There is a great deal of complexity surrounding ketamine addiction. It is often used in medicines that have been under the radar for many years and have wreaked havoc in the community. Only in the past few years have the truth about ketamine addiction started to emerge.
Recently, ITV reported that “ketamine-related deaths have increased by 650% since 2015.” The drug is causing the biggest uproar the UK has seen since the crack epidemic began in the late ’80s. The difference between ketamine use is because it is often considered a party drug. It is attacked by a wide range of groups, and the young people in particular are affected.
Ketamine addiction is a drug pandemic that is swept across the country. Now, in 2025, the true tragedy of dependence on this drug is revealed.
The effects of ketamine
Ketamine is an anesthetic and is also used as pain relief in the medical industry. When used illegally, it causes a dissociative effect and causes emotions connected between the mind and body. When it comes to emotions, ketamine is paralyzed. For people in the early stages of use, there is the release of serotonin, allowing some people to feel happy.
Psychologically, ketamine causes a destroyed, random thought pattern. It is sometimes called a “side-side” drug, which can cause hallucinations and even small amounts can lead to K-hole, a sedative state in which the user responds and becomes hallucinated.
Physical effects include dizziness, nausea and illness. Ketamine is particularly dangerous when mixed with other drugs. As a sedative, when mixed with other sedatives, it can lead to unconsciousness and, in the worst case, death. Mixing with stimulants can cause severe tension in the heart, leading to heart failure.
Physical Dependencies
Many people do not understand that ketamine causes physical dependence when a person develops painful physical symptoms (the way alcohol and opioids are practiced) during withdrawal.
It is used to manage pain, but it caused damage to the internal organs, causing a large number of users to experience a lot of pain as ketamine leaves the system and uses it again.
This is one of the reasons why accessing ketamine rehabilitation for treatment is absolutely essential for those who use it regularly and/or frequently.
Psychological addiction
Ketamine causes severe psychological addiction, causing users to crave mentally and experience constant triggers associated with use.
It is a substance that numbs thoughts, feelings, and emotions. So many people who are obsessed with it are experiencing emotional pain, pain and traumatic events. This is why many people continue to return to it during the recreational use stage, as it relieves negative emotions. It will eliminate the pain.
How long-term use of ketamine affects the body
What has been revealed in the growing number of studies is that ketamine is extremely damaged in its physical effects. Severe and long-term use of ketamine results in serious damage to the body. It destroys the functions of the brain, heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system. It can also lead to muscle waste, kidney damage, and liver dysfunction (links to the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts).
How the bladder is affected by ketamine
Perhaps the most common physical damage caused by ketamine in the body is those associated with the bladder. Addiction leads to severe K-clamps in the abdomen, painful urination and incontinence in many users. Ulcerative cystitis can occur in some users, causing the bladder to be removed and leading to people in need of a catheter.
How ketamine affects cognitive function
People with continuous ketamine addiction are cognitively altered. This substance changes brain function, neural wiring, and brain chemistry. Naturally, the way the brain works changes, which affects the way people think, feel and behave.
Some of the most common characteristics seen in normal ketamine users are memory-related issues. Many people experience regular confusion. Just like mood swings, short attention spans are also common.
In some cases, ongoing dissociation occurs and some people develop psychosis.
Ketamine use is affecting the community
Ketamine use is spreading through the community. Most users are around 25 years old. There is an early and popular use between 2010 and 2020, but there are currently many people in their 30s and 40s who have problems with ketamine addiction.
Many communities full of ketamine use have witnessed a death in despair. Suicide and drug overdose associated with ketamine use are high at places where dependence occurs.
Many heavy users with serious health and financial problems share their thoughts of suicide before taking their lives. Tragically, many communities do not have the government input, financial support, or skills to fully deal with the ketamine pandemic.
Current treatment and approaches for ketamine addiction
Understanding the effects of ketamine addiction reveals that users need help. The situation needs to be addressed at a social level.
People have access to catamine addiction treatment at community drug services and private clinics. One common thing about ketamine use is recurrence. It is very psychologically and physically addictive. That’s why people needed medical and psychological input. An interdisciplinary team is essential to effectively support ketamine users.
1. Outpatient services
Outpatient services are available in most towns and cities. These settings are available to anyone with substantive misuse issues. There is a weekly program for group sessions, with one-to-one input from the key worker.
These are very helpful for people to receive help, but outpatient services are not 24-hour services, and many ketamine users need more availability in the evenings and weekends.
However, these are great resources in providing harm reduction advice and connecting people with others on the path of healing. This is an important pillar of sustainable recovery.
2. Inpatient services
Inpatient services are received when people stay in treatment centers for a long period of time. In relation to ketamine use, this includes both hospital stays in the treatment of physical symptoms and private rehabilitation treatment.
Going to private rehabilitation provides the most efficient way to treat ketamine addiction. Being with a team of specialists can heal the safest spaces, whether it’s a material-free environment, a regular trigger.
In rehabilitation, hospitalized patients follow a routine that involves maintaining their wake, bedtime and mealtime. There are programs to follow, including one-on-one treatment support, peer groups, artistic activities, and exercise.
The goal is to shed light on what is caused, what is sustained, what addiction, and rewiring the brain. People develop new healthy ideas to guide the development of healthy habits. That’s why it’s important for people to stay in rehabilitation beyond their initial detox period. In addition to detoxifying from ketamine, it is essential to address psychology.
3. Aftercare services
It is important for people to access aftercare services. Many ketamine users will recur during the recovery process, so contact with professional services other than staying in rehabilitation is essential to staying calm in the long term.
Those who leave the substance by leading the group and actively participating in supporting others are usually the most successful in recovering. Human connections count huge amounts of time in dealing with addiction.
What should I do now to help?
At the individual level, it can help society advance in this field. By educating ourselves, sharing knowledge and encouraging open dialogue to help us break the stigma of addiction, we can help addicted people, access treatment and get the support they need.
