Last October, the San Diego VA notified Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute in La Jolla that it would not renew authorizations for veterans to receive ketamine treatments there. For Marine veteran Kiaya Bender that means he will be transferred back to the VA this November for an alternative treatment for his severe depression. 

In this second video about Bender, he and his wife, Shelby, share their uncertainty and fear as they approach the change in his mental health care. 

This video includes Bender’s accounts of suffering from suicidal thoughts. Those who watch it should know that help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 or the San Diego Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240.

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Kiaya Bender: ‘Things just felt meaningless’

Kiaya Bender is one of the dozens of veterans who the San Diego VA sent to Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute in La Jolla to receive ketamine treatments for depression. Now the VA is no longer authorizing ketamine treatments outside of the VA Medical Center.

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News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Zoë Meyers is a photo and video journalist at inewsource. Zoë loves working as a visual journalist because it gives her the privilege of witnessing moments in people's personal lives and in our community that can enhance our understanding of important stories. When she's not behind the camera, Zoë...