Ketamine Insights
We demystify mental health and psychedelic medicine. Our episodes 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 ketamineinsights@gmail.com 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.
Episodes
24 episodes
Psychedelics for Work, Psychedelics for Healing
From Ayahuasca retreats for CEOs to ketamine coaches for corporate leaders, we explore the world of corporate psychedelic use. In this episode, Lynn and Molly explore the differences between using psychedelics to optimize work perf...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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46:11
We Were Never Able to Find the Right Thing: A Mother's Story
Molly interviews Adena, the mother of a severely depressed young man. Trigger Warning: Suicide, Severe DepressionDepression, like most serious illnesses, is best treated within a community of care including friends, therapists, artists, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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45:42
"Like a Revolution in My Entire Psyche": Rob's Path to Mental Health
Dive into an inspiring conversation with Rob as he describes his transformative experience with ketamine therapy, the cognitive improvements it can offer, and how it restores brain health. We discuss Rob's comprehensive online resource,...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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1:06:33
Disclosure is the Antidote to Shame: Ketamine, Community, and Asking for Help
Lynn and Molly explore the challenges and importance of asking for help with ketamine treatments. They discuss the role of shame in mental illness, the benefits of community support, and practical steps for seeking assistance. With personal sto...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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36:49
Finding Ketamine Care: A Guide
Explore various ways to access ketamine care in the US. Hosted by a long-term ketamine patient, this episode covers the gold standard (talk therapy and ketamine treatment combined in one practice), the services offered by ketamine clinics, and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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13:20
MDMA and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Fight for Psychedelic Therapy
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 cli...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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51:20
Listening to Your Body, Your Psyche, and Ketamine: Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems
Lynn and Molly discuss Somatic Therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS), two therapeutic modalities often used alongside ketamine treatments. Molly shares a story of Somatic Experiencing, describing how different body sensations revealed helpf...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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48:09
Psychedelic Medicine & Childbirth: A Midwife Shares Wisdom on Patient Centered Care
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:01:43
Holistic Ways to Improve Mental Health: Complementing Ketamine Therapy
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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58:31
"Yeah, but it Saved My Life." Angel's Ketamine Story (Part 2)
Angel takes us with her on several profound psychedelic journeys, including one in which she finally realizes: "My God, I'm beautiful." Ketamine therapy brings new levels of peace in this episode - the second half of our conversation fr...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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52:10
Not a Walk in the Park: Angel's Ketamine Story (Part 1)
(TW: Suicide) Listener Angel describes working with ketamine after many devastating personal tragedies. For her, ketamine is a lifeline. After a lifetime of traumas, she describes feeling like "one of those people who couldn't be h...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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49:58
Grief, Beauty, and Doing the Work: Amber's Ketamine Story
Amber, a trained autopsy technician and Ketamine Insights listener, generously shares her story of doing research, finding a therapist, and finding beauty in the mundane. She and Molly discuss how ketamine journeys feel, the experience of "comi...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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1:03:56
Following Her Lead: A Partner's Perspective on Ketamine and Mental Illness
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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38:58
Like Honey on the Brain: George's Ketamine Journey
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 di...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:04:19
Psychedelic Conferences: "Nothing About Us Without Us!"
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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7:53
"My Lutheran Catholic Grandma" from the Tell Me What Happened podcast
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 din...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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19:08
Managing Expectations: Ketamine, "Cures," and Cognitive Distortions
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 disquali...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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37:12
Ways to Lozenge: Lower-Dose Ketamine at Home
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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27:42
Days of Joy: Tips for After Your Trips
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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28:33
Ketamine Infusions: Practical and Poetic
*No Medical Advice* What is a ketamine infusion like? How do I dress? What do I bring? Should I be scared? Lynn and Molly explore common concerns and give some concrete tips (like how to pick and prune a ketamine playlist). Then Molly re...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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33:52
For Yoga or Ketamine: How and Why to Set Intentions
Thoughts on setting intentions for psychedelic experiences and in our everyday lives. **No Medical Advice** Most experts in psychedelic medicine recommend setting an intention before each session. In this episode, Lynn and Molly discuss what ma...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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34:30
Comparing Depression Treatment Options
*No Medical Advice* Hear about many treatment options, including medications (so many types!), talk therapy (it's all about the vibe!), transcranial magnetic stimulation (brain magnets!), and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). It can be s...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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42:53
Ketamine Treatments: Purely Biological? or Something More Holistic?
*We do not give medical advice* Explore the two major models of ketamine treatment for mental illness: 1) The strictly medical model, which treats ketamine as a chemical that can fix a patient's biological illness; and 2) the more holistic mode...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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26:23
Five Ways to Take Ketamine for Mental Health
From lozenges and spravato(R) to intravenous infusions and intramuscular injections, we discuss the currently available ways to take ketamine. **No medical advice** In our very first(!) episode, we introduce Ketamine Insights as a podcast by an...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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30:45