The Revolutionary Ketamine.
How a Little Known Drug Effectively Treats Depression and Prevents Suicide
I’m excited to share that my fourth book, “The Revolutionary Ketamine – The Safe Drug That Effectively Treats Depression and Prevents Suicide,” was recently published by Skyhorse Publishing, a Simon & Schuster company. If you, or a loved one, or a colleague has struggled with depression or suicide, then this book may offer valuable insights. In “The Revolutionary Ketamine,” I try to make sense of our mental health crisis and how it’s currently affecting our children and adolescents, US veterans, first responders, athletes, and more. I explore upon the hidden side of suicide and ketamine and how a little-known wartime anesthetic and party drug became a legitimate medication for treating mental illness.
I recently had the opportunity to deliver a SPEAK Event Talk in New York about The Revolutionary Ketamine. SPEAK Events, created by George Andriopoulos, is a unique platform based from TED Talks using only a microphone, no notes, no props, and your wits for 10 minutes. SPEAK Events are making waves. You can find my talk on the SPEAK Events website and on YouTube.
The genesis of this book was years in the making.
I use Scrivner to write my books and have read over 40 books and hundreds of articles. Before the Revolutionary Ketamine, I published Suicide, COVID-19, and Ketamine - How a Little Known Drug Saves Lives. Then Skyhorse publishing offered me to write a follow-up book, which became The Revolutionary Ketamine. The books are very different from each, each about various aspects of the mental health crisis, suicides, and how medications like ketamine can help.
The idea for this book began some years ago when I was working with Gavin de Becker. Gavin is the best-selling author of “The Gift of Fear,” which is published in 18 different languages and has sold millions. His book has helped endless people, especially women, to tap into their intuition and manage fear. One day, he asked me about ketamine. I thought it was an easy question, given that I’m an anesthesiologist, and answered that it was a common drug used in the operating room and Pediatrics. It’s on the WHO list of essential medications because it is safe. But I also went on to answer that I knew it could be used to treat depression and even stop suicide. Gavin said he was happy I answered the question that way, but he would have been prepared if I had answered the question the other way. It’s important to ask why Gavin was ready to debate if I answered his question differently. Many people just believe that ketamine is a horse tranquilizer or party drug when it is the first medication in 50 years now that can effectively treat depression and suicide. Gavin offered to help me with my forward if I could write the book. We knew this book could save lives.
I wrote this book about needing to be more aware of the mental health crisis.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young working-class adults, and the book addresses the alarming rate of suicide among veterans and first responders. We are losing nearly 40 veterans per day to suicide and psychedelic medications like ketamine and MDMA are effectively treating PTSD and depression that come with serving in violent wars. We are losing many first responders to suicide. Most don’t realize that more police officers and firefighters die by suicide than in the line of duty. Or that about 400 physicians take their own lives each year.
This book can help to understand the signs and symptoms of suicide. Also, it’s difficult to understand the power of ketamine, and I give many first-hand examples of success stories.
In the process of researching this book, I went way back. I asked the question did we know about ketamine from the start? And that answer is a resounding yes. Even in the 1970s, we knew that ketamine could be effective for depression. However, the studies never fully emerged until the 2000s.
Finally, understand that ketamine isn’t a panacea and that every mental health condition should be accompanied by therapy. Ketamine works by affecting the mind, body, and spirit and tapping into unique places of the psyche. Many psychiatrists say that after a ketamine treatment, it is like doing six months of therapy upfront. Ketamine may not be for everyone, but it might be revolutionary for a loved one or maybe even yourself.
In this book, I try to make the invisible forces that shape our perception of depression and suicide visible to all of us.
Our lives are dramatically influenced by work, social media, the pandemic, and much more. I aim to explain how to get ahead and understand how the signs of suicide and depression manifest – and what you can do about it. I break down the WHY – how does ketamine and other psychedelics treat suicide? Then I will give you the history of ketamine as a wartime anesthetic and party drug and how it treats suicidality in adolescents, veterans, athletes, people with an addiction, severe depression, and much more.
Suicide and depression are akin to walking in the fog with heavy lead boots, not knowing what direction to turn. Once we lose hope, become isolated, and feel we are a burden to others, in a moment of extreme vulnerability, with the possibility of a lethal means – this is suicide. Many will tell you that they have nowhere to turn when a loved one resorts to suicide. If you, or a loved one were affected by suicide or severe depression, would you consider ketamine?
Thomas Insel, MD, is the former director of the National Institute of Mental Health and author of several books. “Over the last few decades, deaths from auto accidents, many infectious diseases, and some forms of cancer have dropped considerably period since the turn of the century; suicide mortality is up more than 30% in the US, despite more people getting more treatment for psychiatric disorders. The Revolutionary Ketamine reminds us that we need to focus on our treatment, specifically on reducing suicide, and that ketamine is an important new treatment that can save lives. Ketamine is the first drug in 50 years that can stop suicidality in its tracks.”
The Audiobook version of this book is in the works. I hope to have it in early 2024.
Some famous athletes who support my work:
Francis Ngannou - Cameroonian Heavy Boxer and UFC Heavyweight Champion
TJ Dillashaw - American UFC Bantamweight Champion
NFL New York Giants Tight-end Darren Waller with a pic of my previous book, Suicide, COVID-19, and Ketamine - How a Little Known Drug Saves Lives.
