Is your Teenager Addicted to Ketamine?

Ketamine gained popularity as a recreational drug in the UK nightclub scene in the early 1990’s because of the sensations of euphoria and the experience of seeing colours and hearing sounds. Actually, ketamine is an anesthetic used on both humans and animals but large amounts of ketamine abuse can cause severe damage to the bladder, including flashbacks and visual disturbances. Government figures suggested a peak in the number of ketamine-related deaths at 21 in 2009; however, it declined to 6 fatalities in 2013. Why Parents should be Concerned about Ketamine Addiction Parents are often concerned whether their teens are experimenting with drugs or are already addicted to it. It is important to learn the facts about drugs to prevent your children from starting on them and progressing to become drug dependents. Most of ketamine users are teens and young adults between the ages 12 and 25; however, this does not mean that ketamine cannot be abused by adults since anyone can use it. The younger generation tends to abuse this recreational drug at clubs, bars, parties and concerts because of its hallucinogenic effects. Sexual predators abuse the temporary ketamine effects of incapacitation and loss of memory among their unsuspecting victims. rnHow to Tell if Your Teenager is a Ketamine AddictrnKetamine when taken in low doses can cause impaired attention, learning ability and memory. High doses will cause hallucinations and a dream-like state of mind. Extremely high doses cause both delirium and amnesia. As a parent, you always have to be on the lookout for telltale signs of ketamine addiction that include: • Slurred speechrn• Emotionally out of controlrn• Aggressive or violent behaviorrn• Vomitingrn• Depressionrn• Convulsionsrn• Memory problemsrn• Impaired breathingrn• Dreamy state of mind Is there Hope for Ketamine Addiction? There is no reason why ketamine addiction cannot be cured once the individual accepts his responsibility over the addiction. More than ever, drug rehabilitation has become very important to control the growing menace of drug addiction particularly among teens. Teenagers often experiment with multiple drugs due to their curiosity to experience that intense “high” and unknowingly become hooked. Rehabilitation has come a long way and there are specific programs suitable for different kinds of drug problems. The success of any rehabilitation program relies upon the support and help of the family and community to provide the strength to face the consequences of drug abuse.