3 days ago
Is Elon Musk's Ketamine Use Encouraging Dangerous Self-Medication?
Elon Musk's candid admission about using ketamine for depression made headlines. So did Naomi Campbell's extensive vitamin regimen and Gwyneth Paltrow's jade eggs. And these are just the careinfluencers you've heard of. In the age of social media, celebrities and patients alike aren't just endorsing products — they're dispensing medical advice, often with zero qualifications.
Welcome to the era of 'carefluencers' — a growing class of influencers who peddle wellness tips, off-label drug use and even prescription workarounds to millions of followers. And this is not surprising:, a new Healthline/YouGov survey shows Americans of all ages are increasingly turning to social media for health information — and skipping preventive care. But behind the slick posts and quick fixes lies a dangerous truth: when trust in science erodes, real people pay the price—with misdiagnoses, harmful self-medication, and preventable suffering.
Celebrities like Musk or longevity biohacker Bryan Johnson wield immense influence. A single tweet can send ketamine clinic inquiries soaring or spark a run on unproven biohacks. But there's a critical difference between medical treatment and recreational experimentation:
Healthcare is increasingly consumer-driven — fueled by viral demand for everything from Ozempic to off-label ADHD meds — and physicians are feeling the pressure from the requests. Patients now rate physicians like Uber drivers, and nobody wants a bad review, especially from a VIP.
It's not too difficult to imagine a celebrity demanding Adderall for focus or ketamine for mood boosts. If the doctor says no, they'll find someone who says yes. Money becomes power, and without clinical oversight, that power enables harmful behaviors.
The result? A perfect storm where hyperagency — the celebrity belief that rules simply don't apply — collides with narcissistic influence and unchecked social capital. These forces distort reality: patient demands override medical judgment, while unvetted advice from carefluencers (who face zero accountability for their 'recommendations') fuels prescription abuse epidemics. It's a system where fame trumps science, and the casualties are evidence-based medicine itself.
The dangers of carefluencers—from Musk's ketamine takes to viral 'biohacks'—reveal a hard truth: celebrity endorsements work for fashion trends, not healthcare. When lives are at stake, trust belongs to clinicians, not unqualified influencers. Unlike a bad outfit choice, the consequences of misguided medical advice can't be returned or refunded.
