Ketamine is a very potent substance, normally reserved for use by professionals in veterinary clinic settings only. The truth is, due to the strength of this drug, many substance abusers experiment with ketamine. Ketamine is unique in its ability to shift the user's perception so that reality and dreams seem to coexist. Thus, it has been used in veterinary clinics to assist in surgical procedures, sedating the animal patients so that feelings of pain associated with surgery are evaded. People are also prone to ketamine addiction.
A typical Ketamine user ingests about 10-25% of the therapeutic dose required to anesthetize an animal.
Ketamine is structurally similar to PCP. It is very dangerous due to its psychedelic effects and capacity for users to hallucinate while using ketamine. Many users report experiencing "out-of-body" sensations. Ketamine is often added to drugs such as Ecstasy and PCP to enhance the existing chemicals' effects. One of the reasons it is dangerous is due to its unregulated nature. It is bought and sold on the black market through illegal means only, which means dealers and buyers can add chemicals to ketamine while the drug is passed along many different hands.
A common admission route is injecting ketamine. Doing so poses risks including exposure to Hepatitis C, AIDS, and/or HIV. Also, injecting the drug can result in a significant increase in blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, nightmares, hallucinations, and injury from acting out in a ketamine-induced delusion. When a ketamine abuser ingests the drug, family members and loved ones may see physical changes. Outward signs of ketamine abuse include:
- Rapid heart rate
- Sensation of feeling paralyzed
- Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
- Difficulty focusing
- Delirium
- Impaired motor coordination
- High blood pressure
- Dilated pupils
Many users report negative experiences upon first trying the drug. Side effects of ketamine include but are not limited to the following:
- Profound analgesia
- Respiratory depression i.e. slowed heart rate
- Cardiovascular stimulation
- Amnesia and short-term memory impairment
- Pain absolvement
- Hallucinations
- Mental clouding
- Nausea and/or vomiting
Ketamine's ability to create euphoric sensations and allow drug users to "check out" or evade their innermost pain and feelings makes it evermore addictive in nature. It also is a general anesthesia, generating unconsciousness and loss of reflexes. For people with a genetic predisposition toward addiction, the chance of becoming addicted to ketamine, even after just one or two uses, is greatly increased. Due to its psychedelic effects, ketamine is often abused to the point that the user feels compelled to seek out the drug. Continuing to seek out and use ketamine despite negative outcomes is a clear indicator that addiction is present.
It is imperative that ketamine addicts seek treatment for their drug addiction as soon as possible. Although fatalities from ketamine overdose alone are rare, deaths resulting from ketamine in combination with other respiratory depressants such as insomnia prescriptions, benzodiazephines, and alcohol, poses a risk for many ketamine addicts. In addition, if a ketamine addict continues using the drug without proper detoxification and drug treatment care, he or she will sustain long-term physical and psychological damage. Prolonged use of Ketamine can invoke the following negative side effects:
- Loss of consciousness
- Mental clouding
- Amnesia
- Impaired reflexes
- Delirium
- Respiratory problems
Although the likelihood of a user suffering from ketamine addiction is statistically lower than that of a user suffering from a heroin, alcohol, or morphine addiction, the physical and psychological effects of ketamine addiction can be just as severe as the more common addictions, if not worse. When ketamine abusers combine the anesthetic with barbiturates and/or narcotics, they risk respiratory depression and death. Their heart rate can slow down literally to the point of shutting down. Ketamine has been compared to cocaine in the way the drug presents itself as a psychologically compelling agent. The "rush" felt after injecting the drug is conducive to partygoers who prefer an out-of-body experience, to addictive personalities that seek out an escape from reality on a daily basis, and to a substance abuser with multiple drug addictions that simply need a high.
Heavy ketamine addicts will need to detox upon entering drug treatment centers. Subsequently, drug treatment staff members focus on behavioral and cognitive therapy to assist in the client's recovery process. Ketamine addicts enrolled in an inpatient drug treatment center learn to adopt new coping mechanisms and stress-reduction techniques to boost their quality of life. Since counter-indicative drugs are rarely administered to detoxifying patients, emphasis on an alternative way of living is important.
Recovering ketamine addicts find new activities and hobbies that interest them rather then their drug activities. They are encouraged to participate in the creation of an aftercare plan with their therapist. This includes relapse prevention strategies, follow-up psychological and psychiatric appointments, lists of hobbies and healthy ways to fill time, and a solid support network for which the recovering addict can depend upon in difficult times. Recovery from ketamine addiction is possible - help is merely a phone call away.
