Ketamine helped me escape my negative thoughts - then nearly killed me
Ketamine is unlike many other street drugs due to the way it interacts with the brain. Small amounts of the Class B drug can give a sense of euphoria and excitement, while large amounts can lead to a state known as the "K-hole," where users feel detached from reality - an out-of-body-type experience.The number of under 16s reporting a problem with the drug has nearly doubled over the past two years, overtaking cocaine in popularity with children and young people.Nearly half those (49%) who started treatment for drug misuse in 2023-24 said they had a mental health problem, with more than a quarter not receiving any treatment for the latter.
Details of help and support with addiction are available in the UK at BBC Action Line
Experts are warning that some young people are taking dangerous amounts of ketamine not only due to it's low price and ease of availability, but also because of the dissociative feelings it brings."What we are seeing is a perfect storm," David Gill, the founder of Risk and Reliance, a company which trains front-line workers on emerging drug trends. "We have more young people struggling with depression, trauma, anxiety, a lack of services - and we have a very cheap street drug that helps them disconnect."Abbie's first line of ketamine did exactly that. She says it "felt like such a powerful place to be"."My thoughts no longer had a negative effect on me - life was passing me by, but I didn't have to engage with it."Abbie's childhood had been hard. Struggling with mental health problems and undiagnosed ADHD, she had left school at 14 and found herself in a whirlwind of drink, drugs and unhealthy relationships.
Although addiction cast a long shadow throughout her 20s, Abbie managed to secure a place at university, staying clean throughout, and obtained a healthcare degree.She is smart, articulate and wants to do well, but after two abusive and controlling relationships ketamine became the only means she had to block out the trauma.Yet when she went to her GP to seek help she was prescribed sleeping tablets and told to "come off the ket"."The withdrawals were so bad I would be shaking and vomiting," she says, "it wasn't that easy to just come off it."Then a deeper level of addiction took hold.
"I always prided myself in the early stages of addiction of keeping my morals and my values and not lying to people," Abbie says, "but I couldn't stop the drugs and I found myself hiding my use to my friends."Things escalated. Eventually Abbie was taking ketamine every day - incessantly. The only time she would take a shower, she says, would be when she went out to meet her dealer on the street.The physical effects of overuse began to kick in - horrific abdominal pains, known as K-cramps, would leave her screaming in agony. She would place boiling hot water bottles on her abdomen - burning her skin. And then she would take even more ketamine to numb the pain.
What is ketamine?
Often referred to as ket, Special K or just K, ketamine is a powerful horse tranquilliser and anaesthetic. It is a licensed drug and can be prescribed medicallyWhen misused, it can cause serious and sometimes permanent damage to the bladderIt is currently a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971The penalty for possession is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine - or both
This cycle of drug abuse is something public health consultant Professor Rachel Isba also sees in her new clinic for under 16s experiencing the physical side effects of ketamine use.Chronic use of the drug can cause ketamine-induced uropathy, a relatively new condition, which affects the bladder, kidneys and liver. The bladder lining becomes so inflamed it can result in permanent damage and it has to be removed.Prof Isba says the first signs of ketamine bladder are severe abdominal pains, urinating blood and jelly from the damaged bladder lining."Patients referred to the clinic will receive a holistic approach," she says, "care from the specialist urology team to treat the physical effects of the drug, and then they will be supported - and referred if necessary - to community services who can help with the often complex reasons behind their drug use."
'Completely helpless'
Sarah Norman, from St Helens, says she felt like a "silent watcher" as her daughter began to "fade in front" of her eyes.Last September she discovered that Maisie, 25, was addicted to ketamine, which had caused potentially irreversible damage to her kidneys."We are just an average family," Sarah says. "I never thought Maisie would have ended up addicted to any drugs - she doesn't even drink alcohol."Maisie had kept it quiet - ashamed of the stigma attached to her ketamine use. But what had started as a party drug she'd take at festivals had become a substance she couldn't function without.In the end her partner moved out with their three-year-old son."I had nothing left to live for," Maisie says. "It got to the point I was doing bump after bump [snorting small amounts of it]."For a short time I would be knocked out of reality - then I would take more."
