What is Ketamine?
A type of medication used to bring about a loss of consciousness, a state of relaxation, and to relieve pain. It is a class III scheduled drug and is approved for use in hospitals and other medical settings. It has a good safety profile when used in a clinical setting, primarily for anesthesia. When used as a recreational drug it poses dangerous health risks. Prolonged use can cause a higher tolerance, meaning the user must consume more to maintain the same “high”, and can be psychologically addictive.
It causes a hallucinogenic, tranquilizing and dissociative effect, and is one of the more popular recreational drugs used in the club drug scene.
It was originally meant strictly for medical purposes but came out on the recreational “party” scene by the early 1970’s for the effects similar to that of PCP or DXM
Education video and transcript used with permission from Hopelinks
Medical use
In addiction to anesthesia, it has also been used medically to treat chronic pain or complex regional pain syndrome, depression, and in other unorthodox practices, treatment for alcohol abuse.
Illegal use
Ketamine can be snorted or sniffed, ingested, or injected to produce its euphoric effects and phenomenon experience. Because the liquid form, that is usually injected, is odorless and tasteless, it can be added to any beverage and has been related to “date rape” drugs.
Effects
Effects when someone is using Ketamine can include but are not limited to impaired motor function, hallucinations, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea or vomiting, altered hearing, impaired attention memory and judgment, nightmares, and delirium.
Dangers
Dangerous effects of continual use of ketamine are high blood pressure, memory loss, depression, hypertension, urinary tract problems, fatal respiratory problems, and psychological dependence. Ketamine is dangerous alone but is often mixes with other substances, which in turn can accelerate harmful effects of each substance. These effects may be reversible when the user or abuser, is abstinent.
The effects of ketamine alter perception dramatically, sudden abstinence for a chronic user can cause withdrawal symptoms like that of depression, mental fatigue and imbalance, “flashbacks”, psychosis panic, insomnia, and lack of motivation.
Ketamine Addicts Can Recover
There are options for the treatment of Ketamine that include various levels of treatment ranging from: outpatient to in hospital care. This is determined by the needs of each individual. It is also encouraged for the Ketamine addict to participate in 12-step or abstinence based fellowships and support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous.
Be sure to visit our entire Drug Education Videos series and learn more about drug abuse, drug addiction and alcoholism
References
STREET DRUGS: a drug identification guide 2010
National Institute on Drug Abuse:
http://drugabuse.gov/
Medline Plus:
http://nih.gov/
