What is ketamine?
Ketamine, also known as Special K or Super K, is a drug of abuse that can be used as an anaesthetic for animals and people. It is also often used in veterinary medicine to immobilize animals. Ketamine is a legal drug that has been approved for use in the medical field since 1970. However, it is also widely abused because it produces effects similar to those of other drugs. Ketamine abuse effects include hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, catatonia, and amnesia.
Ketamine can be taken orally or injected intravenously. Ketamine carries a lot of risks, especially when abused over long periods. Recreational users may experience intoxication, respiratory problems, depression, or addiction to ketamine use. Ketamine can be injected, snorted or swallowed. It is an anesthetic that can make you feel happy, excited, and overwhelmed.
Can you get addicted to ketamine?
The short answer is yes. You can easily get addicted to ketamine if you use it in high quantities and for a long time. Ketamine is a Class B Schedule 2 controlled substance, making it illegal for recreational use. Schedule 2 drugs may cause the psychological symptoms of dependence and also physical dependence.
Some people start taking ketamine as their preferred recreational club drug. Clubbers may be seeking a mild psychedelic experience, which is why ketamine and MDMA are so often abused. Chronic drug usage, of ketamine addictive on the other hand, can lead to addiction.
Why is ketamine so addictive?
Ketamine is addictive because it causes tolerance and withdrawal symptoms when taken repeatedly over a long period. This leads to dependence on the drug. When people stop taking ketamine they experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that are both mental and physical such as depression and anxiety, difficulty concentrating on tasks, lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting, intense cravings for the drug.
The drug’s use has increased in recent years because of the high it gives its users. Ketamine has been used to sedate people during medical procedures and in emergencies when other treatments aren’t available.
Ketamine stimulates the activation of a neurotransmitter called glutamate in your brain’s frontal cortex. It also enables the production of more synapses, which allow information to travel inside your brain, in the same place.
Ketamine is available in a variety of forms. It could be either a powder or a liquid. Illegal users abuse ketamine frequently snort, smoke, inject, or mix it into drinks.
Ketamine addiction – how to beat it
Like most drugs, ketamine taken for a long time can cause addiction. Ketamine addiction can create chemical alterations in your brain’s reward system. Scientists are still researching the precise alterations that ketamine induces, but if the brain’s reward system becomes unbalanced, quitting the medication will be tough. Ketamine also causes emotions of detachment, so if you become hooked to it, you may choose to neglect employment, family or mental health disorders or issues.
The vast majority of ketamine users do so to escape a harsh or painful reality. Self-medication is the process of utilizing illegal substances to make yourself ‘feel better’, according to behavioural and mental health, professionals. Ketamine might be especially appealing to persons suffering from depression symptoms. The euphoria effect doesn’t last for long so you will have to face the harsh reality again and the painful withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms of ketamine addiction
At large doses, the user frequently feels as though he or she is experiencing a near-death experience. However, at this level, people report feeling a trance like state of absolute ecstasy and happiness, making it a very desirable medication to many.
Signs of ketamine addiction may include:
– Frequent state of distraction and/or drowsiness
– Difficulty concentrating
– Fatigue or lack of motivation
– Reduced ability to feel physical pain
– Loss of coordination
– Slurred speech
– Redness of the skin
– Insomnia
– Bladder pain
– Incontinence
The Ketamine comedown – how to deal with it
The ketamine comedown is comparable to a severe and hazardous drug-induced hangover. It is similar to waking up from a coma, causing most ketamine users to feel acute bewilderment and delirium long after the initial high mixing ketamine has worn off. You may also feel scared, despondent, helpless, and numb after using ketamine. Your muscles may get weak and your vision may become blurry, making it difficult to move around.
This inability to move, along with feelings of paranoia and anxiety, can cause ketamine users to become aggressive, irritated, and even violent.
The anguish of the comedown can make you want to escape reality again, leading to recurrent usage abusing ketamine, tolerance for the chemical, physical dependency on the drug, and, eventually, ketamine addiction.
Ketamine withdrawal symptoms
Physical addiction becomes more prevalent when an intoxicating substance is used regularly or heavily for an extended period. When an individual’s body and brain chemistry begin to acclimate to the persistent presence of the substance, physical addiction arises.
Ketamine withdrawal symptoms typically last 4-6 days, starting around 24-72 hours after the last dose. Symptoms can include:
– Loss of appetite
– Fatigue
– Sweating
– Tremors
– Restlessness
– Anxiety and depression
– Nightmares
– Rapid or irregular heartbeat
– Chills
The biggest risk when it comes to ketamine withdrawal is depression that can lead to suicidal urges. This is especially true for those who have attempted to use ketamine to treat underlying depression issues. Losing that escape into bliss as well as the reduced sensitivity of the receptors in the brain related quit ketamine to the body’s natural antidepressants can cause a sudden spiral into a deep depression and suicidal ideation.
That’s why for ketamine addiction treatment we suggest you approach a professional rehab centre.
Ketamine Rehab: What You Need to Know
Ketamine addiction can be treated through medically supervised detoxification and prolonged psychotherapy.
The detoxifying process for ketamine addiction starts with IV therapy to help manage withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of detoxification. In addition to this, patients with ketamine misuse may also need benzodiazepine drugs to help with any seizures they may have during the withdrawal process.
Psychotherapy should be offered to patients who are undergoing ketamine withdrawal treatment because it has been shown that ketamine addiction is more than physical signs and symptoms of dependency.
Benefits of Ketamine Addiction Rehab Treatment
There are many benefits to undergoing a detox and rehabilitation programme for ketamine dependence, abuse, or ketamine addiction treated here at one of our established and exemplary ketamine rehabs, including:
– You will undergo a full medical ketamine detox for any dependence that is established
– You will be in a safe and healing environment, offering 24/7 support and care
– You will learn essential relapse prevention techniques
– You will undergo a comprehensive and bespoke rehabilitation treatment programme
– You will make a network of new like-minded, recovery focused and supportive friends
– You will leave rehab ketamine-free and have to tools to stay ketamine-free!
Ketamine Addiction Recovery
If you or a loved one need help with a chronic ketamine abuse problem, we can facilitate urgent or pre-booked admissions for a Drug detox and recovery programme, today.
Do not waste another day being the slave of this drug. Rehab Today by PCP (Perry Clayman Project) can help you to overcome this addiction and live a better life. Call or contact us for more information on how we can help!