What People are Saying:
“It’s no surprise that an increasing number of Americans have been suicidal in the last few years. What is a surprise to many is that there’s a treatment that often brings immediate improvement and reduction in suicidality: ketamine. Dr. Johnathan Edwards has dug deep into the studies, conducted his own research, and drew upon his profound compassion to get the mess out. Thank you, Johnathan, for your work that improves and saves lives. And for writing a book that will do the same.”
— Gavin de Becker, Bestselling Author of “The Gift of Fear” (Gavin wrote the foreword).
“This book reminds us that we need to focus our treatments, especially on reducing suicide, and that ketamine is an important new treatment that can save lives.”
— Thomas Insel MD, Author of “Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health.”
Doctor Jonathan Edwards is not a maverick but a master clinician. He is at the forefront of those increasingly rare men and women who embody an ideal of passionate advocates for their patient’s health and well-being. One hopes this extraordinary book will have a ripple effect, enlightening not only many people but doctors themselves. Doctor Edwards has awakened the sleeping giant that is ketamine.
— Bruce Wagner, novelist
“At the top of a mental hill, ketamine is like fresh powdered snow that falls on, fills, and erases the well-worn deep ruts downslope and allows you to sled into original paths of mind not yet taken. Johnathan’s ketamine expertise would have staved off years of my suffering from suicidal ideation and severe depression.”
—Dr. Theodore Achuosco, CEO of the Global Founding Pioneer of Health Optimization Medicine and Practice
“Ketamine is a game changer and was catalyst in my recovery from PTSD and chronic pain.”
—Catherine Oxenberg, actress, author, and advocate
How the Book Launch is Going …
The reception has been surprisingly great. Niche books are always difficult to promote. I’ve loved being able to talk about how ketamine has saved lives. These are a few notable hits:
Podcasts! I’ve been on so many great podcasts. Here are a few, but please visit my website, www.johnathanedwards.com or www.TheRevolutionaryKetamine.com, to see them all.
One of the recent interviews I enjoyed doing was a deep dive on the Nick Daniel Podcast, which is set to come out in 2024. Nick delves into his personal history of depression, how he became CEO of the multimillion-dollar company V Shred, and how his journey with ketamine has helped him with depression and grow as a person. Here is Nick’s profile –
Psychedelic Medicine Podcast
Therapeutic Use of Ketamine for Adolescents with Johnathan Edwards, MD
In this episode of the psychedelic medicine podcast, Dr. Johnathan Edwards joins to discuss the potential of ketamine treatments for mental health conditions in adolescent populations. Dr. Edwards is a board-certified anesthesiologist and author with a key focus on treating mental health conditions with ketamine. He has provided ketamine in his practice for over 20 years and has worked with psychiatrist Dr. Sam Zand to help patients with mental health conditions.
From Dr. Edwards’ experience, treatment-resistant depression, suicidal ideation, and eating disorders seem to be the conditions where ketamine seems to have the biggest effect on adolescents. In closing, Dr. Edwards emphasizes how significant it is to be able to help kids struggling with these hard-to-treat conditions, especially as teen suicide remains a significant issue, so he’s hopeful that pediatricians, psychiatrists, and anesthesiologists can continue to collaborate to bring ketamine therapy to more patients safely.
SPEAK Events
How a Little Known-Drug Stops Suicide.
In December 2023, I did a SPEAK Event and became an official SPEAKer. This new platform, SPEAK talks are 6-10 minutes long and are delivered in a storytelling format. There are three key moments in a SPEAK Talk. The moment of truth, the moment of transformation, and the moment of impact. Our pop-up events are the foundation of our platform. Producers from all around the globe apply to produce SPEAK pop-up events. Each pop-up consists of 10 SPEAKers delivering their talks while being recorded for rebroadcast on our channels, including our YouTube channel and The SPEAK Podcast, amongst others. SPEAKers are NOT PAID nor can they pay SPEAK to become one of our SPEAKers. SPEAKers are chosen via an invite-only model.
@CookseyMedia
Preventing Suicide Through Ketamine With Dr. Johnathan Edwards
Chris Cooksey is a Supercross journalist and a freelance writer. He delves into behind-the-scenes information about today’s top motocross racers. He’s interviewed Eli Tomac, Ryan Dungey, Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin, Austin Forkner, Adam Cianciarulo, Chase Sexton, Martin Davalos, Jacob Hayes, Dean Wilson, Weston Peick, Seth Hammaker, Max Anstie, and more. I have personally helped many of these athletes in my medical career.
Sirius XM Radio - Throwing Down with Renee and Miesha
In a special conversation with Renee Paquet and Miesha Tate (former UFC World Champion), speak to Johnathan Edwards, MD, about his book discussing all things Ketamine as a treatment for various mental health issues, especially athletes and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The link is here.
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If you know people with platforms (Podcasts, YouTube channels, TV shows, blogs, IG lives) that might be a good fit for a conversation about the book, please get in touch with me! I’m talking with many people from many different communities about this project. Please email me at johnathanedwardsmd@gmail.com. More info is here: www.JohnathanEdwardsMD.com
I’m incredibly grateful for your attention, time, and consideration. Thank you.
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