Ketamine may play a role in treating Substance Use Disorder. A 1997 review stated that the psychedelic experience from ketamine treatment contributed1 to the effectiveness of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for alcoholism. In this clinical trial of 211 alcoholic patients, researchers found that 66 percent of 111 participants experienced total abstinence after one year following ketamine treatment, compared to 24 percent of patients in the conventional treatment group. Additionally, the researchers further reported that participants demonstrated positive transformation in the areas of self-concept and emotions, as well as life values and a sense of purpose. These psychological changes were “shown to favor a sober lifestyle,” according to the researchers’ findings.
In a 2002 double-blind randomized control study2, researchers looked at the effects of ketamine psychotherapy on people detoxified from heroin. 70 participants were randomly assigned to a lower dose (0.2mg) or a higher dose (2.0mg) of ketamine. The higher dose group experienced hallucinogenic or psychedelic effects, whereas the lower dose group experienced ‘‘sub-psychedelic’’ effects. Researchers found that the higher dose of ketamine resulted in higher rates of abstinence at two-year follow-up, as well as fewer cravings and increases in positive mental attitudes. The researchers attributed the more successful outcomes in the higher dose, in part, to the psychedelic-type experience produced by ketamine.
A 2021 review reported also concluded that ketamine is effective for treating substance use disorder, resulting in higher abstinence rates compared to usual treatments for alcohol, cocaine, and opioid abuse3 .
