It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Frank M Ligons, author of IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Depression: Why I tried It, What It’s Like, and If It Worked.
About Frank M Ligons:
Frank M. Ligons holds a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Informatics with co-authored research appearing in prestigious medical journals including the Biomedical Journal of Quality & Safety, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, and the American Medical Informatics Association® Proceedings.
He has presented medical research at the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, and the American Medical Informatics Association® Symposium.
Mr. Ligons now specializes in exploring the benefits, safety, and payment strategies regarding Ketamine treatment in addressing mental, physical, and addiction-related illness.
He lives in Pittsburgh, eats raw eggs, and shares custody of his beloved Schnoodle, “Sticker.”
About IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Depression:
Depression is the number one cause of disability in the world. Sadly, many millions of sufferers are “treatment-resistant” and unable to find relief from traditional psychiatric medication. The cost of this mental health crisis in emotional pain, functional disability, and loss of life is immeasurable.
IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy helps TWO-THIRDS of treatment-resistant depression cases.
Ketamine infusions for depression are one of the most astonishingly effective mental health innovations of the 21st century.
With a Foreword from a pioneering Ketamine physician, this book answers critical questions about Ketamine’s history, benefits, and safety, as well as the procedural and experiential facets of this mysterious dissociative therapy.
Who needs this book?
- Depressed patients who feel like giving up
- Sufferers investigating innovative treatments
- Caretakers, parents, and friends considering Ketamine for a loved one
- Providers seeking insight into the needs and concerns of Ketamine patients.
- Potential patients looking for a simple, step-by-step guide to understanding Ketamine infusions
What will you learn?
- Ketamine’s safety and side effects
- How to talk to your doctor about Ketamine treatments
- Each step of consulting a Ketamine clinic
- Whether the Ketamine therapy experience is fun or frightening
- About K-holes and” bad trips” – what they are and how to avoid them
- What it is like to “feel better”
- Get vital insights into Ketamine therapy:
- Speed up your introduction to this new, life-saving treatment.
- Save time from endlessly surfing the web for reliable information.
- Breakthrough myths about Ketamine that discourage treatment.
Don’t suffer needlessly. Buy Now to learn about this life-saving treatment.
Author Interview with Frank M Ligons:
This post contains affiliate links which means, at no cost to you,
I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase using those links.
- Does writing energize or exhaust you?
I notice that I transition from energized to fatigued as I move from “vomiting” ideas to “perfecting” them. For me, jotting down the “big ideas,” or hopping onto my computer and speeding along to just get a bunch of rough verbiage out of my head, both feel good. On the other hand, if I immediately begin refining, organizing, and spell-checking, the details bog me down. I’m a big believer in starting with a very rough draft. That’s where the gold is. All of the details can be worked out later. Of course, I do have OCD so that may be a factor! haha
- What are common traps for aspiring writers?
As in most things in life, the difficulty is overcoming the initial inertia. From writing 500 word blog posts to monstrous, unabridged biographies, the task ahead often feels daunting. A technique that I learned in therapy (and this applies to any task ahead of you) is to start with just the teeniest step. And, when I say teeny, I mean like a word, a sentence, a super brief outline. Start with a step that seems absurdly doable. The ultimate goal is just a bunch of these pitiful tasks in a row; whether they be over a day, week, or a lifetime.
- Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
Depends on the context. A big ego may sustain your project when people insist you will fail. Humility is required for a productive partnership with an editor.
- What is your writing Kryptonite?
Perfectionism. For the obsessive writer, there is ALWAYS a “better” version if they would only “take more time,” “rework it again,” or “run it by the 9th editor.”
- Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
When it comes to my medical journey I’m now comfortable enough with the embarrassments to put my name out there. Ironically, if I were to write fiction, I would be more tempted to hide my identity.
- Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
When you set out to write something you have to prioritize your goals. Usually this is discussed within the context of “selling out” or not, or giving into the pressures of commerce. But, there are other considerations. For instance, your priority may be to help your audience above all else. Depending on the nature of that audience you may need to take a broader, more generalized, or less idiosyncratic approach. I hope to one day have a platform of readers that are hungry for a more niched, personality driven version of my writing.
- Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
As a Bipolar patient, it’s tough for me to answer that. My emotions are sometimes like a tidal wave. Indeed, feeling overcoming function is at the core of my life experience. That’s a long way of saying that I don’t know that I could finish a substantial project without emotional “fuel.” A quick pamphlet on how to change the batteries in your remote could be written without emotion. On the other hand, whoever writes those inscrutable furniture assembly instructions must have a TREMENDOUS sense of humor!
- What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
This one made me realize something: the only authors I know are academic or occupational. From medical school all of the people I know published papers. In the corporate world, everyone I knew crafted sales copy or client presentations.
When I think about it, I believe that all of the media one takes in, and to take it a step further, every input from every moment of every day informs one’s interests, insights, and style. Nothing is wasted. The only difference is whether your influences are imparting formal training.
- Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I can’t imagine continuing in a writing career without creating materials that don’t parallel the trajectory of my own life. Sharing my Ketamine journey is only the beginning. Over time, I will focus more on the philosophical and practical strategies I’ve learned to overcome the strictures and impediments that undermine personal growth.
- How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Haha I’ll tell you all about my medical comedies. But, as for the brief sprints of ambition hidden in old MS Word files and composition notebooks, let’s keep those a secret for now.
- What does literary success look like to you?
Knowing yourself. Uncovering yourself. Freeing yourself. Throwing off the peer pressure embedded in your society and empowering like-minded people to join you.
To learn more about Frank M Ligons, here’s where you can connect with him:
Facebook: FrankMLigons
LinkedIn: FrankMLigons
Instagram: frank_m_ligons
Twitter: @FindKetamine
Pinterest: @FindKetamine
Want to be featured on Meet the Author Monday?
