Ketamine Addiction: The Use and Abuse of Dissociative Anesthetics

The journey of ketamine from medical marvel to street drug illustrates the complex nature of pharmaceutical substances and their potential for both healing and harm. Originally developed as a battlefield anesthetic during the Vietnam War, ketamine offered significant advantages over other anesthetics of the time, including rapid onset, minimal respiratory depression, and the ability to maintain cardiovascular stability during procedures. These properties made it invaluable in emergency medicine and surgical settings where traditional anesthetics might pose unacceptable risks. The drug's ability to provide profound anesthesia while preserving protective reflexes made it particularly useful in trauma situations and pediatric procedures.

The unique pharmacological profile of ketamine sets it apart from other substances of abuse and contributes to both its therapeutic value and its addiction potential. As an NMDA receptor antagonist, ketamine blocks glutamate activity in the brain, producing dissociative effects that can range from mild detachment from reality to complete separation of consciousness from physical sensation. This dissociative property, while useful in medical settings, creates subjective experiences that some individuals find intensely appealing and seek to recreate through non-medical use.