Therapy can help whether your goal is to cut down, to stop, or to understand what ketamine does for you. We will discuss how to look after your health while you decide what you want.
What this covers
Ketamine is a Class B drug and a powerful anaesthetic. People can become addicted and keep using even when they know the health risks. Regular use builds tolerance, so people take more to get the same effect. FRANK lists no physical withdrawal symptoms for it, so the dependence is mainly psychological.
Signs use may be becoming a problem
- Using more often, or in larger amounts, than you meant to
- Needing more to get the same effect
- Craving it, or planning your day around it
- Frequent, urgent or painful urination, or blood in your urine
- Stomach pain after using
Risks and safety: read this
- Ketamine can seriously damage the bladder and urinary tract. Symptoms include frequent, urgent or painful urination and blood in the urine. Stopping can help, but the damage can be severe enough to need surgery. Please do not ignore these symptoms; see a doctor or your local drug treatment service.
- Heavy use may also cause stomach pain (sometimes called K cramps) and liver damage.
- Mixing ketamine with alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids is dangerous and can be fatal.
- Reduced pain sensation can mean injuries go unnoticed, and impaired movement can leave you vulnerable. Never use it alone.
- Regular use can cause memory problems, depression and, occasionally, hallucinations. If you are low or having thoughts of ending your life, call Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24 hours).
- Call 999 if someone is unresponsive, breathing slowly or seriously unwell after using.
Support you can get alongside therapy
Therapy sits alongside medical care, not instead of it. How to get treatment without going through your GP, and where to find helplines.
What therapy can offer
- Working out what ketamine does for you (escape, numbness, connection) and what else could do some of that work
- Practical strategies for cravings and relapse
- Support alongside any medical care for your bladder or other symptoms
Confidentiality
Worried about your job or your driving licence? What I report, and what stays between us.
If it is someone you love
Watching someone you love use ketamine can be frightening, especially when they are in pain and still using. Support for families and loved ones.
Short answers to common questions
Should I see a doctor before I change how much I use?
If you have bladder symptoms, please get them checked whatever your goal is.
Does ketamine really damage your bladder?
Yes. Regular use can cause serious bladder and urinary tract damage, sometimes severe enough to need surgery. Stopping can help, so getting support early matters.
Are there withdrawal symptoms?
FRANK lists no physical withdrawal symptoms, though some people feel low for a few days after using. The dependence is mainly psychological, which is something therapy can work with.
Is ketamine addictive?
Yes, it can be. FRANK says people who become addicted to ketamine will keep taking it, and that tolerance can develop, so people may need more to get the same effect. There are no physical withdrawal symptoms, so the hold is mainly psychological. In therapy we can look at what ketamine does for you, and what else could do some of that.
Is ketamine illegal, and what about driving?
Ketamine is a Class B drug. FRANK says possession can bring up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both, and supplying someone else up to 14 years. It also says driving when high is dangerous and illegal, and can lead to a heavy fine, a driving ban or a prison sentence.
Can ketamine make my mental health worse?
It can. FRANK says people may feel low for a few days after using, and that regular use can cause depression and, occasionally, psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations. Longer-term effects it lists include flashbacks, memory loss and problems with concentration, and ketamine can make existing mental health problems worse. If low mood is part of why you use, we can work on both together.