06. The Ketamine Diaries, Pt. 1: OCD, PTSD, Depression, & Chronic Pain

In the Ketamine Diaries episodes, I share my full journey of clinical ketamine treatments for OCD, PTSD, depression, suicidality, and chronic pain. In this episode (part 1), I share every part of my experience from the decision to pursue ketamine treatments to the very beginning of my treatment experiences. I narrate the contexts surrounding my decision to engage in a clinical ketamine treatment protocol, detail the decision-making around the numerous important considerations, share a high-level overview of the research that informed my decision-making, the role of chronic pain in choosing this treatment protocol, and the different diagnoses that would possibly be affected by these treatments. I speak at length about the state of current ketamine clinics and loopholes to be wary of. This episode serves to provide full transparency around the experimental nature of considering clinical treatments for various indications from my various perspectives as a patient, psychonaut, and neuroscientist - and ultimately, this episode creates an honest and curious space for anyone thinking about pursuing ketamine treatments to explore their questions and concerns. Topics covered in this episode + timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome, exciting life updates (00:05:35) Intro to episode, pre-frames, why I'm doing this episode, important disclaimers (00:10:04) Background, why I began considering ketamine treatments for mental health, hesitations (00:15:25) Why my chronic pain & dissociation was pivotal in ultimately deciding to pursue ketamine (00:20:46) The state of ketamine clinics & loopholes amongst the psychedelic renaissance (00:26:18) My past psychedelic experiences, why I didn't consider self-administration or clinical trials (00:33:47) Consideration & rationale of various aspects of clinical ketamine treatments: Different clinical methods of ketamine administration Different protocols and dosing schedules Financial considerations Insurance coverage Chronic pain protocol vs. mental health protocols Hypothesized treatment effects from various protocols/dosages (00:44:42) The variability and conflicting results of various ketamine studies, and how I considered this in my decisions (00:47:00) Deciding to move forward, all the considerations in planning treatment schedule (00:48:27) Ketamine treatments alone vs. ketamine-assisted therapy, subversive tactics used by clinics to claim mental health treatments, my stipulations for customizing treatment for maximum benefit (00:57:47) The ultimate uncertainty of experimental treatments, making the most informed choices possible amongst conflicting and ever-evolving information, accepting calculated risk (01:02:50) Conclusions, what's coming in part 2 of the Ketamine Diaries next week, thank you! I cannot wait to connect with you, answer all of your questions, and co-create this with you. Welcome to a Chat with Uma! Connect with me! My website: umarchatterjee.com Instagram: @UmaRChatterjee Twitter: @UmaRChatterjee TikTok: @UmaRChatterjee Email: [email protected]