Ketamine For Suicidal Patients Offers Fast Treatment Options For Elderly - Episode 54

I am a mother of an army veteran that completed suicide. He was a disabled veteran with a chronic pain condition, as well as PTSD and depression. His first attempt to commit suicide was when he was in Madigan Army Medical Center. My son, Geoff had a terrible pain condition, also called the suicide disease. This pain condition, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome caused my son unrelenting pain. A slight change in temperature, such as a slight breeze or a change in water temperatures, would send Geoff in to terrible pain levels. Three times in the course of a year, while Geoff was in the hospital, he was given so much dilaudid, he stopped breathing and had to be given Narcan to revive him. Even those high doses of dilaudid did not relieve his pain. So many, with this horrible condition, are mistreated by health care professionals. They are accused of drug seeking and their feelings of pain are discounted and dismissed. I understand why so many with this horrible condition commit suicide.Because he expressed suicidal intent, he was placed on a one on one in the hospital. He was having a mental health crisis. He was having thoughts and feelings of hopelessness.Geoff started to have thoughts of suicide, as medical professionals accused him of drug seeking behaviors. The attitude of these medical professionals made him feel worse. His feelings of suicidal thoughts worsened. He lacked support services, while in the VA hospital. The healthcare professionals did not offer support. They did not spend time trying to understand his condition. His mental health condition was deteriorating and the lack of professional support made Geoff's suicidal thoughts worse.His first attempt at suicide was in his hospital room. His one on one left the room without a replacement. Geoff had a suicide plan in place. When his one on one left, he decided to take his own life and cut his wrists.Geoff was found on the floor in his hospital room, by the hospital chaplain. The irony here is, this chaplain never enters a room with the door closed. And Geoffs door to his room was closed. But, something compelled that chaplain to go into Geoff's room. Geoff was revived and had many stitches to both arms.So, as I learned about how ketamine reduced suicide ideation almost immediately, I felt compelled to share this information with my audience. You see, suicide in the elderly is growing problem. Since the pandemic, the mental health of our seniors has deteriorated. Before I share more about this groundbreaking medication let's talk about the growing rate of suicide in this country.