Understanding ketamine addiction: what is ketamine?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for pain management and sedation. It is also used in low doses for treatment-resistant depression. However, ketamine is frequently misused recreationally for its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects, often at parties, clubs, or raves.
Known by street names like “Special K,” ketamine can cause users to feel detached from their bodies, experience visual distortions, and lose a sense of time or identity. Though not physically addictive in the same way as opioids, ketamine abuse can lead to psychological dependence, tolerance, and long-term mental and physical health consequences.