Eventually, Maisie's mum and sister carried her into hospital - she weighed just five stone (32kg)."The doctors said her body was failing her," Sarah says. "We thought we might lose her."As a parent, she says, she felt completely helpless."It's hell on earth, there is nothing you can do. You ask yourself what you should have done."Maisie's kidneys were fitted with nephrostomy tubes, which drain the urine out into two bags - which she now carries around with her.Yet even this major operation didn't end Maisie's addiction. But finally, after fighting for a place in rehab she has now been clean for five months.Sarah posts about her daughter's drug journey on Tik Tok where many parents reach out to her for help and advice with their own children."This drug is just horrific, so many other young people are struggling with it," Sarah says. "I am so proud of Maisie though, she's going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings every night."The pain she must have been through - and still goes through - I'm not sure if I'd have been as resilient and strong as she is."
Abbie was rejected from NHS rehabilitation services twice, and reached a point where she considered taking her own life."There was so much chaos around me and the services weren't going to help me, I just wanted to end it all," she says.But after sending a five-page letter to the panel that decides on eligibility she finally managed to access a detox and rehabilitation service."I had three choices," Abbie says, "rehab, section - or in a coffin."Abbie was treated in the same rehabilitation unit as Maisie. She is now out, clean and proud of herself but says the treatment she received failed to deal with her trauma."I can look after myself on a daily basis and I'm doing OK. The real work starts now I'm out of rehab," she says, " and now I am clean, hopefully I can get the mental health support I so desperately needed when I was using."A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said that as part of its 10 Year Health Plan to reform the NHS, it was going to be much "bolder in moving from sickness to prevention"."This government is driving down the use of drugs like ketamine, ensuring more people receive timely treatment and support, and making our streets and communities safer."
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Owning dog or cat could preserve some brain functions as we age, study says
As Britain's population ages and dementia rates climb, scientists may have found an unexpected ally in the fight against cognitive decline. Cats and dogs may be exercising more than just your patience: they could be keeping parts of your brain ticking over too. In a potential breakthrough for preventive health, researchers have found that owning a four-pawed friend is linked to slower cognitive decline by potentially preserving specific brain functions as we grow older. Interestingly, the associations differ depending on the animal: dog owners were found to retain sharper memory, both immediate and delayed, while cat owners showed slower decline in verbal fluency. When it comes to slower cognitive decline in their owners, however, it seems that not all pets are created equal: fish and birds, while charming companions, showed no significant link. 'Pet ownership has been linked to a positive influence on cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in late adulthood,' said Adriana Rostekova, a researcher and lead author of the article, which was published in Nature. 'However, there is limited understanding of how different species of pets are associated with these outcomes.' Rostekova, who works at the lifespan developmental psychology research group at the University of Geneva, used data from eight waves of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe to examine the relationship between pet ownership and cognitive decline over an 18-year period among adults aged 50 and older. She specifically looked at the distinct role of owning dogs, cats, birds and fish. 'The key novelty of our study was that we found notable differences between the species,' she said. Rostekova hypothesised that because keeping fish or birds showed no meaningful link to changes in cognitive decline, the overall pattern of pet ownership may be driven primarily by having a cat or dog rather than pet ownership in general. 'Several explanations may help explain the absence of this association in fish and bird owners, despite the reports of their ownership' positive influence on wellbeing in ways that are usually associated with cognitive benefits,' she added. 'A fish or bird's short lifespan may potentially limit the level of emotional connection one is able to develop with the pet fish,' she said. 