It’s no surprise that people fear for the security of their jobs as the end of the year approaches. Mass layoffs have hit the tech industry, and more 120,000 people in the sector have been laid off so far this year. Losing a job can be devastating, causing anxiety, depression, and decreased self-esteem. However, a company at the forefront of psychedelic-assisted therapy hopes to minimize the negative impact on mental health of a layoff with a free month of ketamine therapy.
You heard that right: Field Trip Health, a company that provides virtual, in-person and hybrid enhanced psychedelic therapy, announced today exclusively with Fortune who will offer their services free of charge to people who have been laid off from a large number of companies, including TwitterGoal, Stripe, and others. Field Trip CEO Ronan Levy tells Fortune their decision to offer this service arose from the reality that “everyone is suffering right now”.
“This promotion is available to anyone who is facing headwinds right now, anyone who is going through a transition,” he says.
Ketamine-assisted therapy is relatively new. The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially approved the drug in 1970 for use as a general anesthetic. In 2000, researchers published a study showing that lower doses of ketamine could treat symptoms of depression in a shorter period of time compared to participants taking a placebo. John Krystal, a leading researcher in this field at Yale Medical School, called the psychedelic a “game changer.”
Although it is legal for doctors to prescribe ketamine for psychiatric conditions, it is not approved by the FDA for that use. The one exception is esketamine, a nasal spray made from ketamine, which was approved by the FDA in 2019 for treatment-resistant depression, or for those whose symptoms have not improved with other modalities.
Weather psychedelic use Booming in the startup space as some founders say it helped them process trauma and made them better leaders, ketamine has generally only been studied in people with depression who haven’t benefited from other medications. Major depression, experienced by more than 20 million American adults each year, is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world.
For those eligible, Field Trip will provide one month of their services, including a ketamine assisted therapy treatment and an integration session with a physician, which means a one-on-one session focused on integrating therapy with the effects of ketamine treatment. . The ketamine dose can be taken orally at home or injected if done at one of the company’s 12 on-site clinics. If taken at home, the company recommends having the supervision of a friend or family member.
“Ketamine-assisted therapies can be powerfully transformative for people dealing with some of the most common challenges of everyday life,” says Levy.
Ketamine can increase the production of glutamate, one of the brain’s neurotransmitters, which helps establish new pathways in the brain associated with mood, according to Yale Medicine. Ketamine-assisted therapy is most effective when combined with other therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy.
Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, increased blood pressure, and confused thoughts, as well as a feeling of dissociation from the body or a feeling of being in space. Ketamine is also a well-known party drug due to its hallucinogenic properties and can be abused, leading to tolerance and addiction according to American addiction centers.
To see if you’re eligible, make an appointment with one of Field Trip’s doctors using the code freeandwell22. You will be asked about your medical history and advised if you can advance in the program. Ketamine-assisted therapy is not for everyone, including people who have uncontrolled high blood pressure or are pregnant.
Spots with doctors on the show are limited, and it’s hard to predict the demand Field Trip could have with this offering, says Levy, who wouldn’t disclose how many spots are available.
“We will respond to the lawsuits depending on how much interest there is,” he says.
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