Once-taboo ketamine booms for U.S. at-home mental care

A pandemic-spurred easing of prescription rules helped fuel a jump in telemedicine offerings of ketamine, an anesthetic that was once a taboo party drug but has become a buzzed-about tool against depression.

Psilocybin mushrooms and iboga as well. Both were sold openly in Japan in the 2000s. Both have been shown to have positive results treating addiction and depression.

Undoubtedly mush healthier than the usual prescriptions in Japan of anti-depressants and excessive alcohol consumption.

What could possibly go wrong?

Over his long battle with depression, the performer and comedian has tried medication, psychedelics like LSD, and talk therapy since the age of 12, but found something unique in ketamine.

The US is perhaps the most drugged up country in the world. Whatever the problem, there's a pill for it. More drugs and newer drugs may provide temporary relief, but will only make things worse in the long run. Spirituality and other methods of helping people come to terms with themselves and the world are the way out for 99% of the people who suffer from depression.

Spirituality and other methods of helping people come to terms with themselves and the world are the way out for 99% of the people who suffer from depression

A proper, publicly-funded health service would be a help.

Ketamine is used as an anaesthetic for animals. If you’re taking that muck to make yourself feel better, you’re really messed up and need professional help.

After a near-fatal cycling accident, I was given Ketamine in the trauma center. I was not in any mental shape to argue about what I was given, but I WAS aware of the effect. This stuff is VERY SCARY. Total out of body experience, and not in a good way. I say, Stay Away from this stuff.

"Hey, Aldous! How'd ya know 70 years ago...?"

Ah, a 'brave new world' indeed...and all that Mr. Huxley got wrong was the name of the substance, but it won't be long before a Ketamine derivative is labelled and marketed as SOMA, a label now being used for meprobamate (Milltown), an addictive 'tranquilizer'. And, of course, why try to fix what in our world is making one crazy when one can just 'fix oneself' to accept the crazy? Yep, it's a good time to be old...