Ketamine gave me hope for the healing path ahead | Ember Health Patient Stories: Mahla

In October of 2025, Ember Health patient Mahla volunteered to tell her story as a part of a storytelling project run by documentarian Chandler Kauffman. The objective of the project is to raise awareness about how IV ketamine works to treat depression, and who it may help. We are humbled to serve extraordinary people like Mahla and others in our community so that they may experience the relief they deserve, realize their full potential, and make their marks in their communities.

You can read Mahla's full transcript below. If you’re seeking relief from depression and curious to explore care at Ember, we invite you to schedule a consultation call with a clinician from our team to understand whether IV ketamine care may be a fit.

For me, identifying as a depressed person was not easy. But then, eventually acknowledging the fact that I have depression was one of the best things that happened in life for me because I started addressing it, looking into it, and learning about it.

I am Mahla. I'm originally from Iran and I am a software engineer. I was very good in math growing up. Since I was a kid, the goal was for me to be able to immigrate to maybe the United States. I came here as a grad student, studied computer engineering at NYU. It was challenging learning the language, seeing the new culture, which in some ways, was very similar to Iran but also very different.

Depression for me was lack of energy, not being able to function as fully as I can. I would get more into my head and just get stuck in a certain loop and not be able to look at the situation. I was diagnosed by my therapist with PMDD, which is kind of a severe version of PMS. I also have OCD. Mine is obsessive negative thoughts. Since I was linked to PMDD, they started giving me depression-related medication, but I was not getting a positive response.

I heard about ketamine and how effective it is on depression. I found the online ketamine therapies that send the medication to you at home. I talked to my psychiatrist. She was like, "I support you doing ketamine therapy, but not at home". I talked to Ember. The first call and the fact that they want to talk to my therapist and psychiatrist before proceeding with it was very kind of heartwarming for me that they take it seriously and the way they followed up and set up the appointments.

The first time I came to the clinic, it felt great. The touches they put everywhere. I love art. I love details. The carpets, the paintings... everything felt like home.

I have needle phobia but the way they approached me with care, explained everything, and worked with me around my phobia—that showed a lot of care to me. I knew that the nurse is always present, looking after me with ketamine. Some people get motion sickness. Ember found the right nausea medication for me. Since then, I have had the smoothest and easiest experience.

Ketamine has been helping me a lot to be much more present. When your brain is in neuroplasticity mode, it facilitates the path for me to create new positive habits. I'm taking courses, considering going to school again. I'm doing my sketchbook training. I'm painting very regularly.

Among my friends, I heard a lot that I seem more peaceful and centered, I would say. My relationship with my partner—I'm getting a lot of positive feedback from him. After being with Ember for a while, I have much more hope both for mental health in general and for the healing path that I have ahead of me. It honestly feels great.