Alex Berenson vs. Elon Musk: Derangement, Ketamine, and Blind Spots
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is a good journalist. Though I’m surprised by his blind spots on several issues, most recently his comments about Elon Musk and his use of ketamine. One has to wonder if Berenson has Musk-derangement syndrome. He’s extremely one-sided on these issues. Regarding ketamine, Berenson has expressed concerns about its potential for abuse and its use in treating mental health conditions. He’s not a psychologist, medical doctor, or an addiction expert. I do appreciate the points Berenson is trying to make about addiction, getting high, unethical, and dangerous doctors. However, it’s not apparent at all that ketamine is the danger he portrays.Ketamine is Just a Horse Tranquilizer
Berenson writes, “In his memoir, Perry wrote that using the drug was “like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel.” Club kids call ketamine “Special K.” It’s also known as “horse tranquilizer” because - yes - veterinarians use it as an anesthetic for animal surgeries.”
Why does Berenson believe that because a drug is used in animals, it’s not appropriate for human use? This is identical to how Ivermectin was maligned as ‘horse paste.’ And we know Berenson’s one-sided view on Ivermectin, marijuana, and any other medication that he disagrees with.
Contrary to Berenson’s claims, ketamine is not a horse tranquilizer. It was synthesized in the 1960s for human anesthesia and became the most used anesthetic in the world. Even today, ketamine remains on the WHO list of essential medications because it is so safe. Even more, a prominent psychiatrist, Thomas Insel, former head of the National Mental Institutes of Health, hailed ketamine as the most significant breakthrough in psychiatric medicine in 50 years. This is a testament to the potential of ketamine in revolutionizing mental health treatment, offering a beacon of hope to those in need.
On the thinnest of evidence?
“When he died, Perry was hopelessly addicted to ketamine, a dangerous short-acting anesthetic now sold to treat depression - on the thinnest evidence. But Perry was not acting alone. His enablers viewed him as a human pincushion with a wallet.”
Berenson also claims ‘there is scant evidence” that ketamine can be used as a medication for mental health. He’s certainly unaware of my and Gavin de Becker’s book, The Revolutionary Ketamine and that ketamine can save lives and stops suicide in its tracks. God forbid one of his family members become suicidal, and after trying everything else, the doctors suggest ketamine. Would Berenson be so sure of himself in this situation? Would he refuse the treatment as heretical? Or, since Berenson is so inflexible, would he refuse THC for cancer or severe chronic pain?
Berenson and PTSD
Berenson wrote, “The FDA rejected the ridiculous effort to gain approval for MDMA - the club drug known as Molly or ecstasy, which combines amphetamine and psychedelic properties - as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, yet another squishy non-disease that almost anyone can claim to have.”
I’m not even sure where to start with this one. Nearly two-thirds of veterans returning from war have PTSD in high numbers, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the mass shootings that took place at Mandalay Bay, killing 68 people. I can assure you that PTSD is real among combat veterans and first responders. True, there are many falsely claiming PTSD, but there are plenty of genuine sufferers, and if Berenson had witnessed their pain and nightmares, I could assure you that his opinion would be different. One thing that Jordan Peterson said about PTSD is that soldiers go to war without knowing themselves or what they are capable of doing. Then, they get on the battlefield and do many terrible things that they did not know that they were capable of doing. Then they go home and face society, away from their military tribe, and this is when things fall apart. In other words, you just can’t let go of PTSD; that’s the wrong way of thinking about it; rather, it’s PTSD that won’t let go of you. Ketamine, when used in conjunction with therapy, has been shown to help PTSD, providing a ray of hope in the darkness. Recently the FDA blocked the use of MDMA for ketamine despite excellent stage 3 trial results at Johns Hopkins University.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Get a Pass?
Then he gives his blessings on anti-depression medications, SSRIs. Per Berenson, these medications are given a free pass. Why? Is it that Berenson can know what he’s looking for in medical study? Does he truly understand all the tricks and malicious study designs that researchers use to manipulate their studies and results? If you are experiencing difficulties with this, consider consulting Stanford researcher John Ioannidis, who has demonstrated that most published research findings are false, flawed, and not reproducible. Or visit the Broken Science Institute and discover how statistics and much research are fatally flawed. Finally, getting off SSRIs can be the hardest of ordeals. Just ask Brooke Siem, author of “May Cause Side-Effects,” about her 15 years of trying to quit SSRIs and why they come with side effects. She emphasizes never falling for the trap of “trust the research” on SSRIs because decades of studies never accounted for withdrawal effects when somebody stopped the drug as part of the study. Even more, decades of SSRI research studies have been found to confound the results. This underscores the need for responsible drug use and informed decision-making.
“There is scant evidence for ketamine.”
There’s plenty of evidence that ketamine is effective in treating mental disorders. Ketamine is effective for depression and suicide. There’s a wealth of research conducted by highly qualified researchers—namely, Yale University, led by researchers like Dr. John Krystal. A mountain of researchers have followed in their tracks. Dr. Lori Calabrese showed that ketamine, when used in conjunction with therapy, in patients with suicidal ideations, was able to stop wanting to kill themselves after this treatment. Or how about the countless other people whose lives have been saved by ketamine and therapy? Notice that I always say ketamine should be given with therapy, as it is not a standalone treatment but a tool to aid in the therapeutic process.
The Mathew Perry Ordeal
“And ketamine is plenty dangerous all by itself, as Matthew Perry learned too late. Perry had survived addictions to alcohol and opiates, but ketamine, which he called a ‘giant happy shovel,’ killed him.”
Mathew Perry’s death was tragic. There’s no arguing that one. The medical system betrayed him. Sadly, Perry’s curse was his substance abuse disorder, addiction, and addictive personality, which is a dragon tough to slay for so many. In Biblical terms, to beat addiction, one must “chop Agag” to pieces, as Bishop Barron talks about in his Peterson academy course. This means that every part of addiction must be attacked to overcome it because if we leave one part of it alive, it builds an army (spiritually speaking) and returns stronger. Anyone dealing with addiction can relate to this.
Perry was abusing ketamine and other drugs, as the evidence in his home proved, to an almost unbelievable amount. Five people, including two physicians, have been charged in the ketamine overdose death of actor Matthew Perry. Those who directly enabled him deserve harsh punishment, especially those who took an oath to do their best. Matthew Perry was receiving 6 to 8 shots of ketamine per day, primarily from court documents and plea agreements related to the federal investigation into his death on October 28, 2023. These documents detail the actions of his personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and others involved in supplying Perry with ketamine. But how is this any different than knowing someone who had alcoholism and who bought a bottle of hard liquor almost every day at the same store? How are their actions different from the liquor store owner who sells alcohol frequently to a person that they have to at least suspect is an alcoholic? Indeed, those working at the store would not have eventually noticed that the frequency and volume of alcohol being purchased was indicative of a serious problem.
As a US physician, I can tell you this. Two groups of people receive the worst healthcare: the indigent and the very rich. The poor and indigent because lack of access, the rich because they can get whatever they want. Perry was a person with extensive wealth, free time, and too many ‘yes men and women’ in his orbit. What did the deaths of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin, Prince, Whitney Houston, Philip Hoffman, Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger, John Belushi, Chris Farley, or many other celebrities prove? The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was correct that when people have nothing to do except eat cake and further the propagation of the species, they will create chaos just to see what happens.
“By all accounts, ketamine’s euphoria is different and stranger than an opioid high and often includes a profound dissociation. But it is a high, no less.”
Berenson is wrong with this one, as well. Unless he’s speaking from experience, which is doubtful. Ketamine and other psychedelics produce a unique experience that includes a loss of ego, loss of time, oceanic feelings, and thoughts that the universe is connected and that everything is going to be alright. Ketamine can be overdosed, and people can experience out-of-body and near-death experiences and other terrible experiences, but this is not the norm. Perhaps people on the street ketamine get a high from the drug. Still, again, this has nothing to do with pharmaceutical-grade ketamine given at appropriate doses, in a clinic, with proper therapy, and by a health professional.
