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Grab Quotes, Angles, and the Patient Perspective Missing From Most Stories
My lived experience as a former patient can give your story real-world credibility.
Angle #1:
Most ketamine coverage focuses on what the drug does to the brain—but almost no one talks about what it does to the mind.
Quote 1:
“Ketamine unleashed a tidal wave of psychedelic visions, repressed memories, and buried trauma that took me by surprise. That’s why it’s so important to have a psychotherapist—to help you make sense of what surfaces, process the emotions, understand the meaning, and absorb the insights in ways that lead to real healing.”
Quote 2:
“Ketamine pressed my face against the window of trauma I hadn’t faced—let alone mourned. It didn’t heal me. It showed me what needed healing.”
Quote 3:
“The psychedelic visions I experienced didn’t feel like a ‘trip’—they felt like my subconscious talking to me through metaphors. Every vision was instrumental to my healing. They weren’t side effects. They were the therapy.”
Angle #2
Few people realize how fast ketamine therapy can work—sometimes bringing remission in a matter of weeks, or even days.
Quote 1:
“I tried everything—meds, talk therapy, green smoothies, even the odd apple cider vinegar hack. Nothing worked. But six weeks into ketamine therapy, I was in full remission. Nothing else had come close.”
Quote 2:
“I was barely holding it together—Adderall to get through the day, Klonopin to get through the night, and alcohol to get through everything in between. I’d been living like that for years. So when my psychiatrist told me I was in remission at the end of week six, I just broke down and cried.”
Quote 3:
“Remission felt like falling asleep—slow at first, then all at once. One day I didn’t reach for the bottle or a pill. I went to the gym. I answered the phone instead of letting it go to voicemail. I was doing things my old self used to do, without even realizing it.”
Angle #3
What’s the real difference between SSRIs and ketamine? One requires daily use, often for years. The other can work in a week. SSRIs take 2 to 6 weeks just to start working—if they work at all. Side effects can be brutal: weight gain, emotional numbness, sexual dysfunction. With ketamine, most side effects are gone the same day. Some patients experience full remission after the first or second treatment.
Most people—and most reporters—don’t realize how radically different these treatments are.
Quote 1:
“SSRIs were like waiting for a train that never came. Ketamine felt like being airlifted out of a war zone. The contrast was night and day—not just in how fast it worked, but in how deeply it reached me.”
Quote 2:
“I spent years on three different SSRIs, watching the numbers on the scale go up while my emotions shut down and my sex drive vanished. But I kept taking them, because that’s what you do when you’re desperate. Then came ketamine—no side effects, no masking the symptoms—just a straight shot to the root of the pain, and a way through it.”
Quote 3:
“SSRIs helped me manage depression. Ketamine helped me end it.”
Michael Alvear Bio
- Completed ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression in early 2025.
- Reached full remission in 6 weeks.
- Author of the forthcoming memoir Six Weeks to Remission.
- Founded KetamineTherapyForDepression.org to guide people at the lowest point of their lives—helping them understand what ketamine therapy is, whether it’s right for them, and how to optimize the experience to maximize their chances of remission.
Contact Me for Comment, Quotes, or Interviews
If you’re working on a story and need on-the-record quotes, commentary, or background on ketamine therapy for depression, please reach out:
Michael at ketaminetherapyfordepression.org
Note: I do not accept advertising, sponsorships, or affiliate payments. This is a public service effort to help others struggling with depression.