Author: Derek Beres / Source: Big Think
- The popular party drug has shown promise in stopping suicidal thoughts in a number of small clinical studies.
- First synthesized in 1962, the anesthetic was used to treat Vietnam War soldiers in the early seventies.
- Though the accompanying hallucinations are a roadblock to widespread therapy, innovations in psychiatry are necessary.
The dirtiest drug I ever tried was ketamine. Besides having a general aversion to snorting powder, I vividly recall one evening in 1995 when, after ingesting a hearty dose of the anesthetic, I could no longer tell the difference between standing, sitting, and lying down. Fortunately I was in a safe environment; the effects eventually wore off, my relationship to gravity restored. The following morning was rough, causing me to swear off the drug forever.
Bad experiences create aversions. There are too many horror stories to count about the curious traveler landing in Los Angeles to partake in recreational marijuana who ends up eating fifty milligrams when five would have sufficed. Once that experience is locked into memory it’s doubtful you’ll ever enjoy an edible again. Dosage matters. If you’re not careful, you’re writing off a potential beneficial therapy due to ignorance and over-enthusiasm. Getting back on the horse, as it goes, takes a certain determination.
Ketamine isn’t actually dirty, I just took too much. Others are finding a lot of benefit to the chemical. The recent uptick in clinical cases promoting ketamine as an antidote to suicidal thinking is one such victory.
A person holding up a bottle of Ketamine, Horse tranquilliser, UK 2006
This isn’t exactly new. In June, 2017 I covered this study, discussing the means by which ketamine works:
Ketamine is responsible for blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which causes an immediate alleviation of depressive effects, while another metabolite in the drug helps the effects last for hours. This blockage is also what causes the hallucinogenic effects.
First synthesized in 1962 by Wayne State University chemistry professor, Calvin Stevens, it was first tested on human prisoners (following animal trials). Regardless of the ethics of testing on the prison population, it was approved for clinical use by the FDA in 1970. Shortly thereafter it was used an anesthesia in the Vietnam War.
Ketamine was also immediately used outside of…
The post Can a party drug stop the increasing rate of suicide? appeared first on FeedBox.