I'm very disappointed (and very angry) at myself, even though I am so sick that I'm barely functioning - that it has taken me such a long amt. of time to do this review, for a man who has bent over backwards helping me. I know, though, that he understands, as he has been extremely patient with me, time and time again. And I know that he knows what the characteristics are of a severely depressed person are, a main side effect being not being able to DO much, and what IS done, is rarely finished, no matter how important.
The man I am writing about is the BRILLIANT, CARING Dr. who has saved my LIFE: Dr. Glen Z. Brooks at his Ketamine medical office in which he owns, in New York City: 'NY Ketamine Infusions.' I still cannot believe what an angel-on-earth that this man is.
I've been to MANY Psychiatrists, many doctors, medical specialists, but none have had the expertise, empathy, genuine caring, the passion for WANTING to help his patients get better (without worrying about money - he doesn't need it) as Dr. Glen Brooks at his business, NY Ketamine Infusions, in NYC.
I wasn't sure the first time I traveled the 1200 miles to NYC, to have my first infusions with Dr. Brooks, what it would entail, but he greatly put my mind at ease on the phone, before I left home. He sounded (and turned out to BE) very calm, patient, caring, just as he was on the phone.
When we got there, and then a little later to his office, he put me even more at ease. He took us back to his office, talked to us, answered any questions that we had, took my BP, told me exactly what he would be doing, everything.
I'll never forget that day - it was beautiful, sunny, breezy, fall day, even to my depressed affect. He put me in the room at the end of the hallway, hooked me up to the IV, (he had calculated the dosage from my body weight, & I believe a couple of more criteria). He then made sure that I didn't need anything else, dimmed the louvered shades, shut out the lights, and slowly pulled the door almost closed. The window was half open, and I was laying back, in a sort of dentist's chair. Ready to see if it would work.
The slightly annoying sound of taxi-cab horns constantly blowing (bec. as depressed as I was, EVERYTHING annoyed me. Nothing was pleasant to me - not things that USED to please me, nothing). Even as terrible as I felt mentally, laying back in this smallish, dimmed room, in this great city (my 1st time), with cool breezes blowing through the window, somehow DID feel good. I was happier already, just optimistic it would help.
But I had been SO deeply depressed, for SO long. I had, though, read such great things about Ketamine breakthroughs with Depression & chronic pain, as well as similarly great things about Dr. Brooks. I hadn't imagined HOW MUCH Ketamine would help my deep depression.
As I had already figured out from the interviews with him in mags, journals, etc., and much more since, Dr. Brooks was one of, if not THE foremost expert in America, on med. Ketamine for Depression (and chronic pain; and I believe since then, they have discovered several other very beneficial uses for Ketamine, such as Alcoholism, & other addictions).
As I said, as I sat there, it felt relaxing, even to a deeply depressed, angry, sad, despondent young man. The horns and dogs barking only slightly annoyed me (many sounds and even smells - EVEN certain lights in my mother's house - where I was having to stay, after my wife divorced me, annoyed me - to the point that I couldn't be in a room with certain lamps or lights on; I would either have to quickly turn it/them off, or leave the room).
As this miracle-med (far from the "party drug" that K has long been known for) began flowing, not harshly, but ever so slowly and smoothly, I suddenly noticed that the horn-blows, dogs barking, etc., began to sound like 'classical music' to me. Magical/Mystical feeling. I felt as though I had complete control over my life & happiness.
Time had slowed down. The sounds of the horns, sirens, everything, were now a beautiful symphony in my jumbled, disorganized, stress-filled, (and therefore
atrophying) brain. It was suddenly the best that I had felt in years, possibly EVER. I could FEEL, it seemed, my brain 'healing.' (Though the antidepressant effect finally wore off, as it has now, I could tell a DRAMATIC difference in my brain's FUNCTIONING - memory, etc.).
** I wasn't aware there was a char. limit on Yelp. I'm going to have 2 sum it all up, & condense A LOT into a very short space, (& abbreviate)!
Dr. Brooks is BEST at this, IMO, IN U.S. (Hv read others' exper's-other dr's.) IF you, or lvd 1 =SUICIDAL, WILL SAVE THR LIFE! 4 ME, after a few mo's, the depressn relief slowly dissipated, BUT its CLEAR: the K somehow HEALED MUCH of my brain.
*NO MORE ROOM! Dr Brooks has bn SO GOOD to me, though/helpd me SO MUCH, if some1 is apprehensive (& wants to see HIM, call him, get my phone #, I'll ans. any ?'s I can). He WILL help you. GET HELP!! (ck/ms) read more
