As depression diagnoses skyrocket, the number of individuals living with chronic pain conditions is also growing, and pharmaceutical prescription rates are increasing. Opioid prescription rates doubled between 2002 and 2014. There is a critical need for more effective treatment options to better aid the increasing numbers of people who are suffering from both depressive disorders and chronic pain conditions. Ketamine, primarily known as the most widely used anesthetic in the world, has recently been established to effectively treat depressive and chronic pain disorders. This course will review medical indications for the use of ketamine including chronic pain and mental health conditions. The session will cover the biological and psychological mechanisms of ketamine, discuss dose discovery and routes of administration, and define central sensitization, “set” and “setting.” The importance of integration and psychedelic assisted psychotherapy will be reviewed.
