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Core Topics => Treatment, Recovery and Rehabilitation => Topic started by: Chip on August 16, 2023, 06:22:27 PM
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Excerpts:
Ketamine addiction is on the rise
Sometimes referred to as ‘the horse tranquilliser’, ketamine is commonly used as an anaesthetic by vets and doctors, and is an easy drug to abuse.
In 2019, a leading UK broadsheet reported that fears were growing about the rise of ketamine use by young people (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/04/ketamine-use-by-young-on-rise-official-figures-for-england-reveal). Seizures of the drug had increased by 30% during the previous year, while a 2017-18 crime survey for England and Wales showed a marked increase in the number of people using ketamine from the previous year.
Ketamine misuse can cause tolerance, dependence and addiction, with users needing ever-increasing amounts of the drug to achieve the desired high.
When abused ketamine can be fatal, its effects are very unpredictable outside of a medical environment.
Why is ketamine addictive?
It seems that ketamine abuse is becoming more common, with findings revealing that, compared with a decade ago, more and more people are abusing the substance. However, while many individuals might consider that using ketamine is harmless, it has both habit-forming and addictive qualities that can lead to dangerous consequences if not appropriately managed.Ketamine is a particularly interesting drug, as it can be utilised for a variety of purposes. By targeting multiple processes in the brain, ketamine manipulates the neurotransmitter glutamate, essential to keeping our brains functioning as they should.At higher doses, ketamine blocks glutamate, slowing down communications in the brain, one of the reasons it works so effectively as a sedative. In lower doses, however, glutamate production seems to become enhanced, inducing hallucinogenic side effects, such as altered vision and sound, which can leave users experiencing a variety of emotions – with some individuals even noting that they felt close to death after having taken the substance. Once a high enough dosage of ketamine has been consumed, users fall into a ‘K-hole’, leaving them both disassociated and unable to control their bodily functions.
Resource links:
see: https://delamere.com/addiction-treatment/ketamine-addiction
and: https://www.ukat.co.uk/addiction/drug/ketamine/