I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their kind words, hugs, and overall support for me and my family during a very difficult time. After we sent out last month’s newsletter announcing the recent loss of my father-in-law and mother-in-law, the outpouring of sympathy and condolence sent our way warmed my heart. There are many reasons I love the work I do; the overall community in which I get to treat, work with, and represent, inspired me to continue my efforts here at Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles all while mourning the loss of my loved ones.
As you know, I advocate for all aspects of prevention and wellness, so I want to remind you that it is time for your annual flu-shot. Flu shots are beneficial for many reasons: they prevent the spread of the flu, are painless, often free or at a low cost, strengthen your immunity to the flu long term, are easily accessible, and add years to your life. The flu can be fatal, especially to the young and elderly. At Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles, our whole team has been vaccinated for the flu. Enjoy some fun photos and video of them getting their shots like pros below.
Lastly, I want to share a fantastic article that details the crippling impact of smart phones and other devices on social development and overall wellness. There is quantifiable data that shows the risk factor of a generation of people who will not know what life is like without handheld technology. Smartphones and tablets, as well as TV and video-gaming, has lead to an inability to connect and experience real intimacy. I encourage you to take walks, exercise outdoors, visit with friends and family in person, engage with your neighbor, and give eye contact and be present with the people you dine with. Interaction is rewarding and this article will remind you it doesnt just feel good, it is good. It is a longer read, but worth it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Steven L. Mandel
MARY BETH, OUR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
National Physician Assistant Week
October 6-12th Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles celebrates National Physician Assistant week. We are pleased to introduce to you Mary Beth Hughes, MS, PA-C, who joined our team in late July. A graduate of Seton Hall University, in South Orange New Jersey, she spent much of her clinical care time working in Gynecology and Healthy Living. Mary Beth states,“Delivering babies and helping women during an exciting and stressful time in their life was incredibly rewarding. When working at the Healthy Living clinic, I was able to assist people with their journey back to health and counsel them to live their best life.”After eight years of leading clinical care, Mary Beth was ready for a transition. She was looking for an opportunity that was new and would offer her more time with her family. Turns out being Dr. Mandel’s right hand at Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles was a perfect fit.
Mary Beth has trained under Dr. Mandel extensively and she has a wonderful, kind, and warm bedside manner. In the last few months she has connected with our patients and team. Dr. Mandel is thrilled to have a reliable partner passionate about upholding his standard of care. We look forward to seeing more of her in the clinic and are grateful knowing that patients are in good hands in his absence.
Mary Beth is originally from New Jersey and she often misses her East Coast family, warm delicious bagels, and the 5 star pizza. Her last few years residing in Los Angeles have been wonderful for her. She is happily married to a research doctor at Cedars Sinai and she has a beautiful baby girl whom she can’t get enough of. When not at Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles caring for our patients, she enjoys taking long walks, hanging with other mommies, and shopping for cute clothes for her fabulous daughter. Learn more about our staff…
ANOTHER LOOK AT OUR LA MAGAZINE ARTICLE
“Death by Tech has Gone Viral” – Suicide in Tech Jobs
“…Frances Marks has thought about suicide, too. She was younger then, but thoughts linger. Live with depression long enough and that trapdoor never closes. Not that it shows. Tall, attractive, and fashionably dressed, with blond hair that falls to her shoulders in expensive layers, she projects the kind of confidence and success that people notice. As an executive at a start-up in Silicon Beach, she has the kind of job that people notice, too. Like all those other techies, though, cracks radiate beneath her sleek veneer like fault lines in the desert. So she’s made the trip from her Venice home to a medical clinic in Brentwood that specializes in treating depression.
Marks has thoroughly researched this new therapy, but her anxiety is palpable. In some medical circles the treatment is still considered experimental. Seated in a chunky padded chair, with electrodes attached to her torso, she feels more like a lab rat than a patient. To coax a delicate vein out of hiding, her right arm is tied off. After the surgical steel finds its mark, the chair reclines. She grips the armrests and stares at the IV needle stuck in the crook of her elbow like a tiny harpoon. Soon it will deliver ketamine, a drug that triggers hallucinations. Marks hopes it will also make her feel better…”
Dr. Mandel and Sam Mandel, COO, with attorney Lynn Toler of Divorce Court after filming last month. Dr. Mandel was brought in as an expert witness for a husband with PTSD.