'Bird ownership may negatively affect the owner's sleep quality due to the increased noise levels, which has been shown to be associated with cognitive decline.' Rostekova added: '[It is] further possible that interaction with dogs and cats provides unique cognitive stimulation, which may be less pronounced in other, less demanding pets.' Other research has found evidence of an increase in prefrontal brain activation and stronger attentional processes and emotional arousal caused by interaction with a dog. There is further evidence of increased activation of the prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus when interacting with cats, which is speculated to be linked to the characteristic, hard-to-predict temperament of the animal. 'There is also a possibility of increased social stimulation facilitated by cats and dogs, which may be linked to the slower cognitive decline experienced by their owners: an increased frequency of social interactions when accompanied by a dog – or for cats, a substitute for a social network,' said Rostekova. As the NHS grapples with an ageing population and rising dementia rates, experts say the findings could reshape how we think about healthy ageing – and the animals we choose to age alongside. Andrew Scott, the author of The Longevity Imperative and a cat owner (although also a dog lover), said: 'We tend to think of health as being about disease and hospitals but as we live longer and need to focus on preventive measures that keep us healthy for longer, we will discover that the health system extends well beyond doctors and hospitals. 'It is about how we live our life. What is nice about this study is it suggests a fun and meaningful way of keeping healthy and engaged. A lot of things we are recommended to do for our health aren't always fun or companionable (does anyone fast as a family?). Having a pet can be fun and if it keeps you healthy that's a great bonus.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Stop counting sheep – and 13 more no-nonsense tips for getting back to sleep
Bad news for that old favourite, counting sheep. 'It has been studied and it doesn't work,' says Dr Eidn Mahmoudzadeh, a Manchester GP and co-founder of The Sleep Project, which offers support for sleeplessness at all ages. 'It is too simple and mundane; people don't carry on, they just get bored and their thoughts wander to worrying about sleep.' Counterintuitively, you should go for something more mentally challenging, he says, to distract the brain. Rachel from London counts backwards from 100: 'Do it slowly and if thoughts interrupt or you miss where you are, just start again. Sometimes the thoughts overpower, but most times I don't get much beyond 76.' Alternatively, try a 'cognitive shuffle' exercise, says Dr Lindsay Browning, a chartered psychologist and neuroscientist. 'It works by thinking of any word, such as 'cake' and trying to name as many words as possible that start with the first letter, C. When you have exhausted that list, move on to the next letter, A, and so on.' There are lots of other ways of doing this. Suz Koch from Washington state says she 'chooses a category (eg: fruits, dog breeds, colours, movies) and starts at A, naming one thing from the category for every letter of the alphabet. It's a low-stakes activity that seems to switch my mind off from worrying, and I rarely make it past J.' There is a school of thought that says having your phone by your bed is a disaster for sleep hygiene, but listening to something on it that distracts your mind can be useful. Julie Hassall from Plymouth listens to exactly the same audiobook every night: Pride and Prejudice on the BBC Sounds app. 'The point in listening to the same text,' she explains, 'is that you don't concentrate on it – you don't need to because you know the story inside out – but the rhythm of the narration stops you thinking about random stuff (what colour to paint the bathroom, cringing over that incident in a nightclub 35 years ago, worrying about an upcoming work presentation) and you will eventually fall asleep. Sometimes it's a bit weird – if I'm dreaming, the characters in my dream can start quoting the text. But as someone who has never slept well, I find it an invaluable way of getting a little more shut-eye.' Russell Foster, a professor of circadian neuroscience at Oxford University and the author of Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, is a nocturnal fan of BBC Radio 4, and in particular, 'In Our Time, as it is really gentle. You are away within five minutes. The history of Chinese porcelain will do it for me every time.' White noise is another popular choice for zoning out, and can be as niche as you like. Michael Mobley from Colorado says, 'I prefer lower-frequency, almost rumbling static with very little high-end hiss, played through a nice bluetooth speaker with good bass response, on a continual one-hour loop all night.' If you don't want to reach for your phone, you can try recounting a familiar story, like Carol Kolb in Los Angeles does: 'I go through the plot of a book I know well in my head, trying to include as much detail as possible. When my mind wanders off to other things I force myself to go back to where I left off in the book. This month it is David Copperfield, but often I use my favourite book of all time, Kazuo Ishiguro's The Unconsoled, a winding, dreamlike novel I have been lulling myself to sleep with for years.' When you wake up, the instinctive thing is to look at the clock, says Mahmoudzadeh. 'Then you start to worry about how much sleep you haven't had, and do some mental maths about what time you have to get up. The brain goes round and round in circles, which is really unhelpful for getting back to sleep.' He recommends 'removing all visible clock faces from the bedroom. You don't need to know whether it is 2am or 6am; your alarm will go off when you need to get up. It does not help your situation at all, and it can only do harm.' Rori Reber from California uses this tactic: 'I purposefully do not look at the clock. That is very important.' And no glancing at your phone beyond turning on a podcast. 'Every fibre of your being has got to stop you from doomscrolling,' says Foster, which he concedes can be hard to resist. 'Ideally, for most people, bedrooms shouldn't be warmer than about 18C,' says Foster. 'The logic is that as you go to sleep, core body temperature drops. If you prevent that drop in temperature, it is more difficult to get to sleep. But under certain circumstances – if you are perimenopausal, menopausal or at a certain phase of the menstrual cycle – hormonal changes can increase core body temperature, and that might make you more likely to wake up.' 'If you are waking up with a hot flush, try to cool your body down,' says Dr Zoe Schaedel, a Brighton GP who specialises in menopause and sleep. 'Stand on a cool bathroom floor or near a fan and have a drink.' She adds that it is really important to get help for menopause-related night sweats, and there are hormonal and non-hormonal treatments available. 'My trick is to get cold then get warm again,' says Caitlin from Liverpool. 'I kick off the covers and just when I'm getting uncomfortably chilly, I cover up again. As I get warm, my body and mind are then able to relax and this causes me to fall asleep. It is like a reboot. Works every time.' 'There is good evidence that meditation techniques can help people fall back to sleep quicker by down-regulating your stress response,' says Mahmoudzadeh. Breathing exercises that are recommended for insomnia, says Schaedel, include box breathing (breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four) and '4-7-8' (breathe in for four, hold for seven, breathe out for eight). 'They are really good at reducing the level of alertness,' she says. She also suggests trying a visualisation, where you think of a very detailed experience and try to focus on that, which 'shifts the focus off trying to go to sleep'. You can find inspiration on the Headspace and Calm apps, she says. Jonathan Guest from Cardiff runs through a 5K running route in his head: 'I try to remember in detail everything I could see or hear and the feelings it gave me at each step or stage around the course. I rarely get more than a couple of miles before I'm asleep.' Flora from Sweden opts for a strategy she heard was used by the military: 'Focus on your breathing, and starting at the very top of your head, imagine your body turning into lead or something very heavy. You then imagine this heaviness spreading down your neck, chest, along your arms and keep going. Any time you get distracted and start thinking about work or personal dramas, start again from the top of the head.' Chris Hales from Dorset follows advice he received from a doctor about adding a second activity to breathing exercises. 'Slowly tapping a finger works for me. Giving the brain two things to focus on at once makes it difficult for the mind to wander and perform other tasks. I found that alternately tapping two different fingers was optimal – easy to do, but complex enough to keep the brain occupied.' This is easier said than done, but worrying about being awake is the No 1 enemy of getting off to sleep, so try to suppress such thoughts. 'When you wake in the night, the key is to give yourself permission to be awake,' says Dr Guy Meadows, a sleep physiologist and founder of The Sleep School. 'The more you fight wakefulness, the more alert you become.' If being awake in the middle of the night is a recurrent issue, Meadows suggests considering acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a technique that is used in his school's apps, which he says encourages a gentler approach, where you 'notice your thoughts without judgment, breathe, and let go of the struggle. You may not fall asleep instantly, but by accepting wakefulness, you're sowing the seeds of long-term healthier sleep – building a trusting, rather than fearful, relationship with sleep. Over time, this shift in mindset helps reduce nighttime anxiety and makes it easier for sleep to return naturally.' 