Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Dr. Mark Hrymoc, an addiction psychiatrist with six years of experience in ketamine therapy. In this episode, Dr. Hrymoc challenges common misconceptions about addiction and psychiatric treatment, explaining how addiction affects willpower rather than representing a failure of it. We explore the fascinating evolution of ketamine from anesthetic and club drug to a breakthrough treatment for treatment-resistant depression, and why it works faster than conventional antidepressants while uniquely reducing suicidal thinking. Dr. Hrymoc emphasizes the importance of comprehensive psychiatric evaluation over "gas-and-go" ketamine administration and advocates for treating substance use and underlying mental health issues simultaneously rather than sequentially. This conversation dives deep into the intersection of addiction medicine and innovative psychiatric treatments, while highlighting the critical need to reduce shame and stigma to encourage people to seek professional help. Whether you're struggling with addiction, supporting someone who is, or simply interested in cutting-edge mental health treatments, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of addiction recovery.

About the Guest:

Dr. Hrymoc has extensive expertise in the psychopharmacology of addiction and other mental health disorders. He is double Board-certified in General Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry and was previously board-certified in Addiction Medicine. Dr. Hrymoc previously held the position of Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, where he supervised training psychiatrists at their Addiction Psychiatry Clinic. He completed his subspecialist training in Addiction Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and currently serves as a consulting physician to several prestigious drug and alcohol treatment centers in the area. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Hrymoc continues to be active in the local addiction treatment community. Dr. Hrymoc has served as the representative of the states of California, Alaska, and Hawaii to the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and was a member of the education committee of the California Society of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Hrymoc co-authored a chapter in Principles of Addiction Medicine, the main textbook of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and has been published in several academic journals.

Links:

https://www.mentalhealthctr.com/mark-hrymoc-md/

https://www.mentalhealthctr.com

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Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.