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Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning

EFR 889: Why SSRIs Are Failing Us, How to Reset the Nervous System and What Actually Works for Mental Health with Dr. John How

Ever Forward Radio with Chase Chewning

Chase Chewning

Healthcoach, Education, Self-improvement, Mental Health, Wellness, Fitness, Humanoptimization, Resiliency, Holistic, Highperformance, Coaching, Biohack, Health, Military, Entrepreneurship, Mindset, Health & Fitness

5927 Ratings

🗓️ 4 August 2025

⏱️ 83 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

 This episode is brought to you by FLYKITT, Audible and LMNT.

Mental health care is evolving, and in this episode, Dr. John How, MD, Medical Director at Stella, joins us to explore cutting-edge treatments for PTSD, anxiety, and depression. From the powerful effects of stellate ganglion blocks—described as “vacation in a syringe”—to the life-changing impact of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, this conversation dives into the science, safety, and soul behind these transformative modalities. We unpack how trauma is stored in the body, why hope is the first step toward healing, and why we're finally ready as a culture to embrace radical solutions for mental well-being.

Follow Stella @stellamentalhealth

Follow Chase @chase_chewning

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In this episode we discuss...

00:00 – Intro: The State of Mental Health in America
01:22 – Dr. How’s “State of the Union” on mental health
02:56 – Legal, cultural, and insurance challenges
03:50 – Why SSRIs often fall short
04:59 – Blending old modalities with new therapies
06:54 – Hope as the foundation of mental health recovery
08:19 – Are we culturally ready for these treatments?
10:05 – Injuries vs. Disorders: Rethinking PTSD
11:17 – What is a Stellate Ganglion Block?
13:12 – Fight or flight, nerve resets, and emotional regulation
15:04 – Military use and resetting hypervigilance
17:11 – What types of trauma respond well to SGB?
18:36 – Cucumber to pickle: susceptibility after trauma
20:19 – Maintenance frequency and Dr. How’s personal use
21:43 – What the SGB experience feels like
23:29 – The science behind emotional release
25:59 – Do you need to do “the work” beforehand?
27:54 – Post-procedure sensitivity and integration tips
30:17 – Ideal recovery settings after the block
31:50 – Using SGB for physical pain
33:28 – How physical and emotional pain connect
35:46 – Treating mental health rooted in physical trauma
38:07 – Long-term effects and maintenance needs
40:36 – Can people become addicted to this treatment?
42:43 – How ketamine therapy fits in
44:56 – Response rates for SGB vs. ketamine
46:54 – Best practices for combining SGB and ketamine
49:10 – Chase’s personal journey with ketamine
51:38 – Making health decisions from a place of desperation
53:34 – Safety, risks, and first-line vs. third-line treatments
54:50 – Ketamine therapy: IV, IM, trochies, and Spravato
56:50 – What a ketamine session is really like
58:30 – Aftereffects and integration
59:34 – Darkness, ego death, and healing
01:01:39 – Is ketamine a proactive mental health tool?
01:04:20 – Environment and human connection in healing
01:07:46 – Access, insurance, and affordability
01:12:07 – Constructive suffering and advocating for yourself
01:14:00 – The system, self-responsibility, and asking better questions
01:16:28 – Is society ready for transformative treatments?
01:17:07 – What “Ever Forward” means to Dr. How
01:18:35 – Where to find Dr. John How and Stella

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Episode resources:

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Transcript

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0:00.0

The following is an operation podcast production.

0:03.4

This is Dr. John Howe. I'm the medical director for Stella. Welcome to Everford Radio.

0:08.5

Are you listening to this podcast on a plane? Maybe you're on a long commute right now, on a train,

0:14.4

or maybe you're in process to go on to travel. You're packing. You're preparing. Maybe you

0:18.5

just got back from a trip. Well, are you

0:21.6

getting anxious about the potential jet lag? Are you feeling it right now? What if I told you

0:26.0

I found the cure for jet lag? What have I told you? I have not had jet lag in years since discovering

0:33.8

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0:39.8

But here's the truth. Even a two or three hour time shift can quietly wreck your circadian rhythm,

0:47.0

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0:51.8

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0:54.2

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0:59.3

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1:05.9

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1:13.4

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1:40.4

I've heard you talk about one of the treatments that we're going to get into as, quote,

1:46.0

vacation in a syringe.

1:48.6

And before we actually get into what that is, some pretty wild stats going on right now in the world,

1:55.1

but definitely America with the state of mental health.

1:57.8

And I found a recent 2023 poll showed about 50% of a 48.9% of Americans

2:05.0

age 18 to 29 are reporting symptoms of depression and or anxiety. So almost one and two people

...

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