Psychedelics for Chronic Pain | Dr. Alex Bekker - ATTMind 196

🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon

💌 Stay In Contact Through Signing Up For James' Newsletter

Video Episode  👈

We deep dive into psychedelics as treatment for chronic pain with Dr. Alex Bekker, Professor and Chairman of Anaesthesiology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

We explore what chronic pain is, how it differs from acute pain, and its connection to maladaptive neuroplasticity. Dr. Bekker unpacks why current treatments often fail and how psychedelics—the classical psychedelics as well as ketamine—may effectively treat otherwise treatment-resistant conditions, as well as some practical advice for chronic pain sufferers.

Enjoy!

🌀 Website and Episode Show Notes

FULL TOPICS BREAKDOWN BELOW

...

SUPPORT THE PODCAST

🥰 Support ATTMind and join the community on Patreon 

🎧 Sub and Review on Apple Podcasts 

🎧 Sub and Review on Spotify  

👁 Watch and Subscribe on Youtube

*** Huge thanks to my patrons on Patreon!
In particular, my $23+ patrons; Andreas D, Alex F, & Eliz C
Special thanks also go to Julie D. for the generous one-time donation

Other options

• Toss me a tip on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=383635S3BKJVS
• Buy some merchandise:  https://www.jameswjesso.com/shop/
• More Options: https://www.jameswjesso.com/support

Connect with Me

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jameswjesso.bsky.social
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attmindpodcast/
• Newsletter:  https://www.jameswjesso.com/newsletter
• SubStack: https://substack.com/@jameswjesso
• Telegram Channel:  https://t.me/jameswjesso
• Integration Coaching: https://www.jameswjesso.com/jesso-private-skype-sessions/

...

Episode Breakdown

• (0:00) Opening
• (4:22) Interview begins
• (5:00) The difference between acute pain (nociceptive) and chronic pain
• (8:24) Chronic pain as neuropathic sensitization (peripheral and central sensitization)
• (11:25) Chronic pain involved disrupted nociceptive neural-inhibitory pathways
• (12:36) Chronic pain and neural-inflammatory signals
• (14:44) Chronic pain as maladaptive neuroplasticity
• (16:56) DMN and chronic pain (maladaptive neuroplasticity)
• (19:57) Chronic pain is multifactorial (pain is biopsychosocial, not just biological)
• (23:02) Treatments of chronic pain (and why they don't work)
• (34:45) Biological treatments are not enough
• (37:45) Social factors that reinforce chronic pain
• (40:09) Patreon Thanks
• (43:12) The mechanisms by which psychedelics may help with chronic pain
• (54:29) The role of psychotherapy in psychedelic for chronic pain
• (57:44) Psychedel