This week’s Psychedelic Titan is Steven Mandel, MD, Doctor, Founder of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles. Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles is the leading provider of Ketamine Infusion Therapy for depression treatment, suicidality relief, and other mood disorders.
What’s this article series about? Psychedelic Titans is a get-to-know-you-style blog series interviewing some of the psychedelic industry’s most influential and impactful individuals.
When did you first become involved in the psychedelic industry and why?
In early 2014, I opened Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles with my son, Sam Mandel, who is my Co-founder & COO because I have a deep personal and professional interest in alleviating suffering from mood disorders. I had been an anesthesiologist for more than 35 years and thus an expert in the use of ketamine. I also went to graduate school in clinical psychology and did everything towards my Ph.D. except for my dissertation. Combining my knowledge and experience in these two areas was a perfect match for opening a [ketamine infusion therapy](http://ketamineclinics.com) clinic to help people suffering from mental health disorders.
Do you, or have you taken, psychedelic substances?
I personally have not had a need to use psychedelic substances, however, I have family members and close friends who have used psychedelics for a variety of indications with great success.
What’s your favourite psychedelic compound?
Ketamine is my favorite psychedelic because it is the only FDA-approved psychedelic substance with more than 50 years of safety and efficacy data, 20+ years, and 120+ clinical trials of such data surrounding its use specifically for mental health, and its the only one that has been proven safe and effective more than 70% of the time for depression, suicide and PTSD. I’ve administered almost 14,000 infusions in my clinic since opening in 2014 with an 83% success rate.
Do your parents/family members know what you’re doing?
Not only do they know what I do, they are in business with me. My son Sam Mandel founded Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles with me. Sam runs the business and operational side of our clinic. Our whole family is very proud of the work Sam and I are doing.
What’s your vision of the industry in 20 years?
My vision is very simple… I would want people who are suffering to be able to readily access the treatments they need without cost or regulation preventing them from getting relief. This means insurance companies, big pharma and government regulators will need to work together to prioritize health and wellness over profits. There is still plenty of room to make money without sacrificing so much humanity. I think almost all known psychedelics will be approved for medical use, most will be decriminalized throughout much of the US, some will be legal for recreational use and there will be new agents in development. We will have in-office procedures and prescriptions for home use utilizing psychedelics. Set and setting will forever remain critical, so retreats, guides, and other community-centered use will remain prominent. Hopefully by then depression will no longer be the leading cause of disability worldwide.
What are your biggest worries for the industry?
My biggest worry is that people will continue to suffer and take their own lives because they are unable to get these effective, life-saving treatments. My second biggest worry is the increasing number of bad actors who are rapidly entering the space. Some are well-meaning but uneducated and inexperienced. Others are more malicious and money-driven. Regardless of intent, patients will suffer and the treatment’s reputation may be damaged. Furthermore, regulators may come in more heavy-handed than necessary as a result.
Who are your heroes?
The patients are my heroes. These are people who suffer intolerable depression and anxiety and still manage to get out of bed in the morning and live to fight another day.
If you could create a psychedelic to do anything you wanted, what would it do?
I would create a psychedelic that could make insurance companies, regulators, and governments understand the value of ketamine and why it is a smart idea to cover these treatments for patients and that by making them widely available, we all “win.” There are so many people in great pain, 4% of whom end up taking their own lives every year, and we have a proven way to help them.
We’d like to thank Steven for being a part of the Psychedelic Titans series. Stay tuned for more profiles on leaders in the psychedelic industry.
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