protected] (we love to hear from you!)
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find all of our episodes on YouTube and on our website ketamineinsights.com
In this episode we reference:
Christopher Germer's book The Mindful Path to Self Compassion
We Can Do Hard Things podcast Episode 215 with Andrea Gibson
SmartRecovery.org for resources and meetings to help with substance overuse issues through a harm reduction model
Qigong (we love https://www.youtube.com/c/QigongMeditation)
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
11/20/23 • 38 min
Molly and her partner Demond discuss his experience supporting someone with serious mental illness. Who can you look to for guidance? How should you treat someone who's coming down from a psychedelic journey? We talk about the benefits of instructions, the dangers of advice, and what to do when your loved one is spiraling out.
Help us by subscribing at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights or https://mollydunn.substack.com
Email us at [email protected]
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find all of our episodes on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
Like Honey on the Brain: George's Ketamine Journey
Ketamine Insights
11/06/23 • 64 min
Molly interviews a listener about his experiences with depression, bipolar, and therapeutic ketamine. We learn how George convinced his hesitant psychiatrist, found a therapist trained in psychedelics, and joined a ketamine support group. We discuss the spiritual element to psychedelic experiences, what a ketamine journey can actually feel like, and the wonderful insights he's gained along the way.
This is a gem of a conversation. We hope you enjoy it. If you do, please take a moment to share this podcast with a friend.
Help us keep the lights on at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
Subscribe to our newsletter at https://mollydunn.substack.com
Email us at [email protected]
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find all of our episodes on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
Psychedelic Conferences: "Nothing About Us Without Us!"
Ketamine Insights
02/23/23 • 7 min
None of the many psychedelic conferences in 2023 have slots for patients to speak. The disability rights movement declares, "Nothing about us without us!" but instead of valuing patients' lived experiences or practicing trauma-informed medicine, the field of psychedelic medicine is excluding us from the rooms (and zooms) where policies are debated and best practices established.
In this episode, Molly gives an update on season two (coming soon!) and provides some perspective on the marginalization of patient voices. Spoiler: she argues that the field of psychedelic medicine is building structures of violence against the patients it hopes to serve. One swear word appears in this episode.
Tell us what to cover in season two by visiting https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
Email us something you're proud of at [email protected]
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find us on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
12/16/22 • 19 min
Molly is the guest storyteller for Tell Me What Happened's 50th episode. Host Jay Rehak listens as Molly remembers her Grandma making a shocking admission (proudly!) at a big family dinner.
Jay and Molly discuss how we often think that we already understand the people closest to us, when there is actually great wisdom and insight to be gained from asking them to... Tell Me What Happened.
Thanks to Mr. Rehak (my high school English teacher!) for having me on, and for letting me share this story and a poem titled Us, Together. Both are about my grandma, and I'm honored to share a tiny bit of her with you.
Please check out Tell Me What Happened, and take a moment to share Ketamine Insights too.
Help us keep the lights on at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
Email us at [email protected]
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find us on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
Ways to Lozenge: Lower-Dose Ketamine at Home
Ketamine Insights
11/18/22 • 27 min
Many people report feeling more creative and open during smaller doses of ketamine, making it an ideal time for a therapy session, journaling, or for bonding with a loved one. In this episode, Lynn and Molly discuss several ways to use ketamine lozenges (aka troches) to improve mental health. Within your prescriber's instructions, we encourage you to explore how lower-dose ketamine can be most helpful for you.
Also, if you've been wondering how our hosts feel about Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, then this is the episode for you :)
Please take a moment to share this podcast with a friend.
Help us cover costs by visiting https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
Email us at [email protected]
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
(Email or DM us with something you're proud of from the past week)
You can also find us on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
Days of Joy: Tips for After Your Trips
Ketamine Insights
11/11/22 • 28 min
Ketamine makes our brains more elastic, so how do we make the most of that flexibility? From ice cream to journaling to roller skating, Lynn & Molly discuss visceral pleasures to help people form new, more joyful neural pathways.
Of course, you don't need ketamine to plan a Day of Joy. Send this episode to a friend and make a date!
If you're enjoying this podcast, please help us keep the lights on by visiting https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
Email us at [email protected] (Tell us what you're proud of from this past week!)
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find us on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
Managing Expectations: Ketamine, "Cures," and Cognitive Distortions
Ketamine Insights
12/02/22 • 37 min
An exploration of "All or Nothing Thinking" and other mental habits that hold us back. Google "cognitive distortions," and you're sure to recognize a few patterns from your own internal monologue. Maybe you catastrophize or you tend to disqualify the positive things in your life. Another common cognitive distortion is "all or nothing thinking," which can wreak havoc on our ability to manage our expectations as we try different treatments.
Molly and Lynn discuss their own experiences with treatments that aren't cures, and Molly cautions against expecting therapeutic ketamine to end treatment resistant depression. They also share some thoughts on how distorting "all or nothing thinking" can be in the arenas of personal wellbeing and service to others. We take a moment of mourning for Dr. Paul Farmer, whose vision and moral clarity continue to instruct and inspire us.
We reference a wonderful Ezra Klein Show episode in which he interviews the incomparable Robert Sapolsky. That episode (called "Robert Sapolsky on the Toxic Relationship of Poverty and Stress") is here https://pod.link/voxconversations/episode/34b7e4b6820f3877279f47e0b38224c1
If you enjoy Ketamine Insights, please take a moment to share it with a friend.
Our hosts are Lynn Schneider and Molly Dunn.
All of our music is by Solid State Symphony.
Help us keep the lights on at https://www.patreon.com/ketamineinsights
Email us at [email protected] with suggestions for Season Two!
Our Instagram is @ketamineinsights
You can also find us on YouTube
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please get help. In the US, you can dial 988. You are never all alone.
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does Ketamine Insights have?
Ketamine Insights currently has 22 episodes available.
What topics does Ketamine Insights cover?
The podcast is about Alternative Medicine, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health, Mental Health, Funny, Therapy, Podcasts and Mental Illness.
What is the most popular episode on Ketamine Insights?
The episode title 'Like Honey on the Brain: George's Ketamine Journey' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Ketamine Insights?
The average episode length on Ketamine Insights is 41 minutes.
How often are episodes of Ketamine Insights released?
Episodes of Ketamine Insights are typically released every 11 days, 5 hours.
When was the first episode of Ketamine Insights?
The first episode of Ketamine Insights was released on Oct 7, 2022.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