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Steeped In Wellness (Formerly The Matcha Guardians)Author: Diana Weil and Elara Hadjipateras
This is how wellness should be discussed. The biggest trending health topics of our time, featuring the greatest and upcoming wellness advocates. Welcome to the Steeped In Wellness podcast, brought to you by Matcha.com. Join certified nutritionist Diana Weil and medical journalist Elara Hadjipateras -as they protect you on your wellness journey by providing vulnerable and genuine takes on the latest wellness trends. From interviews with leading experts in health, fitness, and spirituality to their own personal relationships, they cover different lifestyle topics and formats that impact health. No hard subject is off limits for us. Get ready to sip, savor, and live well with new episodes every Wednesday. Language: en Genres: Education, Health & Fitness, Nutrition, Self-Improvement Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Ketamine for Mental Health: Fact, Fiction & Future
Episode 14
Wednesday, 10 December, 2025
In this episode, we sit down again with Dr. Matthew Mosquera, a Harvard-trained addiction psychiatrist, for a deep dive into ketamine treatment — from its surprising history to its emerging role in mental health care. We kick things off by clearing up common misconceptions. While ketamine’s party-drug reputation persists, we explore its origins as a surgical anesthetic developed in the 1960s and how it rose to prominence during the Vietnam War. Its safety profile and effectiveness at sub-anesthetic doses have since made it a powerful tool in psychiatric care.We focus on how ketamine works neurologically. It enhances neuroplasticity, helping the brain rewire and reconnect neural pathways damaged by depression and chronic stress. This restoration of “functional connectivity” enables emotional regulation to return more efficiently. Dr. Mosquera explains that ketamine doesn’t just mute symptoms like many SSRIs—it opens a short window where behavior and mindset shifts can take root more easily.From there, we get into the logistics. Most patients begin with an “induction phase” — twice-weekly treatments for four weeks. Sessions typically last two hours and include an active dissociative phase followed by a recovery period. We learn that visuals, out-of-body sensations, and introspective insights are common but not guaranteed. Dr. Mosquera emphasizes the importance of environment and mindset in shaping each session’s impact. Clinics aim to create a calming, supportive space, and providers monitor patients throughout.We also explore the differences between esketamine (the FDA-approved nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression) and generic ketamine, used off-label for conditions like PTSD, OCD, and anxiety. While esketamine is tightly regulated and covered by insurance, off-label use often involves out-of-pocket costs and different methods of administration like IV or IM injections.Toward the end, we tackle common concerns: who shouldn’t use ketamine, potential side effects, and why at-home ketamine therapy can be risky. Dr. Mosquera offers cautious optimism about ketamine’s future, citing the growing data on long-term benefits. He encourages pairing treatment with therapy, movement, and other healthy habits for best results. We wrap with quick-hit facts and personal reflections, including Dr. Mosquera’s thoughts on why he was drawn to this field in the first place — and his belief in helping people reset when traditional treatments haven’t worked.Reach out to Dr. Mosquera: mjmosquera89@gmail.com00:00 - Intro01:58 - What Is Ketamine? (History & Origins)04:02 - Ketamine in Medical Use Today05:02 - Ketamine for Depression Explained06:28 - What is Esketamine vs. Ketamine?08:29 - FDA Approvals and Other Mental Health Uses09:38 - Off-Label Ketamine Use & Clinic Access10:31 - Cost of Ketamine Treatment13:00 - How Ketamine Helps the Brain (Neuroplasticity)17:01 - What a Ketamine Treatment Session Feels Like21:28 - Side Effects and How Patients Typically Feel After22:34 - Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)25:15 - Psilocybin vs Ayahuasca vs Ketamine28:16 - Who Shouldn’t Use Ketamine30:13 - How Long Do the Effects Last?32:49 - Matthew Perry’s Death & Ketamine Safety34:51 - Ketamine Use Postpartum and While Breastfeeding38:09 - What to Expect from Treatment39:03 - Ketamine as a Party Drug & What Is a K-Hole?42:56 - Long-Term Side Effects of Overuse43:42 - The Future of Ketamine Clinics44:55 - Fear of Psychedelics: Advice for First-Timers47:05 - Fact or Fiction: Ketamine Myths Busted48:44 - Frequency and Dosage Guidelines50:59 - Where to Find Dr. Mosquera51:22 - Outro and Closing Credits Connect with Elara and Diana!On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steepedinwellnesspodcastOr head over to https://www.matcha.comAnd use code GUARDIAN for a generous discount on your order of Matcha & wellness boosts! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
