Ketamine Addiction

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine hydrochloride is a short-acting dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic and painkilling qualities. Ketamine is commonly used by vets for pet surgery and occasionally administered to humans as a general anesthetic. Ketamine or "K" is a popular club drug and often found in the rave scene. Ketamine sold on the streets as "K" or "Special K" is most often diverted from its liquid form, stolen from vets’ offices or medical suppliers, to a powder form for illegal, recreational use. Ketamine is chemically related to PCP or "Angel Dust". The most common trade names for Ketamine are Ketalar and Ketaset.

History of Ketamine

Ketamine was first developed in 1962 in an attempt to find a safer solution for PCP anesthetics which were likely to cause hallucinations and seizures in patients. The drug ketamine was first synthesized at Parke Davis Labs. Three years later, ketamine was found to be useful as an anesthetic, primarily for veterinary use because its respiratory depression was far less than most other anesthetics.

Ketamine was first used on American soldiers during the Vietnam War. By the 1970′s patients began to report hallucinations while under its influence. In 1978, John Lilly authored “The Scientist” a book documenting the author’s ketamine, LSD and isolation tank experiments which fueled popularity for the drug. Over the last few decades, recreational abuse of ketamine has increased particularly in the club drug scene. Ketamine abuse is among the top three popular club drugs. MDMA (Ecstasy) and GHB are its competitors. In the 1990′s, the United State’s Drug Enforcement Agency defined ketamine as an "emerging drug" and labeled it a Schedule III. Today the drug is only sold legally to hospitals and physicians, primarily for veterinary use; however its illegal abuse on the streets continues to grow.

Street Names for Ketamine

• K
• Special K
• Cat Valium
• Vitamin K
• Cat Tranquilizer
• Super Acid

How is Ketamine Used?

Ketamine is manufactured as an injectable liquid though when sold on the streets, it is generally evaporated from liquid into a white powder for ketamine addicts to snort or ingest. The liquid is dried by warming the liquid on low heat and then grinding the residue into a powder. Primarily, ketamine is used recreationally and the user experiences psychedelic episodes. Ketamine can also be abused by injecting intramuscularly.

What does Ketamine Look Like?

Ketamine is a clear liquid that comes in a glass vial or can be purchased as a fluffy white powder. Ketamine is odorless and tasteless and can be added to beverages without being detected. Because of ketamine’s ability to be ingested without detection, it has often been associated as a date rape club drug. Ketamine induces amnesia and is used by sexual predators to drug unsuspecting victims.

How does Ketamine Make the User Feel?

Now a staple club drug, Ketamine is often taken to produce a state of delirium and dreamy intoxication in the user. Often times, the ketamine abuser will be unable to move and may not be able to remember what happened while under the drug’s influence. Ketamine is an anesthetic that blocks nerve paths without depressing respiratory and circulatory functions. The abuser may experience temporary memory loss, increased heart rate and blood pressure, numbness, nausea and vomiting and impaired motor functions.

Ketamine has the power to induce powerful psychedelic trips in the user. Ketamine addicts have described out of body experiences or near death experiences and even spiritual, god-like feelings of existence. During these k trips, the addict may go into what’s commonly referred to as a "k hole" and be unable to see, hear or even communicate with others in the same room.

Short Term Effects of Ketamine Abuse – Small Doses

• Inebriation
• Euphoria
• Clumsiness
• Delayed reactions or sensations
• Vertigo
• Erotic feelings
• Visuals
• Analgesia
• Loss of motor coordination
• Loss of time perception
• Increase in heart rate
• Confusion, disorientation

Short Term Effects of Ketamine Abuse – Large Doses

• Intense mind-body dissociation
• out-of-body experiences
• highly realistic visuals
• Euphoria
• Ketamine addiction
• Complete dissociation
• Black outs
• Psychedelic visions or hallucinations
• Near death experiences
• Difficulty moving
• Nausea
• Amnesia
• Panic
• Rage
• Slurred speech
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Long Term Effects of Ketamine Abuse

