Although ketamine has been used for a considerable time, its adoption as a treatment for mental health disorders has surged in popularity over the past few years. Administered under professional supervision, patients receive controlled doses of this dissociative anesthetic via IV infusions or intranasal sprays. According to experts at Columbia University?s Irving Medical Center, this method effectively targets neurotransmitters within the brain, leading to rapid antidepressant and anxiolytic effects that can significantly improve one?s mood and outlook.

While ketamine therapy can offer promising therapeutic outcomes, it is essential to recognize that it may not be suitable for everyone and carries a risk of addiction. When taken without proper medical oversight, the consequences can be severe, a reality that several celebrities have tragically experienced firsthand.

Discover what these well-known figures had to share about their experiences with ketamine therapy and its impact on their lives.

Chrissy Teigen has expressed her newfound appreciation for ketamine therapy. Celebrating her thirty-eighth birthday in 2023, the model revealed that during a treatment session, she had a profound experience where she envisioned her late son, Jack, which she described as a deeply healing moment.

?I had a really nice birthday, went to see my friends @flamingo_estate, had a wonderful lunch with friends, then did ketamine therapy and saw space and time and baby Jack and some weird penguins and cried and cried and cried,? she shared on Instagram. ?Then laid with my babies, then hot pot, then hung with my best friend.?

Halsey has openly discussed her use of ketamine therapy as a means to cope with PTSD and postpartum depression. Following the challenges of childbirth, a breakup, and ongoing health issues, she recognized the need for healing. Despite her lupus being in remission and overcoming other health obstacles, she still felt overwhelmed and depressed. It was during this time that a doctor recommended ketamine therapy to help her process the trauma she had recently endured.

?It changed my life,? Halsey stated on the She MD podcast. ?For me, it allowed me to process really tough thoughts and emotions in a way that I felt really safe? Many people have different experiences. They cry, they laugh, they relive old trauma. For me, I started going back to before I was sick to old trauma in my first session, and it was almost like my mind was communicating to me, like, ?You don?t need to do that, you?re over that.? I was like, ?Oh, okay.? Then I began addressing the more recent issues.?

While acknowledging it may not be suitable for everyone, she shared that the entire experience provided her with closure regarding certain traumatic events and left her feeling at peace.

Before the tragic passing of Matthew Perry, he candidly shared his experiences with ketamine therapy, reflecting on how it ultimately contributed to his demise. In his memoir, Pals, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew recounted his initial positive experience with the treatment in a clinical setting, only to later realize that it was not a suitable option for him.

?Ketamine felt like a huge exhale. They?d bring me into a room, sit me down, put headphones on me to listen to music, blindfold me, and put an IV in? And I often thought that I was dying during that hour. ?Oh,? I thought, ?this is what happens when you die.? Yet I would continually connect to this stuff because it was something different, and anything different is good,? he wrote.

Matthew ultimately recognized that the therapy felt like ?being hit in the head with a giant soft shovel,? with a hangover that was ?difficult and outweighed the shovel.? Despite the negative consequences, he continued using the drug outside of a medical setting. After procuring the drug illegally and using it for several months, he tragically passed away in October 2023.

Pete Davidson has also openly spoken about his struggles with ketamine addiction, revealing that at one point, he was using it daily for four years. Under the influence, he experienced surreal visions, likening them to a mix of The Wiggles and Schindler?s List?even attending Aretha Franklin?s funeral while under the influence. Although he described the experiences as ?magical,? he ultimately recognized the need to get sober.

?You can?t do drugs in your 30s,? he stated during a standup routine, adding that ?it?s not cute anymore? and ?you?re just a drug addict? when engaging in substance use at that age.

Amber Rose credits ketamine therapy with saving her life. After battling depression and suicidal thoughts for over three years, she mustered the courage to change her life. Following her research and therapy, she recognized that the pandemic had severely affected her mental health, compounded by a public breakup and hormonal imbalances after giving birth to her son in 2019. Ultimately, she found that ketamine therapy played a crucial role in overcoming her depression.

?I needed to microdose on ketamine. That?s the one thing that saved my life,? she stated on The Jason Lee Podcast. ?Ketamine has helped me so much? I get mine from a doctor, which I recommend everyone else do the same if they want to try that for PTSD, depression, or anxiety. Over time, it helps regulate the chemicals in your body so you feel less depressed and less suicidal.?

Following Lamar Odom?s near-fatal overdose in 2015, he sought various treatments to overcome his struggles with addiction. In addition to entering rehab, Lamar turned to ketamine therapy, which he reported made a substantial difference in his recovery journey.

?I went to rehab and did other things, but ketamine came into my life at the right time,? Lamar shared on Good Morning America in 2021. ?I?m feeling amazing. I?m alive. I?m sober. I?m happy.?

Sharon Osbourne faced significant personal challenges after her departure from The Talk in 2021, turning to alternative therapies to support her mental health. Reflecting on the public backlash and accusations she faced, she expressed feelings of anxiety and depression. It was her friend and former co-host Sara Gilbert who suggested that Sharon seek out a doctor who offered ketamine therapies.

?I definitely went through a rough patch at the beginning. I found it embarrassing. The humiliation of people thinking I might be racist. They were going to kill the family. They were going to come at night with knives, cut all our throats and the animals. So I had all of that, all the threats, and we had to have 24-hour guards,? she told the Daily Mail.

She continued, ?I went through three months of therapy. I had ketamine therapy and I got it all out. All the tears and everything I felt, you know. All of that, it?s gone.?

Elon Musk has been transparent about utilizing ketamine as a means to navigate periods of depression. He indicated that he holds a prescription for the drug from ?an actual, real doctor? and uses ?a small amount once every other week or something like that.?

?There are times when I have kind of a?negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I suppose, or depression that?s not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of the negative mindset,? Elon shared with CNN, emphasizing the importance of not overusing the medication.

He elaborated, ?If you use too much ketamine, you can?t really get work done. I have a lot of work; I usually put in 16-hour days?so I don?t really have a situation where I can be not mentally acute for an extended period.?