The fact that some use a drug recreationally is irrelevant. People who are so inclined will use anything and everything to get ‘high,’ including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, morphine, methamphetamines, opioids, LSD, inhalants, other opioids, and so on. Psychedelic drugs are generally regarded as the LEAST addictive and least fatal things one could choose to use. For example, had Michael Jackson used ketamine instead of propofol, he would likely still be living. Since ketamine doesn’t suppress your breathing or blood pressure, it’s a much safer drug.
Ketamine for mental illness
“Still, physicians now market ketamine for depression, part of a broader effort to rebrand drugs with high potential for addiction and abuse as medically necessary.”
Ketamine has the potential to save lives, a fact that often gets lost in the negative portrayal of the drug. It has been and continues to be used successfully in many controlled environments with responsible doctors and therapists, pediatric and adult anesthesia, depression, anxiety, and pain management, to name several areas. Why doesn’t Berenson go to his local hospital and shout from the rooftops that ketamine is a horse tranquilizer and that patients in the burn units should never receive the drug because they might get hooked on it? Ketamine is a lifesaver in burn units because patients require multiple dressing changes daily. Ketamine dissociates them from the painful hell they are experiencing with each dressing change, and it doesn’t affect their breathing. Over 70,000 articles in the PubMed database demonstrate the safety and efficacy of ketamine.
Elon Musk’s Ketamine Use
His drug use appears increasingly out of control. In January 2024, the Wall Street Journal ran an investigation of his use of cocaine and other illegal drugs. At the time, I criticized that piece for its reliance on unnamed and ill-defined sources.
But since then, the allegations have exploded. Last week, the New York Times wrote:
“Mr. Musk’s drug consumption went well beyond occasional use. He told people he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder, a known effect of chronic use. He took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. He traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall, according to a photo of the box and people who have seen it.”
Mr. Berenson, since when do you trust in the New York Times, that place where you wrote articles for over 10 years? Is your memory so court that during the pandemic, the NYTs called you a “COVID contrarian” and set you out to rot? Can you imagine Elon Musk telling people who told the NYT that he was using so much ketamine that he was having bladder issues?
Let’s get one thing straight. Ketamine bladder results from street ketamine in very high doses. High enough doses that you can’t be seen in public for some hours if not days. Pharmaceutical-grade ketamine for human use is sterile, given intravenously and intramuscularly, and does not cause bladder issues. Dr. Dave Feifel published a study of over 6000 patients who received clinic-grade ketamine and found that people did not become addicted to ketamine or had bladder issues. If you can find a study showing that legitimate use of ketamine causes bladder problems, please send it.
“But he does regularly use ketamine, a short-acting anesthetic that causes euphoria and dissociation. He’s acknowledged doing so.”
There is a legitimate use of ketamine that helps people. Musk’s indication for prescription ketamine is apparently for depression. As Musk said himself, he works 16 hours a day, and it would be impossible for him to be using ketamine all the time, especially at high doses.
Finally, let’s acknowledge where Berenson obtained this information: an article from The Hollywood Reporter, which writes about Musk’s custody battle for his son, X. We all know that accusations fly during these unfortunate disputes. Their accuracy often falls far short of the truth. Berenson is reverting to the old habits he acquired at The New York Times to make his point about Elon.
“I’m worried about Elon Musk. He’s not acting like the world’s richest man, the head of a big public company, the owner of the world’s most important platform for journalism, or a defense contractor with top-secret security clearances vital to American national security. But he’s not acting like it. He’s acting like a guy who has fallen prey to heavy drug users and the mood swings, instability, irritability, and impulsivity it provokes.”
I didn’t know Berenson has an advanced degree in psychology and drug addiction, but he knows how users act. At the end of the article, Berenson attempts to retract his claims about Elon.
“I hope I’m wrong. I want to be wrong. And if I’m not, I hope Musk takes a break, at the very least, from ketamine and everything else. I hope he receives the help he needs to cope with the stresses and demands that can sometimes feel overwhelming.”
It’s too late. Time will tell. It seems a bridge too far for people to distinguish appropriate use and abuse of ketamine. Why do we never speak of all the deaths from using the medication digoxin for heart disease or the 250,000 deaths a year from prescribed medicines? For Alex Berenson to assume Musk abused ketamine is just wrongheaded, unless he actually knows how much and how frequently ketamine was taken.
Many references can be found in The Revolutionary Ketamine
