{"id":3376,"date":"2021-09-30T17:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T21:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/?page_id=3376"},"modified":"2022-05-04T12:31:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-04T16:31:15","slug":"ketamine-addiction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/ketamine-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Ketamine Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ketamine addiction can be deadly. Find out why the drug can be deadly when misused as well as the additional risks that come with ketamine misuse.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ketamine is an FDA-approved drug mainly used to block post-surgery pain. However, people often misuse ketamine to experience a trance-like state and sedation. It can also be addictive and have serious side effects too. Learning more about the drug, how addiction to it develops and the drug\u2019s uses can help people identify misuse in themselves or loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Ketamine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ketamine is a drug that was originally developed in the 1960s. It comes as an injectable liquid. However, most people who misuse it evaporate it into a powder. They then snort it to get high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ketamine can relieve pain, similar to how opioids can, and it also has strong dissociative effects that make people feel like they are outside their bodies. Sometimes effects cause hallucinations, so ketamine is similar to PCP and LSD in that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ketamine is a Schedule III drug. That classification means it is approved for medical and clinical use and requires a prescription. Thus, if you use or have the drug without a prescription, it is illegal. Drugs are classified as Schedule III if they are designed for medical use but have a risk of dependence. In the case of ketamine, the risk of physical dependence is low to medium. However, the risk of developing psychological dependence is very high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Ketamine Used For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ketamine is mainly used as a pain-blocking drug. Today, it is mostly used by veterinary clinics to sedate animals. However, it also has some medical uses for humans. For example, it is commonly used in minor surgeries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors found ketamine works for treating depression<\/a> and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)<\/a>. However, the FDA has not yet approved the drug to treat these disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the 1990s, ketamine has become a popular drug on the club scene. Ketamine abuse can put people in a trance. High doses can lead to effects of temporary paralysis, feeling detached from the body and having strong hallucinations. This effect lasts about 30 minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because ketamine significantly impacts motor function, it is a popular date rape drug. The fact that it is taken in a setting where users are using alcohol and other drugs make its use even riskier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Addictive Is Ketamine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While chronic ketamine use can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal, it is far more psychologically addictive. People who abuse ketamine tend to build up a tolerance to the drug quickly. This development leads them to take larger and larger amounts in an attempt to get high again. Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, depression, and flashbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is difficult for people to know exactly how much of the drug they have taken. Overdoses on ketamine<\/a> alone are very rare<\/a>. However, overdosing on the drug does happen. Overdoses usually involve mixing the drug with another substance like alcohol. One of the dangers of the drug is that people don\u2019t know how much they are taking. This risk is particularly true when it is mixed in a drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many side effects<\/a> associated with using ketamine as a recreational drug. While using the drug, people may have difficulty breathing, fall unconscious or experience seizures. Loss of muscle control and dissociation leads to a high risk of harm or assault. Many people injure themselves while on the drug and don\u2019t even know it. The risk of overdose when mixing the drug with alcohol or other agents is very high. Long-term side effects include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n