Can Ketamine Help Benzodiazepine Withdrawal? - Melissa Bond & Dr. Amy de la Garza

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with Melissa Bond and Dr. Amy de la Garza about the hidden risks of benzodiazepines, the reality of dependency, and what recovery can require.

Find full show notes and links here: https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-350/?ref=278

Melissa shares her experience of becoming dependent on prescribed medication, and the physical and emotional challenges of withdrawal. Dr. de la Garza brings a clinical perspective, explaining how benzodiazepines affect the nervous system and why withdrawal can be prolonged and destabilizing.

The conversation also looks at where conventional care often falls short, and how more integrative approaches are beginning to emerge. This includes the use of low-dose ketamine as a potential tool to support the nervous system during withdrawal, particularly in more complex or prolonged cases.

Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist and poet. Her memoir Blood Orange Night, which chronicles her experience with benzodiazepine dependency, was published by Simon & Schuster and recognized by The New York Times as one of the best audiobooks of 2022. Her work has appeared on PBS, The New York Times Podcast, RadioWest, and TEDx. Dr. Amy de la Garza is a board-certified physician in Family and Addiction Medicine, a certified Functional Medicine practitioner, and co-founder of Nosis Health, a virtual outpatient addiction medicine platform. Her work integrates functional, lifestyle, and emerging therapies, including ketamine-assisted treatment, to support recovery.

Highlights:

• Melissa Bond's experience with benzodiazepine dependency and withdrawal
• How prescribed use can gradually lead to physical dependence
• Why benzodiazepine withdrawal can be prolonged and destabilizing
• The neurological effects of benzodiazepines on the nervous system
• Gaps in conventional approaches to anxiety and addiction treatment
• The role of functional and lifestyle medicine in recovery
• How low-dose ketamine is being explored to support withdrawal
• What a more integrative, whole-person model of care can look like

Episode Links:

• Melissa's memoir, "Blood Orange Night"
• Dr. Amy de la Garza's Website
• Nosis.health

Episode Sponsors:

• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin speaks with a molecular geneticist exploring what it could look like to rethink how psychedelic medicines are sourced at a fundamental level.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-349/?ref=278

Jeffrey Gerst explains how his work in RNA biology and gene expression has led him to explore bioengineering as a way to produce psychedelic compounds without relying on wild harvesting or traditional chemical synthesis.

The conversation looks at how cells organize and communicate, and how those same biological principles could be used to create more sustainable and scalable systems for medicine production. Paul and Jeff also reflect on the broader implications of this shift, from environmental stewardship to the long-term integrity of the psychedelic ecosystem.

Professor Jeffrey Gerst is a molecular geneticist and Full Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he studies how cells regulate gene expression through RNA trafficking and localized protein synthesis.

His research has advanced understanding of how mRNA moves within and between cells, revealing new forms of cellular communication and potential applications in therapeutic delivery. More recently, his work has expanded into the bioengineering of psychedelic compounds, with a focus on developing sustainable, scalable, and ethical methods of production.

Highlights:

• Why sourcing is becoming a central challenge in psychedelics
• Bioengineering as a scalable alternative to wild harvesting
• How RNA biology informs new approaches to medicine production
• The limits of "natural" when demand increases
• Environmental risks of large-scale psychedelic use
• How yeast and cells can produce psychedelic compounds
• Balancing biotechnology with traditional practices
• What sustainable access could look like in the future
• The evolving relationship between science and psychedelics

Episode Links:

• Prof. Jeffrey Gerst - Academic Profile (Weizmann Institute)
• Prof. Jeffrey Gerst - Metaformity (Project / Initiative)

Episode Sponsors:

• Psychedelic Coacing Institute's Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals in Costa Rica - a transformative retreat for personal and professional growth.
• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• Golden Rule - Get a lifetime discount of 10% with code THIRDWAVE at checkout

  Disclaimer: This content is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. We do not promote or encourage the illegal use of any controlled substances. Nothing said here is medical or legal advice. Always consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your health. The views expressed herein belong to the speaker alone, and do not reflect the views of any other person, company, or organization.

  Third Wave occasionally partners with or shares information about other people, companies, and/or providers. While we work hard to only share information about ethical and responsible third parties, we can't and don't control the behavior of, products and services offered by, or the statements made by people, companies, or providers other than Third Wave. Accordingly, we encourage you to research for yourself, and consult a medical, legal, or financial professional before making decisions in those areas. Third Wave isn't responsible for the statements, conduct, services, or products of third parties. If we share a coupon code, we may receive a commission from sales arising from customers who use our coupon code. No one is required to use our coupon codes.

Herbal Ecstasy & The Billion Dollar Smart Drug Boom

In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin sits down with entrepreneur Shaahin Cheyene, creator of the controversial 1990s supplement "Herbal Ecstasy," which helped launch the legal smart-drug movement.

Find full show notes and links here:
https://thethirdwave.co/podcast/episode-348/?ref=278

Shaahin shares how he built a multimillion-dollar business at just fifteen by creating a legal herbal alternative to MDMA during a shortage in the rave scene.

The conversation explores 1990s rave culture, the ethics of prohibition, and how natural supplements intersect with psychedelics, entrepreneurship, and personal freedom. They also discuss his later ventures in Amazon commerce, podcast media, and YouTube.

Shaahin Cheyene is the creator of Herbal Ecstasy, a supplement that helped spark the legal smart-drug movement in the 1990s. He built the business as a teenager into a multimillion-dollar company.

Over the past three decades, Shaahin has become an award-winning entrepreneur, Amazon expert, inventor, author, and filmmaker whose ventures have generated over a billion dollars in revenue. He is the founder of PodcastCola and Viral Mirage.

Through his businesses, Shaahin continues to mentor entrepreneurs and develop health and wellness products focused on optimizing human performance.

Highlights:

• Creating Herbal Ecstasy at age fifteen
• The MDMA shortage that created opportunity
• Rave culture and the 1990s club scene
• Natural supplements as legal alternatives
• Freedom, regulation, and drug policy debates
• Health and wellness entrepreneurship
• Building product brands in emerging markets
• Podcasting and YouTube as influence platforms

Episode Links:

• Shaahin's website
• PodcastCola
• Billion: How I Became King of the Thrill Pill Cult – Shaahin Cheyene
  
  

Episode Sponsors:

• The Microdosing Practitioner Certification at Psychedelic Coaching Institute.
• The Practitioner Certification Program by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute.