Ketamine Addiction and Dependence
Ketamine addiction is the fastest changing pattern of drug use we see, and it is still widely misunderstood. It is often described as harmless, recreational and easy to stop, and by the time someone contacts us they have usually discovered that none of those things were true. At InHarmoni we treat ketamine dependence in a private residential setting near Marbella, with medical supervision, individual therapy and an English speaking team. One point deserves stating clearly, because the two are often confused: we treat dependence on ketamine and we provide medically supervised withdrawal, and we do not offer ketamine assisted therapy for depression or any other condition.
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What ketamine dependence actually looks like
Ketamine does not follow the pattern people expect from a drug problem. Tolerance builds unusually quickly, the psychological pull is strong, and the physical damage often arrives before anyone has admitted there is a problem at all.
The signs that most often bring people to us are these:
- Needing far larger amounts than a year ago for the same effect
- Bladder pain, urgency or bleeding, which is often the first physical warning
- Stomach cramps that come in episodes and have no other explanation
- Memory gaps, confusion and difficulty holding a train of thought
- Using alone rather than socially, and using through the working week
The bladder symptoms matter more than anything else on that list. Ketamine related urinary damage can become permanent, and it is the single strongest reason not to wait and see how things develop.
How treatment works here
Our ketamine addiction treatment follows the same clinical structure as the rest of our programmes, adapted to what this particular drug does to the body and the mind.
The core residential programme runs for 28 days, and can be extended where the clinical picture calls for it.
Assessment
A clinical conversation before arrival, covering how much and how often, physical symptoms, other substances, psykisk helse and medication. Where bladder or kidney symptoms are present we make sure the right medical checks happen.
Medically supervised withdrawal
Ketamine withdrawal is primarily psychological, with cravings, low mood, disturbed sleep and anxiety that can be severe. Doing it with medical oversight makes the difference between getting through the first fortnight and abandoning it on day four.
Therapy
Individual and group work looking at what the ketamine has been doing for you, because there is nearly always something underneath. Dissociation is the point of the drug, and what a person is dissociating from is usually the real work.
Etterbehandling
A plan for the return home, with continued therapy, kontakt with us and a clear picture of the situations most likely to lead back to use.
Treatment near Marbella
Our clinic is in El Paraíso, minutes from the beach and a short drive from Marbella. It is deliberately small, private and English speaking, and it is not designed to feel like a hospital.
Distance from the people and places tied to using is part of what makes residential treatment work, and Malaga airport is under an hour away with direct flights from most British and Nordic cities.
Ketamine alongside other substances
Ketamine is rarely used alone. Alcohol, cocaine and prescribed medication frequently sit alongside it, and treating one while leaving the others untouched does not work. Everything present is assessed and treated in the same programme by the same team.
Clinically led
Every programme at InHarmoni is overseen by qualified medical and psychotherapeutic staff. That distinction matters in this region, where a good deal of what is marketed as treatment is not clinically staffed at all. You are welcome to ask us directly what qualifications sit behind your programme, and we will answer plainly.
Frequently asked questions
Is ketamine addictive?
Ketamine does not produce the physical dependence that alcohol or opioids do, but it produces strong psychological dependence and fast tolerance. In practice people find it very difficult to stop without help, which is the part that matters.
Do you offer ketamine assisted therapy?
No. We treat ketamine dependence and provide medically supervised withdrawal. Ketamine as a treatment method for depression is not something we offer.
Will the bladder damage heal?
Sometimes, and it depends entirely on how far it has gone. Stopping is the only thing that gives the bladder a chance to recover, and early symptoms often improve. Advanced damage can be permanent, which is why this is not something to postpone.
How long does treatment take?
The residential programme is 28 days as standard. That covers withdrawal and the beginning of the therapeutic work, with continued support after you leave.
Is treatment confidential?
Entirely. Clients are not identified, and nothing about your stay reaches anyone without your written consent.
Can I come from the UK?
Yes, and many of our clients do. We complete the assessment before you travel so that nothing is uncertain when you arrive, and we arrange transfers from the airport.
Related treatment areas
Speak to us in confidence
If the physical symptoms have started, the useful thing is to talk to someone who knows what they mean. A first conversation with us costs nothing, commits you to nothing and gives you an honest answer about whether treatment here is right for you.
14 dager
Enough to stabilise the situation, restore sleep and get a clear clinical picture. A start rather than a full course of treatment.
28 dager
The standard programme. Long enough to get through withdrawal and into therapeutic work, with four months of individual aftercare afterwards.
56 dager
The right clinical choice where there is more than one diagnosis, or where earlier attempts have not held.
