Now more than ever, society is seeking alternative therapies to help combat chronic conditions. The reliance on traditional pharmaceuticals as a “one-size fits all” solution leaves too many out of the equation.
Despite the incredible promise compounds like psilocybin, LSD, and ketamine have shown in fighting mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD, there are still those who doubt their efficacy. To these people, psychedelics are harmful substances shrouded in stigma.
Christi Myers and her team are here to shift that perception.
The founder and CEO of Flow Integrative, an integrative psychedelic wellness center offering ketamine therapies, Myers has had a lifelong passion for helping others. After coming of age in the family hospitality business, she turned her attention to the front lines at the age of 18 training as both an EMT and a firefighter.
She was first introduced to ketamine many years later when working as a paramedic and professor of Emergency Medical Services—something that changed the trajectory of her life forever.
“I was teaching emergency medicine, and that’s where ketamine found me,” Myers said in a conversation with Psychedelic Spotlight executive director, Swati Sharma. “Ketamine entered our drug box, and I found myself having to debunk my own belief system about what ketamine is and what it’s being used for.”
Myers educated herself on the compound, soon realizing it was not just another pharmaceutical or club drug, as it had been portrayed in the media.
“The more I dove into the medicine…the more I saw the potential for healing,” she revealed.
Since then, Myers has made it her mission to share her knowledge with the world—and help people heal in the process.
Ketamine’s Unique Chemistry Made it Ideal Treatment
Ketamine has catapulted into the public eye over the last several years. Evidence has shown the drug can be incredibly effective in helping those with depression, suicidal ideation, and PTSD. The FDA recently approved a ketamine-derivative nasal spray as a treatment for major depressive disorder.
Myers explains that ketamine works differently than traditional antidepressants because of its dissociative effects. The drug is able to switch off parts of our brains in order to reset, making it incredibly powerful for those with trauma. Understanding the science behind ketamine is something she insists will only seek to improve society’s understanding.
“Dissociating…allows the brain to cultivate new neural pathways that take us out of the default network, (and) put us into an expansive state of creating new neural pathways,” Myers explained. “And as we create new neural pathways…we’re able to modify our personality into a reality that is more in alignment with the life that we’ve created.”
Myers believes having a team of trained healthcare professionals with decades of experience is one of the best ways to promote healing while simultaneously breaking down stigmas.
Flow Integrative’s model is unique in that a member of their staff remains with you during the entire session, making sure no one is ever alone during their journey.
She noted that each practitioner at Flow Integrative has experienced the medicine, giving them a unique perspective and ability to support the patients.
“Ignorance is a choice…”
Despite a decades-long war on consciousness, where psychedelics were portrayed in a negative light, Myers maintains the time is now for people to discern fact from fiction. Where did these preconceived notions about ketamine and other compounds come from, and are they truly relevant?
“We must have the courage to ask ourselves, ‘is this opinion my truth? Or is this something that was just influenced by a story?’” she proclaimed. “Ignorance in this day and age is a choice.”
As more people face these tough questions, Myers continues to push for change. She continues to be an advocate for her patients and hopes her deep-rooted experience in the healthcare field will help push the narrative forward.
“That’s what I’ve been working toward, normalizing the word psychedelic, exploring altered states of consciousness.”
If you’re ready to integrate ketamine therapy into your healing journey, contact Flow Integrative. Mention this article and receive $100 off one session.