• Ketamine addiction
• Depression
• Delirium
• Impaired motor function
• Memory loss
• High blood pressure
• Fatal respiratory problems
• Severe confusion
• Paranoia
• Egocentrism
• Severe dissociation
• Loss of consciousness
• Depression of heart rate
• Depression of respiration
• Death

Dangers of Ketamine Abuse

In the club drug scene, Ketamine is often mixed with heroin, coke, ecstasy. These club drugs combined can create a potentially lethal mix. Ketamine can also be easily slipped into a drink making its risk as a potential date rape drug high. With large doses, Ketamine may induce respiratory depression, delirium and even cardiac arrest. Continuous abuse or large doses can induce unconsciousness in the user leading to possible overdose or death. Ketamine is a club drug and it should be noted that all side effects are compounded when combined with alcohol, depressants, barbiturates and benzodiazepines.

Ketamine Addiction & Dependency

Ketamine is generally considered to be more psychologically addicting however its physical hold on the individual ketamine addict can also be incredibly powerful. It is not uncommon to hear of ketamine addicts who take it several times daily. Regular ketamine abusers may find it extremely difficult to stop. The dissociation from one’s consciousness a ketamine abuser experiences can be seductive in nature and result in a tremendous psychological dependence. Regular ketamine abuse will lead to a rapid growth in tolerance. Tolerance is a diminished response to a drug. It is the effect of cellular adaptive changes or enhanced drug metabolism from extended use of a medication. Ketamine tolerance develops over days, weeks, or even months. The ketamine addict will need to increase their dose of the drug to reach their desired state of being.

Ketamine Abuse Withdrawals

Ketamine withdrawal symptoms are mild even in chronic abusers. Most symptoms experienced are a result of the sedative norketamine which is a breakdown of ketamine that lingers in the blood stream. Side effects may include tension, decreased attention span, muscle spasms, and general restlessness. Cessation of the drug in long term ketamine addicts may produce unpredictable results. Being under the supervision of a professional ketamine addiction recovery programme will mitigate the risks associated with stopping.

Ketamine Addiction Treatment

Ketamine is an unpredictable drug that induces an array of symptoms in its users. This is why it is so important to seek a professional ketamine addiction recovery treatment centre for the recovering addict.

At The Cabin Chiang Mai, we understand how to treat ketamine addiction. Our programmes are effective and affordable, and range from 14 to 90 days of treatment. Depending on the severity of ketamine addiction, we will recommend an addiction treatment programme tailored to the addict’s individual needs.

Ketamine Addiction Therapy

At The Cabin Chiang Mai we approach ketamine addiction treatment with a well-rounded, innovative 12 step rehab programme. We give ketamine addicts a foundation in the 12 step treatment programme, long recognized as one of the most successful therapies to treat alcohol and drug addiction. Our counsellors integrate Cognitive Behavioral Techniques that help the ketamine addict identify the feelings and circumstances that led to their addiction.

Ketamine Rehab & Fitness Therapy

As part our healthy lifestyle training programme, we focus on integrating endorphin exercise therapy into the lives of our patients. All patients are given a personal training programme upon arrival and are given a rigorous exercise programme aimed at boosting their level of endorphins.

Our programme, which combines body combat, aqua fitness, Thai martial arts, mountain biking, yoga and pilates, is aimed at not only getting the addict physically healthy but keeping their mind of the addictive drug thoughts. This form of endorphin exercise therapy has been proven to help addicts during the recovery process and to increase their likelihood of remaining abstinent.

Ketamine patients leave our programme emotionally stable, more physically fit and active and with a newfound sense of clarity and purpose in their life. Our innovative programme helps to restore our patients mind, body and spirit to a natural and healthy state.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from ketamine addiction, contact The Cabin Chiang Mai at contact@thecabinchaingmai.com and inquire about our ketamine rehab treatment programme. Our team of Western trained professional counselling staff will help guide you or your loved one through the process of recovery.

The Cabin Chiang Mai’s Ketamine Treatment Services

• 12 Step Treatment Programme
• Physical health evaluation
• Individual and group counselling
• Ketamine addiction education
• Health and wellness education
• Fitness Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Massage Therapy
• Meditation
• Excursions
• Ketamine relapse prevention planning
• Managing sober time coaching
• Aftercare counselling