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There’s a huge complexity surrounding ketamine addiction. This is a drug, often used in medicine, that for many years has gone under the radar, wreaking havoc in communities. Only in the last few years has the truth of ketamine addiction started to come out.
Recently, ITV reported that “deaths related to ketamine are up 650% since 2015”. This drug is causing the biggest ruckus the UK has seen since the crack epidemic hit in the late 80s. What’s different with ketamine use is that as it’s often viewed as a party drug. It’s hit a wide range of populations, and young people, in particular are affected.
Ketamine addiction is a drug pandemic that has swept throughout the country. Now, in 2025, the real tragedy of addiction to this drug is coming to light.
The Effects Of Ketamine
Ketamine is an anaesthetic and is also used as pain relief in the medical industry. When used illegally, it causes dissociative effects, causing a disconnected feeling between mind and body. In terms of emotions, ketamine is numbing. For those in the early stages of use, there’s a release of serotonin, which in some can create a feeling of euphoria.
Psychologically, ketamine causes disrupted and random thought patterns. Sometimes referred to as a “sideways” drug, it causes hallucinations and even small amounts can lead to a k-hole, a sedative state where users become unresponsive and hallucinate.
Physical effects include dizziness, nausea, and sickness. When mixed with other drugs, ketamine can be especially dangerous. As a sedative, mixed with other sedatives it can lead to unconsciousness and at worst, death. When mixed with stimulants, it can put severe strain on the heart and lead to heart failure.
Physical Dependency
Many people don’t realise that ketamine causes physical dependency, when a person develops painful physical symptoms during withdrawal (the way that alcohol and opioids do).
Though it’s used in pain management, due to the amount of damage it does to the internal organs, heavy users often experience a lot of pain as the ketamine leaves their system causing them to use again.
This is one of the reasons that accessing ketamine rehab for treatment is absolutely essential for those with regular and/or heavy use.
Psychological Addiction
Ketamine causes severe psychological addiction causing users to crave mentally and to experience constant triggers related to using.
It’s a substance that numbs thoughts, feelings, and emotions. As such, many people who become addicted to it have experienced emotional pain, distress, and traumatic events. This is why many people keep returning to it during the recreational stage of use, because it eases negative feelings. It makes the pain go away.
How Ketamine Affects The Body With Long-term Use
What’s becoming clearer with an increase in research is that ketamine has hugely damaging physical effects. Severe and long-term ketamine use leads to severe damage in the body. It destroys functioning in the brain, heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary system. It can also lead to muscle wasting, kidney injury, and hepatobiliary dysfunction (linked to the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts).
How The Bladder Is Impacted By Ketamine
Perhaps the most common physical injury caused by ketamine in the body is that linked to the bladder. Addiction leads to severe k-cramps in the abdomen, painful urination and incontinence in many users. Ulcerative cystitis develops in some users which can lead to people having their bladders removed and needing a catheter.
How Ketamine Affects Cognitive Functioning
People with ongoing ketamine addiction change cognitively. This substance alters brain functioning, neurological wiring, and brain chemistry. Naturally, the way the brain work changes and this impacts how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
Some of the most common traits seen in regular ketamine users are issues related to memory. Many experience regular confusion. A short attention span is also common as are mood swings.
In some cases, ongoing dissociation occurs and there are those who develop psychosis.
How Ketamine Use Is Impacting Communities
Ketamine use has rippled through communities. Most users are around the age of 25. Though with it’s early popularised use being through the 2010-2020s, there are now many people in their 30s and 40s with ketamine addiction issues.
Many communities where ketamine use is rife have witnessed deaths of despair. Suicide and drug overdose related to ketamine use are high where dependency has developed.
Many heavy users with severe health and financial problems, have shared suicidal thoughts before taking their own lives. Tragically, many communities simply don’t have the governmental input, financial support, or skills to fully address the ketamine pandemic.
Current Treatment And Approaches For Ketamine Addiction
Understanding the effects of ketamine addiction makes it clear that users need help. The situation needs addressing at societal level.
People can access katamine addiction treatment through drug services in the community and at private clinics. One thing that’s common in ketamine use is relapse. It’s highly addictive psychologically and physically. As such, people required medical and psychological input. A multidisciplinary team is essential around supporting ketamine users effectively.
1. Outpatient Services
Outpatient services are in most towns and cities. These settings are available for all people with substance misuse issues. There’s a weekly programme of group sessions, and some one-to-one input from keyworkers.
While these are very useful for people in making the move into receiving help, outpatient services aren’t a 24 hour service and many ketamine users require more availability when it comes to evenings and weekends.
These are, however, excellent resources in offering harm reduction advice and connecting people to others who are on the healing path, which is an important pillar of sustainable recovery.
2. Inpatient Services
Inpatient services are what people receive when they stay at a treatment centre for a length of time. In connection to ketamine use, this includes both hospital stays in the treatment of physical symptoms, as well private rehab treatment.
Going to a private rehab offers the most efficient way to treat ketamine addiction. Being in an environment where there are no substances, any of the usual triggers, and with a team of specialists, creates the safest of spaces to heal.
At rehab, inpatients follow a routine which includes keeping to waking up, bedtimes, and meal times. There are programmes to follow including one-on-one therapeutic support, peer groups, artistic activities and exercise.
The goal is to shine a light on what has caused, and what maintains, the addiction, and to rewire the brain. People develop new healthy thoughts to guide healthy habit development. That’s why it’s important people stay in rehab beyond the initial detox period. As well as detoxing from ketamine, addressing the psychological is essential.
3. Aftercare Services
It’s important that people access aftercare services. Many ketamine users relapse during the recovery process, so being in contact with professional services beyond a stay at rehab is essential to staying sober in the long term.
Those who actively participate by helping to lead groups and supporting others to quit substances usually have the most success in recovery. Human connection counts for a huge amount in addressing addiction long-term.
What To Do Now To Help
At an individual level we can help society progress in this area. By educating ourselves, sharing knowledge and encouraging open dialogue to help break addiction stigma, we support people with addictions to access treatment and get the help required.
