Ketamine, also known as Special K or Super K, is a short-acting anesthetic drug with hallucinogenic effects. It can change how you perceive sights and sounds, make you feel like you’re not in control, and make you feel detached from the world around you or any pain you’re feeling. If you or a loved one are battling substance abuse, there are a range of treatment services that may help you reach long-term recovery. Addiction to substances such as ketamine is characterized by an inability to stop despite negative consequences, preoccupation with the substance, and disruptions that interfere with important aspects of life. When people try to stop using ketamine, they may also experience symptoms of withdrawal. Ketamine has a relatively short half-life (the time required for active substances in the body to reduce by half).
Adverse effects
Ketamine was created in 1962 as part of an effort to find an effective anesthetic. Later, it was discovered that low-dose ketamine has psychedelic properties. Ketamine has a number of desired and adverse effects on the mind and body, some of which can be dangerous. This means =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ feeling a strong need for the drug and acting on that need, even when it has negative consequences.
How to Treat Ketamine Addiction?
There have also been established neurotoxic effects seen in the brains of long-term addicts. For individuals who suddenly lose access to the drug and are no longer able to use it, either voluntarily or involuntarily, they may experience withdrawal symptoms, more frequently psychological. Outpatient treatment programs offer excellent services that can help those in early recovery avoid relapse. By regularly attending support group meetings and seeing a counselor, the newly sober person can utilize the tools and techniques they were introduced to in rehab.
What Are The Signs Of A Ketamine Addiction?
Ketamine addiction is often characterized by a person’s compulsive urges to use ketamine despite negative consequences, such as problems with the law, missed work, and decline in health. People who struggle with ketamine addiction may experience a range of psychological health problems including the onset of depression and mental illness, violent behavior, and mood swings. To get help for ketamine addiction, explore various options such as professional treatment facilities, support groups, and online resources. The right treatment choice depends on individual needs, including the severity of addiction, co-occurring mental health conditions, and personal circumstances.
- Mixing the drug with other depressants like alcohol and heroin intensifies the dangers of respiratory depression, which can be deadly.
- It was seen that the drug also had addictive potential, with the development of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms when the drug was stopped.
- Gold (2024) reports that about 1% or less of the U.S. population abuse ketamine, but the number of first-time hallucinogen users, including those using ketamine, reached 1.1 million in 2020.
- If substance misuse disrupts work, school, and personal relationships, it can indicate a ketamine addiction.
- Ketamine abuse is linked to serious side effects, but therapeutic use of the drug is considered safe.
- If these genes are passed down through generations, family members are more prone to developing drug problems.
While not as fast-acting as other methods, regular use of ketamine in any form still leads to psychological dependence. Morgan and Curran (2012) noted that about 28% of recreational ketamine users reported symptoms of dependence, highlighting the risk even when the drug is taken as prescribed. Medical supervision is important in managing the balance between ketamine’s antidepressant effects and its addictive potential. Under professional guidance, the dosage and frequency of ketamine treatments are carefully monitored, greatly reducing the risk of misuse. However, unsupervised or long-term use increases the likelihood of addiction, particularly for individuals who are already vulnerable to substance dependence. Its potential for addiction depends on several factors, including dosage, frequency of use, and individual susceptibility.
- In contrast, psychological dependency plays a more dominant role in ketamine addiction.
- These parts of the brain are necessary for several important and complex functions.
The effects of ketamine on withdrawal states are particularly important to further investigate. Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can result in life-threatening medical sequela, and the severe physiologic response to opioid withdrawal may deterrent to initial treatment. The opioid withdrawal study (23) Oxford House showed physiologic suppression of opiate withdrawal.
Ketamine Statistics
Environmental influences, particularly peer pressure, also play a significant role in the rising misuse of ketamine, especially among young adults. However, this dual role highlights its potential for both therapeutic use and abuse, depending on how it is administered. Symptoms of ketamine addiction include intense cravings, memory ketamine addiction loss, confusion, and withdrawal symptoms such as depression and anxiety when not using the drug.
- When you stop using the drug, your body will experience withdrawal symptoms as it adjusts to the substance’s absence.
- These effects have seen a growing and worrying use of this drug for date rape.
- These effects may improve ability to learn new behaviors (18) and may be beneficial in the treatment of SUDs.
- Ketamine carries a moderate to low risk for physical dependence and psychological addiction, meaning those who abuse the drug regularly can experience cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and compulsive urges to use.
- From that point until July 2024, Doe was forced to “perform a show” for Combs every time she visited, and he would “ply her with alcohol and substances until she passed out,” according to the lawsuit.
Have A Support System In Place
Ketamine addiction treatment continues even after the end of substance abuse rehabilitation because it is imperative not to fall into the same habits that lead down the road to addiction. Its development began mostly due to the need to find a new desirable replacement for phencyclidine, an anesthetic that, while safe, had several undesirable effects. Similar in structure to phencyclidine, it was not as potent and was used for the first time on humans just two years later. These studies affirm that the drug was indeed safe, and clinical information showed a good anesthetic effect with fewer side effects. Ketalar, the first branded form, was approved in the United States in 1970.
Ketamine — also known as Special K — is a dissociative drug that makes people feel out of control or detached from reality. The hallucinogen causes tolerance and cravings, but reports of ketamine dependence and addiction are rare. When choosing a treatment facility, it’s important to consider factors like the availability of medical professionals, evidence-based therapies, and the individual’s specific needs. Consulting with healthcare providers or addiction specialists helps determine the best course of action for recovery.
Ketamine FAQs
There, you can receive treatment for ketamine addiction in a safe environment that’s far from temptation. For ketamine to be helpful in addiction treatment, it must be used under the close care of medical professionals. While the drug is largely eliminated from the body within 14 to 18 hours after the last dose, it can also have longer-term effects. People who have used this drug report harsh flashbacks even weeks after the drug has been cleared from the body. This drug has been linked to conditions like depression, hysteria, memory loss, and high blood pressure in regular users.