'When all else fails,' says Julia Hankin from Newcastle upon Tyne, 'I remind myself that even on no sleep, I will survive. Yes, the day might be tough and very long, but I'll get through it. That seems to take the pressure off, and then I fall asleep.' 'I don't do it immediately, but if I've tried the usual yoga-ish savasana position (also known as corpse pose) and focusing on breathing and it doesn't work, I go upside down, taking my pillow to the bottom of the bed and sleeping that way round,' says Sarah from Lincolnshire. 'I have no idea why it works, and sometimes I wake up feeling a bit disorientated, as windows and doors aren't where they should be, but I've generally dropped off to sleep quite quickly.' Likewise, if you are lying awake for more than 20 minutes (roughly speaking, no peeking at the clock), 'it is a good idea to get out of bed and go and do something else for a while to help your brain and body reset', says Browning. She suggests reading a book, doing some colouring or even (quietly) unloading the dishwasher before returning to bed when you feel sleepy again. By having a break from trying to force yourself to sleep, you should find it easier to sleep when you get back into bed again, as you've had some time away from lying there feeling frustrated and anxious.' Wait until you feel genuinely sleepy, says Mahmoudzadeh, when 'your eyes are getting heavy and maybe your head is starting to nod, and at that point only, go back to bed and try to sleep. If you fall asleep, great; if not, repeat.' Sheri DeWeerd from Wisconsin says she 'eats a little bit of protein, which has the magical ability to quiet my mind'. However, getting up for a snack isn't generally advised. 'The main concern with eating in the middle of the night is that your body is designed to rest during this time, not to digest food,' says Schaedel. 'Over time, it may become a habit – your body starts to expect food, which can then perpetuate the cycle of waking.' 'It's a much better idea, if you are waking in the middle of the night feeling hungry, to have a snack before going to bed.' says Browning. This way, you are less likely to wake up hungry. Ideal pre-bedtime snacks would be a bowl of porridge with milk, as whole rolled oats provide slow-release energy during the night and milk contains tryptophan, which we use to create melatonin [a sleep-inducing hormone]. A brown bread turkey, smoked salmon or peanut butter sandwich would also be a good choice.' For some, it is a snoring or bed-hogging partner that hinders efforts to sleep. 'Often, the reason I'm awake is my husband's snoring,' says Kavita from Hove in East Sussex, adding that earplugs have helped. If this doesn't do the trick, sleep separately, says Foster. 'It is no great indictment of your relationship. So many people say, 'I couldn't possibly sleep in a separate room, it would be the end of our marriage.' Of course it wouldn't. It is the beginning of a new phase of one's marriage, because you'll be happier, brighter, have a better sense of humour, be less irritable, and therefore have more fun. Just get the sleep you need.' 'Healthy daytime habits set the foundation for better sleep at night, reducing the likelihood of unwanted awakenings,' says Matthew Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams. Walker emphasises the importance of limiting caffeine and alcohol in the afternoon and evening, and finishing dinner a few hours before bed. 'Another key strategy is to support your circadian rhythm: keep a consistent sleep schedule and get some bright light in the morning. Stay physically active – regular exercise is associated with deeper, more continuous sleep (just avoid intense workouts right before bedtime). If you nap, do it early and briefly, or consider skipping it if you suspect it's interfering with your night sleep. Finally, managing stress through the day and unwinding in the evening can help. Techniques such as relaxation exercises or a soothing pre-sleep routine will make it easier for your body to stay asleep.' Aside from alcohol and caffeine, you should be careful not to drink too much in the evening, experts say, as needing to urinate can impact on wake-ups. 'It is really important to try to reduce your fluids in the evenings, if you're the kind of person who needs to get up and wee in the night,' says Schaedel. 'Don't have too much to drink for a few hours before you go to bed.' Foster adds: 'Obviously, it's a balance between being hydrated and drinking too much, which will mean needing the toilet.' 'Morning daylight and regular wake times help your body clock promote solid sleep at night,' adds Walker, which means limiting weekend lie-ins, even if you feel desperately in need of catching up. Foster rejects the 'magical eight hours' obsession and says a good night can be anything from 6-10 hours, as sleep is often biphasic: 'Waking up in the middle of the night is not necessarily the end of sleep.' 'Sometimes, insomnia is more powerful than all the tips in the world,' says Margery Diamand from East Sussex, who describes herself as a lifelong insomniac. 'Get up or stay in bed and do something nice, like watching a cheesy TV show or eating cereal. If you're going to be awake, you might as well enjoy yourself.' Some names have been changed
