I am interested in what Ketamine could possibly do for me. I've been addicted to opiates my entire life. Ive managed long periods of abstinence before but still could never reach a point without them that would allow me to have any kind of quality of life. I've tried everything and been thru every rehab on this side of the state. I feel so hopeless. It feels like all of the options available are only gonna place expectations on me that I am not capable of. Its been suggested to me that the reason it's so difficult for me is because most of my developmental years occured while I was under the influence of them. It's easy to assume that I am just not trying hard enough. Maybe I am not. Regardless it's no kinda life.
Opiates are incredibly physically addictive and extremely difficult to get off of after long-term use under the best of circumstances. It is completely understandable that you are unable to quit. The fact that you began using so early indicates that there is likely another problem you are facing. Dr. Gabor Maté, who is considered by many to be one of the world's leading experts on the relationship between trauma and addiction, says that addiction always serves a purpose. The drug addiction is not a disease or a problem but a band-aid solution to one. The addiction is sometimes what is keeping people alive in their struggle against the actual problem. Addiction is often due to childhood trauma (emotional/physical/sexual/narcissistic abuse or other traumatizing events) and/or anxiety, depression, etc. (Which may result from this trauma) It can also occur as a response to other emotional loss. The point is that nobody who has faced zero suffering in their life has an urge or desire to try drugs in the first place, and those who do are incredibly unlikely to become addicted. You can read more about this perspective
here if you're interested. It is extremely uncomfortable for psychiatrists to admit this fact, to the point that psychiatry textbooks once claimed that the rate of childhood sexual abuse in America was over 1 in a million. Modern psychiatry instead focuses on band-aid solutions that cover up problems and blame the vast majority of mental disorders on genetics and "chemical imbalances."
You need to find and work through the emotional issues that caused you to become addicted and to use opiates so early in life. Without solving these issues, you will continue to regress back into addiction no matter how much effort you put in. This solution can be a combination of therapy, journaling, meditation, psychedelic-assisted therapy, etc. I personally also found exercise to be extremely helpful. I can send you resources on this if you're interested. Feel free to PM me.
As for ketamine, it allows you to look at your issues while separating yourself from them, and (through some neurochemistry which I won't get into) it also makes it extremely difficult for you to feel suicidal in the days/weeks following usage. I believe there was a study in the 1990s that used ketamine-assisted hypnosis to treat alcoholism, but I'm unable to find it at the moment. While I have not personally struggled with severe addiction, I found ketamine to be helpful in alleviating extreme suicidal ideation and it also helped me work through some of my mental health issues during the few experiences I had with it. It is a relatively mild substance outside of very strong doses and its short duration (When used intranasally, which I strongly recommend over other RoAs) is very helpful. I got what I needed from it (temporary relief from my suicidal ideation) and then used psychedelics, therapy, and other practices as more permanent solutions. I have had little to no desire to try ketamine again as I found it to be somewhat boring and disliked the cognitive impairment experienced during the trip. I don't have any knowledge about whether or not it can affect opiate withdrawal, but I will list some other substances that have proven to be extremely successful as unorthodox treatments to opioid/other addiction.
Research and anecdotal reports indicate that Ibogaine is the most effective substance for treating addiction. It can also prevent you from having opioid withdrawal, though I'm unsure if this has been replicated clinically or if it is purely an anecdotal claim. Hamilton's Pharmacopeia did an excellent episode or two on ibogaine, and
this documentary (which I have yet to watch) on YouTube also appears to focus on the subject. Be careful if you pursue this route, as ibogaine can be extremely dangerous (And even lethal) if dosed excessively and is also quite difficult to obtain in Western countries.
If you haven't tried it yet (which is unlikely given that you are on here), LSD has also shown incredible efficacy in treating addiction and alcoholism. Psilocybin has been used for this purpose, but I personally prefer LSD for therapy as I find it to be more clear-headed. I would suggest finding an experienced, qualified tripsitter to assist you if you choose this route. Generally a close friend who is empathetic, supportive, and experienced with psychedelics is best. Remember that the treatment is not the drug but the therapy and experiences which the drug allows. You should also talk to someone who has experience using psychedelics to treat opioid addiction and ask them how/if to taper off of the opiates. Do some research on here and on Erowid and you should be able to find numerous people who have used one of the substances listed here to treat addiction. I hope this helps.