We’ve been privileged to help so many patients with mental and physical health conditions using ketamine therapy here at the Good Drop. But through these patient success stories, we’re still amazed to learn the different paths that lead our patients to us.
Jeff Squier certainly didn’t follow a linear road to the Good Drop, but few of our patients actually do! The Northeastern Pennsylvania native moved to the Dallas, Texas, area and has returned again, all while dealing with a bipolar disorder diagnosis and numerous traumatic events that led to severe depression and anxiety.
Today, after dozens of ketamine infusions at the Good Drop, Jeff wouldn’t call his healing journey finished, but he now has the peace of mind to accept his past and work continuously to improve his mental health.
“Ketamine changed my life,” he told us. And we understand.
Where It Starts
“I’m throwing the kitchen sink at this thing. I’m throwing the whole house at this thing.”
That was Jeff on his commitment to ketamine therapy after realizing its potential to help him manage his mental health like never before.
“In 2014, I was diagnosed as bipolar,” Jeff said. “I was flip-flopped around from med to med. [Other providers] had me on this terrible regimen, and I was all over the place.”
Fast-forward to 2019, and Jeff finally found a provider who helped him become stable. A few months later, he moved from Northeastern Pennsylvania to outside of Dallas, Texas, where he was relatively happy for the next four years.
But May of 2023 saw the start of what he called a “series of unprecedented events” that ultimately took a serious toll on his mental health.
“My best friend of nearly 20 years and I had a disagreement and he has not spoken to me since. Five months later, I experienced an unprecedented job loss that really hurt me. But the big thing happened in 2024. I found out that my now-ex of nearly ten years had been unfaithful. We had built a home together, and this really broke me.”
Jeff said his doctor told him that for a two-week period, he experienced either a psychotic break or a dissociative episode that Jeff couldn’t remember completely. His psychiatrist in Texas was the first to suggest Jeff try ketamine therapy, but that plan stalled once Jeff realized he didn’t have anyone to drive him to sessions.
So, with limited options, he packed up some essentials and drove back to Scranton to sort things out.
Ketamine
By August of 2024, Jeff had reached a limit in his depression. He was seeing two therapists and a psychiatrist, but nothing was making him happy.
Finally, at his breaking point, Jeff googled “scranton ketamine,” found the Good Drop website in the first position, and immediately called us. He told us what he’d been experiencing, and we scheduled him for his first appointment a week later.
And Jeff saw results early on.
“After my first infusion, I woke up the next morning feeling like I was Superman. Then I noticed after my first few infusions that I was happier. Three of my best friends noticed the change in my mood early on, too. That meant so much coming from them.”
It’s interesting to note that Jeff’s expectations of ketamine therapy were different from reality. “I really didn’t understand the breakdown of ketamine and how it works. I was going in thinking it would make me forget everything, forget that she’s not in my life anymore, that our routine is broken. And obviously that’s not the case.”
Jeff has had many ketamine sessions since August of 2024. Over that time, he said the ketamine helped his depression to dwindle. “And that’s the key word: ‘dwindle,’” he said. “Because I don’t think there’s a silver bullet for trauma, depression, or anxiety. You have to use the tools you have, and ketamine is probably the biggest sword in my arsenal.”
Putting the Work In
Jeff also learned that ketamine is just one method we recommend to begin healing from trauma and depression, as behavioral therapy has proven to be an effective supplemental treatment with ketamine.
He’s been working with our local partner Jillian Matyjevich, RN, NBC-HWC, LSSC, a behavioral health nurse to whom we refer many patients for therapy. Jill has taught Jeff a lot about how to think about his mental health in between ketamine sessions.
“I go [into a session] with a positive mindset,” he said. “I tell myself, ‘Here’s what I want to accomplish. Here’s how I want to feel. Here’s the playlist I want to listen to. Here are the headphones I’m going to wear.’”
Jill has also helped Jeff to visualize his long-term future. “One strategy Jill and I had devised was not worrying about fixing my old self. Work on making a new self.”
And that new self Jeff is focused on making? He calls it Jeff 2.0.
Jeff Today
At the start, Jeff was receiving ketamine infusions two or three times a week. He slowly transitioned into once a week, once every 10 days, and now every two weeks.
“The biggest thing I learned is the prep, the before and after. And also being real. I’m having a hard time accepting everything that happened to me. And I’m having a hard time accepting that it wasn’t my fault. But the ketamine makes you see all your trauma in a different light.”
Jeff can now clearly compare receiving ketamine infusions to being put on a host of medications by his past psychiatrist. “Ketamine really has been the alternative to going to a large practice and getting drugged. Ketamine is obviously a drug, but it’s way less risky.”
We were also moved to learn how Jeff’s been benefiting from our care team here at the Good Drop.
“Mara and Kelly have been unexplainable. I’ve had breakdowns. I’ve had times where I’ve been in Texas, having a breakdown, sitting in my house alone. And I text Kelly, and she responds, and we talk through it. They’ve been my saving grace, and I’ve built a relationship with them. And I want to get the word out.”
The Ketamine View
“I want as many people to know as possible that there are options,” Jeff said. “Ketamine might not be for everyone, but overall, I can’t thank Kelly and Mara. I can’t say that I’m 100% healed yet, but they really saved me.”
We asked Jeff what he would say to someone who’s interested in trying ketamine for their own mental health problems. “Ketamine is the type of thing where your mileage may vary. Obviously, do your own research. But don’t be afraid. Do not be afraid. And don’t be afraid to talk to somebody. If you have depression or anxiety, call someone. Talk to somebody. And don’t fear ketamine. Because it saved my life. It really did.”
The Good Drop’s Patient Approach
We saw it in our last patient story with Michael, and we see it again with Jeff: ketamine can alleviate symptoms of mental health issues that traditional medications don’t.
And while we can never say ketamine is the catch-all solution for everyone’s mental or physical health problems, we do have to agree with Jeff: don’t fear ketamine. If you have a question, call us. If you’re interested in how it may be able to help you, call us.
The Good Drop is here for you.
Phone: 570-701-6044
Email: info@thegood-drop.com
Address: 824 McAlpine St., Avoca, PA 18641