Ketamine is defined as a dissociative anesthetic. In addition to sedating the user, it produces a kind of out-of-body experience wherein the user feels detached from the self and the surrounding environment. It distorts perceptions of sight and sound and can make it difficult to move. At high doses, the user often feels as though a near-death experience is happening. However, people also report experiencing a state of utter bliss and happiness at this level, making it a very appealing drug to many.
Other Names:
Special K
How Does It Affect Your System?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that has its primary mechanism of action in blocking the excitatory neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA). It was developed in the 1960s to replace the drug phencyclidine (PCP). The full effects of this drug are not well understood.
What Are The Symptoms & Risk
Ketamine has the potential to lead to tolerance and addiction. Once an addiction develops and an individual is using the drug most of the time, it can become easy to spot since its effects on the state of mind are so intense.
Signs of a ketamine addiction can include:
Frequent state of distraction and/or drowsiness
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue or lack of motivation
Reduced ability to feel physical pain
Loss of coordination
Slurred speech
Redness of the skin
Insomnia
Bladder pain
Detoxing Symptoms (Withdrawl)
There are some psychological effects associated with discontinuing ketamine, such as lengthy periods of malaise, depressed mood, and loss of motivation. However, there is no formal withdrawal timeline recognized, and it is not believed that this drug produces significant physical dependence.
Ketamine withdrawal symptoms are not life-threatening and generally not as severe as with some drugs, being purely psychological, but they are still unpleasant and come with strong cravings. However, weaning oneself off the drug does not work well due to its effects on the brain, especially when it comes to memory. Ketamine has even been known to cause amnesia, so an individual may not be able to remember how much was taken and when.
