I am Terrified for the Street Ketamine Users and Addicts.

Hey Everyone, I'm so worried about the Ketamine shortage. I've heard it's going to last months. I think the crisis is going to be even deadlier than the heroin/fent fiasco, and I think it's going to be even harder to combat. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I wanted to put forward some of my thoughts. I'd be interested if folks think any of these are good/bad ideas.<br><br>I've been sober from ketamine for 7 months. I feel better. I love my life. I think in general, ketamine is a terrible drug for most people, and I wish people didn't do it. I've spent years of my life lost in the haze of ketamine, and I've lost people I loved to it. I've seen too many people get over social skills and spend their entire lives on the couch. I've seen how bad it effects our teeth, our bladders, our skin, our relationships. I hope we can get k away from street users, and funnel them to rehab, or at least k clinic.<br><br>Ketamine is so dangerous for street drug users. Any time someone takes street drugs, they're playing roulette. They don't know what they're taking. They don't know the dose. They don't know the quality. The person they get it from doesn't know. They don't know the risks, or how to handle the risks. And they do it all alone. Street drug users have to hide, and they can't talk about it openly. They can't ask questions, so they can't learn. And people who don't use drugs don't understand, and so they can't offer empathy or compassion. Street drug users are often left alone, and they're left to deal with the consequences of what can go wrong. Addicts are treated largely as scum and if they accidentally OD, they're just another statistic.<br><br>And so, if the Street Ketamine supply dries up, addicts will be left alone to handle the withdrawal, they'll have no one to talk to, and they'll be desperate enough to do anything in attempts to get drugs. This is a recipe for disaster. <br><br>Here are the things that I think are going to happen, and how I think we can help:<br><br>1. Withdrawal: Addicts are going to be left alone to deal with withdrawal. The withdrawal from ketamine is hellish, it can last for months, and it's completely debilitating. I hope we can get people into rehab centers. I hope we can get people therapy. I hope we can get people support groups. I hope we can get people feeling better, and excited for their future.<br><br>2. Overdose: If addicts try to switch to other drugs, they're going to be in a lot more danger from overdosing. Addicts know what they're doing with ketamine, they do it all the time. They know the dose. They know how they react. They know the risks. If they switch to other drugs, they don't know the risks. They don't know how they react. They don't know the dose. They'll be scared and unable to ask questions, so they'll be left alone to figure it out. It's inevitable that people will accidentally take too much, and they'll overdose. I hope we can get Narcan widely available, so if someone goes down, they can get treated and live. I hope we can encourage people to never take drugs alone, and to always have someone there to look after them. <br><br>3. Suicide: I'm worried that people will kill themselves. Addicts won't be able to handle the withdrawal, they'll be desperate, they'll be alone, and they'll kill themselves. I hope we can get people help, and I hope we can get people support. I hope people can see a future where they can be happy, and excited to be alive. I hope we can show people they're loved, and they're important, and they matter, and they're not alone. I hope we can give people the confidence to be strong enough to handle the withdrawal, and to fight through it. This is the thing that I think is most important. If we can get people support, they can get through this, and they can be happy, and they can live. If we can do anything to help with this, we should.<br><br>4. Crime: I'm afraid that addicts are going to start committing crimes looking for drugs. Addicts are desperate, they're unable to think clearly, they're alone, they're terrified, and they'll do whatever they have to do to get drugs. If we can get addicts into rehabs, we can prevent them from committing crimes, and ruining their lives too. <br><br>5. Violence: I'm worried about violence. Addicts are going to do whatever it takes to get drugs. If they can't get drugs, they'll fight someone to get drugs. If they don't have money, they'll fight someone to get money. If they think someone has drugs, they'll beat them too get the drugs. If they can't get drugs, they'll fight people out of frustration. I hope we can get people support so they can handle this. I hope we can get people talking and communicating, and I hope we can get people thinking clearly enough so they can understand what they're doing.<br><br>6. Dealers: Dealers are going to be screwed. They won't be able to buy drugs from Mexico, they won't be able to buy drugs from China. It's going to be expensive to buy drugs from pharmacies, they won't have access to pharmacies, they won't be able to afford them, and it will be illegal, so they'll get in trouble. They'll have to switch to other drugs. If they switch to other drugs, they'll be in danger. Street drug dealers can't talk openly, they can't ask questions, and they can't communicate. They'll be desperate, and they won't know what they're doing. They won't know the dose, they won't know the quality, they won't know the price, they won't know the risks, they won't know the side effects, and they won't know how to handle them. They'll be alone, and they'll be left to figure it out on their own. They'll probably find a new drug, and they'll start selling it. They'll be just as desperate as the addicts, and they'll be just as alone, and they'll be in just as much danger. They'll have to navigate all the dangers of street drugs, and they'll have to do it without any help. I think this is going to be a disaster. I think they'll start selling all sorts of drugs, fentanyl, heroin, mescaline, PCP, LSD, GHB, etc. They'll have no idea what they're selling, they'll have no idea what the dose is, they'll have no idea what the quality is, they'll have no idea what the risks are, they'll have no idea what the side effects are, and they will have no idea how to handle them. They'll be selling drugs, they'll have no idea what they're selling, and they'll be selling them to addicts who have no idea they're taking them. I think this is going to be a catastrophe.<br><br>If we can get the Ketamine off the streets, and we can get addicts into rehab centers, I think we can handle this crisis. We can prevent so many overdoses, we can prevent people from being conned into taking deadly drugs, we can prevent people from committing crimes. We can get people excited for the future, and we can give people a chance at happiness. I really hope this happens. I really hope we can keep people safe, and I really hope we can keep people alive.<br><br>This is the problem, and this is my solution. I hope it helps. I hope we can work together to fix this. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you all have a great night.