Old Dominion lead singer Matt Ramsey just revealed he sunk into a deep depression in recent years, but found ketamine therapy useful for pulling him out of it.
Ramsey says his mental health took a turn for the worse after several severe injuries and surgeries. “I didn’t feel like a fun person to be around,” he tells People. “I didn’t want to be around myself.”
- Ramsey suffered torn cartilage in his hip in 2018, a broken rib and punctured lung in 2021, and a fractured pelvis in 2023.
- His bandmates say they largely didn’t know he was struggling mentally.
- He began a six-course treatment of ketamine therapy in 2023 that “changed everything.”
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Things got so bad that he began to have suicidal thoughts, although he clarifies that he never planned anything. “But there was a nagging voice like, ‘Everyone would be better off if you were not here,'” he says.
The article in People finds Ramsey describing his experience with ketamine. The treatment — and a new commitment to exercise — has left him feeling better than he has in years.
What Is Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine is a type of psychedelic drug called a dissociative that (according to Harvard Health) “reliably produces pain control, forgetfulness, intoxication, disassociation, and euphoria.”
Hospitals have used it as an anesthetic for decades. The street name for misuse is “special K.”
In recent years it’s been used more frequently to treat severe depression when other types of therapy do not work. The FDA approved a prescription version in 2019, but ketamine therapy is required to be used under the supervision of a health care provider.
“Ketamine is generally considered safe,” the article at Harvard states — but there’s a long list of potential side effects and warnings for certain groups of people. An article at Northwestern Medicine notes similar side effects and adds there is no clear risk of addiction with lower-dose ketamine therapy, but there is low to moderate risk of addiction with frequent recreational use.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this strong,” Ramsey admits. “I feel mentally strong too. I feel really, really, really great.”
That’s great news for Old Dominion fans, as the band is set to launch a nearly 50-stop tour next month. “Coming Home” is the ACM Group of the Year winner’s current single.
These country singers had so much more to give. See 40 country singers who died much too soon: Keith Whitley, Mindy McCready, Troy Gentry and more.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes