According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, ketamine is one of the drugs in the dissociative class of drugs. Most of these drugs are banned worldwide for recreational use. In addition, ketamine happens to have a variety of medical and veterinary applications. Unfortunately, ketamine has a number of myths going around the community about it and these myths often discourage treatment for ketamine addiction.

If you or someone you love needs help quitting ketamine, call 800-915-1270 (Who Answers?). 

Myth #1: Ketamine is Not Addictive

The most popular myth circulated by the general public is that ketamine is not addictive. This is based off the mistaken belief that there is only one type of addiction. While it is true that ketamine is not physically addictive, it is psychologically addictive. Psychological addiction is much more difficult break than physical addiction and therefore more dangerous.

Myth #2: People on Ketamine will Throw Themselves out of Windows or Engage in other Deadly Behaviors

Ketamine use can trigger already existing psychosis, however it does not cause psychosis.

Although ketamine does make you engage in dangerous behavior such as unprotected sex or having no sense of judgment, it does not make you jump out of windows thinking that you can fly nor does it make you suddenly believe you are invincible.

Myth #3: Ketamine Always Causes Psychosis

Although if you have a underlying psychosis, ketamine might make that psychosis more apparent, it does not itself cause the psychosis. It causes a dreamlike state where you body is disconnected from physical sensation. This is dangerous because you can easily injure yourself while on ketamine but it does not cause a psychotic break unless psychosis is already there. It can cause depression, lethargy, and anxiety, which may become permanent.

Myth #4: You can Mix Ketamine with Alcohol Safely

This is a very common myth with many of the club drugs. People usually use ketamine in a drinking or dance club atmosphere. Ketamine, when combined with alcohol, increases the negative side effects of ketamine. Memory loss and dissociation are more severe.

Myth #:5 Ketamine can Give Insights into the Universe

The thought that a drug can give you insight into the universe is not a new one. Since recreational psychedelic use became popular, people have thought that because you hallucinate drugs like ketamine can give you a heightened awareness the universe around you. This simply isn’t true. What you see and hear is a product of your mind, not an altered reality.

Myth #6: Ketamine causes Illegal Behavior

Although using ketamine is an illegal behavior, there is a popular myth that people on ketamine do illegal things. Most people on ketamine do nothing at all. Large amounts of ketamine disconnects the brain from the body, this means that users might not move on their own for hours much less engage in illegal activity.

5 Surprising Ketamine Facts

Myth #7: Ketamine cannot Make you Sick

Since it is not physically addictive people think that ketamine cannot make you sick. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. There are some pretty severe long term and short term effects such as urinary and kidney failure.

Myth #8: You do not Need Treatment if you are Addicted to Ketamine

Again because people believe that ketamine is not physically addictive, people believe they do not think they need treatment for ketamine addiction. A psychological addiction is just as bad and just as treatable as a physical addiction. If you find yourself psychologically addicted to ketamine, you need to seek treatment. You can do this by calling 800-915-1270 (Who Answers?).