Matthew Perry’s tragic death shines a light on the dangers of unchecked Ketamine use. The beloved Friends actor was reported dead in October of 2023, with court documents published in August of 2024 revealing Perry died of a Ketamine overdose. Perry had been taking Ketamine infusions clinically months prior to his death but had also been obtaining the medicine illegally and taking it recreationally, up to six times a day by the time he died.
Perry has openly struggled with his mental health and addiction in various podcasts, interviews, and recent memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” Addiction is no new tale in Hollywood, with actors, musicians, and celebrities continually turning to traditional rehabilitation programs, with varying degrees of success. Perry estimated that over his lifetime, he had spent around $9 million dollars on substance abuse treatment, eventually even turning his Malibu home into a sober living home for men. Beyond that, Perry dedicated much of his time to the advocacy of addiction treatment, and practice of radical honesty to move to de-stigmatize addiction.
Perry turned to Ketamine a few years ago while staying at a rehab facility in Switzerland. Perry described Ketamine in his memoir as “a big exhale.” He received clinical ketamine treatments from doctors at clinics, eventually developing a stronger addiction to it. When doctors refused to increase his dosage, Perry began buying it from illicit sources and receiving multiple injections each day. In discovered texts from Perry’s dealers, they openly discussed seeing Perry as a way to make quick money.
The Dual Role of Ketamine: A Promising Mental Health Treatment with Growing Safety Concerns
Ketamine has in recent years burst onto the scene as a popular recreational drug, but has also developed new clinical uses, particularly for the treatment of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Ketamine has been a popular and effective tool due to its ability to alleviate symptoms almost immediately. As in the case of Perry, ketamine is being explored for addiction treatment, such as alcohol and opioid dependence. It is thought that ketamine’s ability to induce neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections) may help break the cycle of addiction.
When it comes to alternative treatments for these mental health conditions, it is one of the most easily accessible to find, as clinics can be found almost anywhere in the country. At a ketamine clinic, infusions are administered by a trained clinician, and the patient is monitored for the duration of the physical and mental effects. Patients are typically guided through meditations or with specific questions, which aim to address the root causes of symptoms. With the drug’s FDA approval, any doctor can prescribe it off-label.
Even though the drug is receiving both psychological, clinical, and public approval, there is still a great deal of concern over its safety and regulation. Ketamine is known for its dissociative effects, and the potential for misuse is high, as in the case of Perry. As ketamine clinics proliferated there is a worry that some may operate without proper oversight, leading to inconsistent or insufficient care. While the conversation around ketamine is shifting from stigma to one of hope for potential treatment, Perry’s death shows us that Ketamine is not the right treatment plan for everyone, and careful considerations must be made by clinicians when it comes to treating an individual. Regulation and scrutiny of doctors and clinics themselves must be continually pursued. Resorting to attitudes of fear around ketamine, pushing it back into a taboo realm, and ignoring to explore it as a serious contender as a treatment can only lead to more dangerous and illicit use. However, if Ketamine is going to remain an accessible drug, continuing to provide relief for treatment resistant health concerns, the question becomes, how can it be used safely? How can risk and harm be minimized as much as possible?
Harm Reduction: The Importance of Care and Integration
In the expanding fields of alternative medicines, harm reduction must remain a priority. So, what does that look like? During the actual treatment, this means controlling overdoses and monitoring patients for the entirety of the session to track things such as heart rate, blood pressure, and psychological response. While the actual session is foundational to the efficacy of the treatment, many professionals, clinicians, and therapists emphasize the importance of “integration” after treatment. This looks like therapeutic sessions before and after the treatment. Beforehand, a patient can fully discuss their concerns and wishes, and a clinician can get a better sense of the patient, which helps them in their ability to provide proper care. After the treatment, patients can work through and process the experiences, emotions, or thoughts that arise, integrating them into their day-to-day life. Integration is one of the key distinctions between therapeutic and recreational use and can help foster a healthy and safe use of medicines such as ketamine.
But it is important that the responsibility of safe use of medicine also stays in the hands of clinicians. To broadly address harm reduction when it comes to ketamine, doctors must also monitor frequency and and screen for abuse, continue to educate themselves and their patients, and prioritize harm reduction. In the case of Perry, licensed doctors were found selling ketamine for recreational distribution and use. The current lack of a thorough regulatory process is cause for concern when it comes to the improper uses of the drug. While ketamine and ketamine clinics offer more of a above ground, regulated process as compared to other alternative medicine, the instances of abuse or misuse are still high, as we saw in the case of Perry. Proper vetting of both the clinician and their process must be prioritized in the unfolding of this potentially life saving treatment.
JourneyŌM: Committed to Safe and Accessible Care
At JourneyŌM, safety and harm reduction are the priority for providing accessible and healing care, founded on the belief that alternative medicine is a vital resource to many that must be safely explored and supported. JourneyŌM carefully and extensively vets therapists and guides to minimize risk and understand how medicine and care is provided. Interested in exploring Ketamine as a potential treatment option, or learning more about alternative medicine treatments? Contact JourneyŌM to explore guide matching services.