Looking for relief from PTSD symptoms? IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy can help.
Research shows that experiencing severe trauma or loss can trigger high levels of stress that change the brain. Whether you are a military veteran that served in a war or an abuse survivor, exposure to extreme trauma can affect you at an emotional level and also change your brain chemistry. When this occurs, you may also experience symptoms of depression that lead to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
People with PTSD have chemical imbalances in the brain that trigger symptoms such as fear, extreme anxiety, and even emotional detachment. Until now, treatment options have included a combination of talk therapy, or psychotherapy, and antidepressants. Now, there’s an alternative solution available for PTSD sufferers: IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy.Read More…
FLU SHOTS: Our Team is prepared for FLU season!
Sam Mandel, Chief Operating Officer’s Flu Shot
The Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles Team is vaccinated and ready to defend ourselves against flu season. We make every effort to stay ahead of the curve and whenever we can make medicine fun we do. Staying healthy is a team effort and taking care of one another is what keeps us energized and healthy for our patients. Enjoy some candid pictures of our team. No fear of needles around here!
Flu Shot Facts from Web MD:
“The flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from the influenza virus. You should get one every year, unless you have a medical reason not to.
Flu season can begin as early as October and last as late as May. It’s best to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available each fall. But you can still get vaccinated in January or later. The flu shot becomes effective about 2 weeks after you get it.
Can the Vaccine Give Me the Flu?
No. The viruses in the flu shot are dead. Even the nasal spray, which has a weak version of the flu virus, cannot give you the flu.
What Are the Possible Side Effects?
Most people have no problems from the vaccine.
If you get the flu shot, you might have a mild fever and feel tired or achy afterward. Some people also have soreness, redness, or swelling where they got their shot. These problems aren’t serious and don’t last long…”
We all know that blood is a precious gift, but did you know that you can donate more often than you think?
Here at the Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles we are happy to do our part to help those affected by the recent shooting in Las Vegas. Us, like so many others, feel like it’s the least we can do! We will be organizing a blood draw, with the help of the Red Cross, so please be sure to follow our social media to look for more information.
We all are very quick to donate blood when the need arises, but don’t think about it as often during quiet and normal times in our lives. However, donating blood regularly not only provides the gift of life for up to three people from each donation, but is also good for your body as well. In our following newsletter, we will share more information about the benefits of donating blood, for everyone involved, and will have more information about our own blood drive. Stay tuned!
To learn more about organizing a campaign, click here…
INTERESTING ARTICLES FOR REVIEW
THE ATLANTIC
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
“One day last summer, around noon, I called Athena, a 13-year-old who lives in Houston, Texas. She answered her phone-she’s had an iPhone since she was 11-sounding as if she’d just woken up. We chatted about her favorite songs and TV shows, and I asked her what she likes to do with her friends. “We go to the mall,” she said. “Do your parents drop you off?,” I asked, recalling my own middle-school days, in the 1980s, when I’d enjoy a few parent-free hours shopping with my friends. “No-I go with my family,” she replied. “We’ll go with my mom and brothers and walk a little behind them. I just have to tell my mom where we’re going. I have to check in every hour or every 30 minutes…”
Further, suicide rates doubled among teenage girls and grew by more than 30 percent for teenage boys in this age group between 2007 and 2015, the research finds.
The researchers derived suicide rates from official death certificates’ data between 1975 and 2015. While the rate of suicide for males in 2015 was still lower than its peak in the mid-1990s, both teenage boys and girls’ suicide rates grew between 2007 and 2015 after a steady decline since then. Read More…
THE MAYO CLINIC
Dealing with grief: Confronting painful emotions
Sooner or later, each of us will experience that dagger in the heart called grief. Dealing with grief is a challenge like no other. How can you pick up the pieces, heal the wounds, and move on without feeling like you’re betraying the memory of your loved one? Read More…
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