Ketamine was once known primarily as an anesthetic. Today, it’s a drug with a dual identity—used therapeutically in clinical settings for treatment-resistant depression, but also misused recreationally for its dissociative and hallucinogenic effects. When ketamine use becomes chronic and compulsive, it can devastate every dimension of a person’s life: mind, body, and spirit.

As an addiction specialist, I’ve seen firsthand how ketamine addiction can quietly unravel someone’s sense of self. But I’ve also seen people rebuild—stronger, wiser, and more connected than ever before.