Ketamine Addiction

Is ketamine addictive? Yes, although ketamine does not give rise to physical dependence like that seen with morphine, heroin or alcohol, it is associated with a powerful psychological addiction like that seen with cocaine. Because of its ability to produce intense vivid psychedelic effects it is frequently abused. The psychedelic effects and out of body experiences are primary reasons why the drug is abused. The dissociation from one's consciousness experienced with ketamine can be highly seductive, and there are many cases of ketamine addiction. If used regularly, users of this drug can quickly build a tolerance to its effects.

Ketamine addiction is yet another problem for that are out experimenting with mind-altering substances, having wild parties, and finding their way through life. Unfortunately, those who routinely use this drug and develop a longer term Ketamine addiction may not make it with all of their mental capacities in place.

Along with other drugs such as Ecstasy, this is a drug that is quite popular with the younger populations who have fast and easy access to illegal street drugs. Since the street price for Ketamine is relatively low and it is widely available, it is an easy option for younger crowds who want to have a little fun and experiment.

Unfortunately, the fun and experimentation ends up in an all out Ketamine addiction too much of the time. It goes from a couple parties where someone pushes the drug into the hands of a newcomer and soon that newcomer is the newest Ketamine addiction victim in the crowd. They may not realize they have an addiction, but it will eventually come to a head.

Ketamine addiction is rather easy to develop since the euphoric, light feeling that it produces feels pretty good for most people while they are under the influence. The body and mind will crave that light, relaxed sensation when use of the drug is stopped, which will drive them to go looking for more and more.

Yet, the biggest thrill for many people with a Ketamine addiction is the common near-death experiences that most of them will eventually experience while on the drug. They may feel as if they are rising out of their own body, watching themselves do something from the ceiling or across the room, or come out of the euphoric feeling with the sense that they have died and come back to life. In some cases these experiences may scare some users away from using the drug again.

In the long term, Ketamine addiction can lead to severe depression and memory problems. Some people may have difficulties remembering things or thinking through problems clearly even after they have stopped taking the drug for a long period of time. That is more likely to happen in cases where the Ketamine addiction lasted for a longer period of time.

One real danger with Ketamine addiction is that many users will mix it with other drugs that produce similar effects so that they will heighten the sensations produced by both drugs. This could lead to overdose or create extreme side effects that can become life-threatening.

Many people are able to withdrawal from Ketamine addiction on their own or with the close supervision of a family doctor. However, most people with a long term ketamine addiction problem will need to seek the supervision of trained professionals while going through the process. There can be a wide variety of physical as well as mental reactions to going without the drug, especially if an addict has been taking the drug on a daily basis for a very long period of time.