From memory to tragic end

In his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry spoke openly about his experience using ketamine therapy for depression. He described how much he enjoyed the drug's dissociative effects, comparing them to “getting hit on the head with a giant shovel of happiness.” Although he felt a sense of peace and ego dissolution, Perry also mentioned the “tough” hangover and ultimately decided ketamine wasn't for him.

Tragically, Perry died a year later from the “acute effects of ketamine” and subsequently drowned. Court documents show that he had received multiple ketamine injections from his assistant on the day of his death. Five people have been charged in connection with his death, including two doctors and his assistant, who are accused of illegally supplying the drug.

Perry's openness about his struggle with addiction in his memoir was meant to help others. Unfortunately, his story took a devastating turn, highlighting the dangers of substance abuse, even when you seek treatment.