Sky News
4 hours ago
- Sky News
Exclusive: Watchdog upholds nearly 100% of complaints about special educational needs in England
Why you can trust Sky News A watchdog is upholding 96% of the complaints it investigates about the provision of special educational needs in England, according to figures shared exclusively with Sky News. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is the last port of call for families who have exhausted the complaints process at their local council when they cannot get the right support for their children. Amerdeep Somal, who heads the organisation, told Sky News the number of complaints they are receiving about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has also risen almost 250% in the last five years. She said: "Some of those children will never reach their full potential. Often children lose years of their education and their development - sometimes at pivotal stages. "We're seeing complaints about not doing assessments for Education Health and Care Plans, not doing reviews in good time, support specified in the plan not being put into place in schools - and also poor communication so parents don't know what is happening. "There's been a huge surge in demand for plans. That means more complaints. That means more resources. More children need to be assessed, and that means more specialist input in schools. And that hasn't been keeping pace with the demands. "The situation can't continue as it is at the moment - we need radical and urgent reform." In Sefton, 15-year-old Jacob is one of the children who has fallen through the cracks. He has needs, including autism and ADHD, and has not had a consistent school place for four years. His mum, Geraldine Pollock, says schools keep saying they cannot meet his needs, sometimes even after enrolling him. Currently, he has been out of school for over nine months, and Geraldine spends her days trying to teach him at home to the best of her ability. "Absolutely horrific - that is the only word that I can use to describe it. I never, ever envisaged that, as a family, we would be put in this situation," she said. Geraldine says she almost lost her job because she had no option but to care for Jacob herself, and is still only able to work part-time. As soon as Jacob started at his latest school, she asked them to tell her upfront if they would not be able to meet his needs. "I thought, we cannot go back to the dark place that we've been in," she said. "They reassured me they had put everything in place - and they actually hadn't." "When I think of it now, I think 'How I could I be so naive?' I never once thought you would literally be left on your own," she added. David Moorhead is another special needs parent in Sefton, Merseyside, who helps run a group called Voice of the Families, which has come together to push for more help for their children. What started as an informal group for local parents to support each other has now ballooned to more than 500 families. David says he was "gobsmacked" by the number of parents just in his area who all feel their children have been failed. "Parents have left jobs, left careers just to be with their child. One mother had to cancel her own operation because there was no one to look after her child. "Going out for a family meal, going on holiday - these aren't realities because your child needs a lot of attention, a lot support in order for them to flourish. "They just push you off a cliff and you fall - and when you ask for help, it just doesn't come." Sefton Council said in a statement: "We are working with the Voice of the Families group - we have listened to them and understand their concerns and will continue to feed their experiences into our improvements as a service so we can better support families on this journey. "The demand for SEND support and the challenges in the system are seen across the country and we are working hard to meet the growing need for SEND support in Sefton. We have, and will continue to, pursue every avenue to expand our specialist SEND provision to meet the demand in our borough." The Department for Education said it accepts the SEND system needs to be reformed, and is currently consulting on what shape that will take. The government plans to publish a White Paper in the autumn setting out the reforms, and says it recognises the 'immense need' in the sector.
