Ketamine is a popular drug among young people, which is easy to buy on the black market. It is often used by those who want to experience unusual sensations: euphoria, floating in the air, new perception of colors and sounds. All of this is a consequence of the effect of ketamine on the level of glutamate, which is responsible for communication between neurons, as well as on the release of serotonin and dopamine – the hormones of happiness and pleasure.
Basically, every ketamine ingestion causes symptoms of psychosis: hallucinations, delusions, and altered consciousness. In this article we will tell you whether ketamine can cause permanent psychosis, which without proper treatment leads to the development of severe mental illness.
The Link Between Ketamine and Psychosis
The effects of ketamine on the mental state of people have been studied for the past several decades, ever since ketamine addiction became serious in the United States.
The lawful connection between ketamine and psychosis can be explained by the principle of action of this substance. When it enters the bloodstream, it blocks the receptor ion channel, simply put, impairs communication between neurons in the part of the brain responsible for sensory impulses. On the other hand, ketamine stimulates the limbic system, which is responsible for sensation.
A study by Adrienne C Lahti MD and colleagues, published in Nature in 2001, revealed some interesting patterns. The experiment evaluated the effects of a single and continuous administration of ketamine to healthy people and patients with schizophrenia. The data obtained showed that ketamine provokes schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms in healthy volunteers and aggravates specific symptoms of schizophrenia in the group of sick people.
The 2020 study by Katherine Beck cannot be overlooked. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 studies with a total of 725 participants led to the following conclusions:
- ketamine causes symptoms of psychosis in healthy people and in patients with schizophrenia;
- acute administration of the substance into the bloodstream results in more severe schizophrenia-like and psychotomimetic symptoms.
Still, how does ketamine cause psychosis? The answer may lie in experiments on rats.
In 2022, Yi Qin, Ali Mahdavi, Marine Bertsch and other researchers published a paper on the effects of ketamine on the transmission of sensory information. The experiments revealed the appearance of “background noise” in the brains of rats after they were injected with ketamine. According to Sofia Kulikova, who was directly involved in the experiments, ketamine is often used in animal experiments to simulate the state of acute psychosis. This may speak in favor of the assumption that NMDA receptor dysfunction plays one of the key roles in the development of ketamine psychosis. The findings suggest that ketamine is a direct cause of the distortion of reality perception – the development of psychosis.
Symptoms of Ketamine-Induced Psychosis
Persistent psychosis caused by long-term ketamine use requires immediate specialist intervention. If this is not done, the addiction and psychosis will progress day by day. Each day under the influence of ketamine will have an increasingly negative impact on the physical and mental state.
Ketamine affects each person differently. Therefore, we will list the main signs that are most common.
The main symptoms of ketamine psychosis are:
- Behavioral changes. The addict has incoherent speech and inadequate behavior. He may show a tendency to isolate himself from society, stop being interested in work or studies. As the psychosis develops, dangerous aggressive behavior, falling into a stupor or sudden excitement may be observed.
- External manifestations. Often with persistent psychosis caused by the intake of ketamine, sleep patterns are disturbed, hygiene problems appear, facial expressions change, skin redness appears. The addict speaks less, and the spoken words are often difficult to make out the first time.
- Cognitive disorders. With the development of permanent ketamine psychosis, a person often hallucinates, does not understand where he is and what year it is, shows excessive suspicion of others, experiences unmotivated fear. This condition is usually accompanied by delusions and panic attacks.
Factors Influencing the Risk of Permanent Psychosis
All people who use ketamine are at risk – everyone can develop permanent psychosis. But there are a few factors that affect this the most.
These include:
- Age and frequency of use of the drug. Over time, ketamine-induced psychosis progresses to the point where mental changes become irreversible.
- Large dosages. Addicts use high doses of the drug to overcome tolerance. This causes powerful and prolonged symptoms of psychosis, which can go from temporary to permanent.
- Use of mixes. To increase the effects, addicts often mix ketamine with alcohol, marijuana, and other substances. This can cause irreparable damage to the psyche.
- Mental illnesses. Mental abnormalities in the history of the addict or his relatives multiply the risks of permanent psychosis caused by ketamine use.
Other factors include the age of the beginning of use: young people tolerate drugs worse, as their brain is still underdeveloped. In some cases, there are metabolic disorders, in which ketamine is slowly eliminated from the body. And some of the most important factors are family neglect and lack of timely treatment.
Seeking Help for Ketamine Abuse
Ketamine dependence can and should be treated. It is practically impossible to cope with it on your own – you need the help of specialists and special rehabilitation conditions. The earlier it is provided, the less negative consequences for health and the lower the risk of relapse.
At New Breath Recovery clinic, patients are provided with comprehensive treatment for ketamine addiction: step by step, doctors and the patient overcome difficulties so that the addict can have a new life without drugs.