About Ketamine Addiction
According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, ketamine was developed in the 1960’s as a fast acting anesthetic. It was not until the 1970’s when the drug became approved for human use, where it then became the most popular anesthetic used on the battlefield to help wounded soldiers. However, ketamine started to become widely used and distributed on the streets illegally, and in the 1980’s the drug abuse of ketamine significantly increased. Nowadays ketamine is still produced and distributed illegally but is very rarely used in the medical field.
Depending on the dosage of ketamine the effects of the drug can last for one hour or for multiple hours. The effects of ketamine include distortions of reality, hallucinations, sedation, blurry vision, and the inability to move. Adversely, ketamine can result in a person experiencing respiratory failure, having panic attacks, or ending up in a coma. People typically snort, ingest or inject ketamine to receive the drug’s effects.
The effects of ketamine will be different for every person using the drug. Prolonged use of ketamine can cause a person permanent brain and organ damage and can lead to them forming an addiction to the drug, which is usually followed by high tolerance levels and dependency.
According to Center for Substance Abuse Research, there is evidence that users who repeatedly abuse ketamine can develop a high tolerance to the drug as well as a dependency to the drug. A person’s tolerance level to ketamine will develop very rapidly and can get to the point where they will no longer experience the dissociative effects of the drug.
A person who has formed an addiction to ketamine should seek out help from a ketamine addiction treatment program before their disease worsens.
How Ketamine Addiction Treatment Programs can Help
Ketamine addiction treatment programs will provide a person with all of the resources and education they need to detox and live a drug free life. Ketamine addiction is a chronic disease that will take time and effort to heal, but it can be treated.
At a ketamine addiction treatment program a person will begin to detox from the drug and be provided with medical supervision to ensure the person has a safe detox. Most treatment programs will provide s person with medication to help them with the physical withdrawals, if necessary. Furthermore, a ketamine addiction treatment program will provide a patient with therapy so that they can get through the emotional turmoil from their drug addiction and begin to regain control of their thoughts and feelings without the influence of the drug.
Ketamine addiction treatment programs are the most effective way for people to overcome their addictions and a person will be able to have the help and support they need as well as the proper resources and professionals they need to conquer their addiction through the program.