From ‘trying something on the weekend’ to a painful drug addiction. It happened to 21-year-old Nick*, he became addicted to ketamine. After years of use, he is now being treated at the Novadic-Kentron addiction clinic and the Ketamine clinic of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital in Den Bosch. He is fighting a tough battle to get rid of his addiction: “I was in a lot of pain, but I couldn’t stop.”
Nick was about fifteen years old when he first used ketamine. Friends did that sometimes too, mainly on weekends.
“But that became more and more common, even without those friends. Eventually it went to four to five days a week,” he says together with his supervising addiction doctor from Novadic-Kentron.
When he started using more, his parents saw that he was getting worse. “I worked in sales, but I called in sick more and more often. I was late, I was blurry and I eventually started using at work too. Having an addiction is actually quite lonely.”
“I was not sober during my intake at Novadic-Kentron.”
When he was seventeen, his parents had had enough. He had to go to the doctor. There he was referred to the Novadic-Kentron addiction clinic. “And I was not sober during my intake,” he admits.
Nevertheless, Nick was allowed to start treatment. This meant that he had a weekly meeting with a practitioner. “During conversations like that, I said I was doing well, but I didn’t stop using.”
Nick got a’detox‘ in the clinic. He would be helped for three weeks under supervision to completely stop using ketamine. “I absolutely did not want to go to the clinic, which caused the treatment to fail. So I was deregistered again.”
“Of course I was bothered by the pain, but I was never able to stop for more than two weeks.”
Meanwhile, Nick was fired from his job. “I was sitting at home and I started having more and more stomach pains and problems with my bladder,” he says. “I might have been able to do it, but I didn’t want to stop. There is a big difference between being able to and wanting to. Of course I was bothered by the pain, but I was often unable to stop for more than two weeks.”
Nick suffered a lot from so-called ‘k-cramps’which is characteristic of the use of ketamine. It causes such acute pain that some people even end up in the emergency room.
Such a ‘ketamine cramp’ can last between twelve and eighteen hours, but also a few days. “It was very painful, especially during the first few hours. I was in bed with a hot water bottle. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t eat and I had to throw up a lot,” says Nick.
Despite all the pain and misery, Nick continues to use ketamine for years, the drug is highly addictive. Nick’s parents therefore made a difficult decision. “They eventually kicked me out of the house. It was hard for them to see me like that.”
There he stood. On the street, with an addiction and a lot of pain. “I ended up at the homeless shelter. That was the first time for me,” says Nick.
In the shelter he decided to put an end to his addiction. He used again, but registered again with the youth department of Novadic-Kentron. After three weeks he was admitted to the clinic in Vught. “That was just over three months ago now.”
“Only after three weeks did I find out how bad the pain is when you are sober.”
Even now that he has been sober for a few months, he is still in a lot of pain. “It was only after three or four weeks that I discovered how bad the pain is when you are sober. I never thought that it would still bother me now. For example, I still cannot play football or walk for long periods.”
Once every six months, his bladder and kidney complaints are examined by urologist Wouter van der Sanden. “My bladder recovers more slowly. Normally this is within four to eight weeks, for me between ten to twelve weeks.”
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“The ketamine causes some kind of wounds in my bladder. Because your urine passes there, you get stitches,” Nick explains. “We have to wait and see if that heals, but if not, they will laser these wounds.”
Nick has been happy for a long time that he does not need a stoma, but he could not have imagined that he would have so many complaints. “I didn’t think I had gotten that far yet,” he says. “But when my bladder is full, it feels like I have an inflated balloon in my stomach.”
And while Nick used to have to pee every now and then, it is now a little less so. “I can go away for two to three hours and then I only have to pee once. At first I had to pee much more often, about thirty times a day, so I slept poorly.”
“As soon as you use it again, it will bother you again.”
Things are going well now, but Nick knows that even one-time use can lead to terrible complaints. According to his addiction doctor, you immediately get a kind of allergic reaction to ketamine. “So as soon as you use it again, you will immediately experience pain again. It doesn’t even matter how much you use, you will still experience pain.”
Even though Nick is still in recovery and can’t do everything yet, he feels ‘great’. “I’m a bit flat and I also became insecure through use, but I now know who I am,” he says. “And next week I can go home again. Then I will go back to live with my parents and I want to go back to work.”
*Nick is a fictitious name. Nick’s real name is known to the editors.
From Weekend Fun to Painful Addiction: Nick’s Ketamine Journey
Well folks, gather round. You’d think that “just trying something on the weekend” would lead us to a few bad decisions and a hangover, not to veins lined with regret. But alas, meet Nick—a 21-year-old whose foray into ketamine turned from a laugh-filled weekend into a very dull, but painfully real, drama that even the best writers couldn’t concoct.
Picture this: It’s Friday night, friends are raving about their ketamine experiences, and like a curious cat, young Nick decides to dabble. At fifteen, it’s all fun and games. Fast forward to reality, and it’s four to five days a week of “who needs friends when you’ve got K?”
“I was not sober during my intake at Novadic-Kentron.”
Now here’s where it gets juicy—or maybe just tragic—his parents start noticing he’s about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. He was in sales, but suddenly it seems he was selling the idea of being ‘sick’ more than any product. Addiction? A lonely business that would make even the most socially awkward person weep.
A Lesson in Denial
Moving swiftly along, at seventeen, he hits rock bottom, but only after his parents have had enough parental pursuit for the ages. They kick him out, which is remarkable considering most parents wouldn’t even let their kids out of their sight, let alone out of their house! But sometimes love means letting your child find their way… or at least to a homeless shelter.
Picture him there, in the depths of despair, and thinking, “Ah, this is where I make a change!” Only to figure out that sitting on the street in agony is not the most effective rehabilitation form. He checks back into Novadic-Kentron because one has to at least look like they’re trying in the seventh stage of despair!
“Of course I was bothered by the pain, but I was never able to stop for more than two weeks.”
Detox: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Detoxing? Sounds like a glorious prize at a festival, where you leave the bad behind and uncover the good. But for Nick, it seems like being stuck in a nightmare of “k-cramps”—which, let’s be honest, sounds like a rubbish dance move at a wedding. Twelve to eighteen hours of cramping pain? I mean, who doesn’t want that while trying to enjoy a night out?
And you thought getting over a breakup was rough! At least Nick faces cramps that he wasn’t prepared for upon sobriety. Apparently, it’s like discovering that the hangover you thought was a myth was indeed very, very real.
“As soon as you use it again, it will bother you again.”
Hope on the Horizon
Now, after a few stumbles and a whirlwind of bladder issues that make one question life choices, he’s clean—can you believe it? He’s met the real Nick post-drug use and has realized that nothing shouts “life is grand” quite like willfully living under the weight of your own regret only to emerge with a chance to restart. It’s like hitting the reset button on a game you thought you lost forever!
Being back with his parents now, he’s hopeful and even looking forward to working again! Just imagine that first family dinner! “Hey, remember that time I nearly destroyed my life? Good ol’ times!”
Final Thoughts
In retrospect, Nick’s story is a sobering tale—no pun intended. It’s filled with the kind of lessons life hurls at you like a well-timed pie in a slapstick comedy. If anything, it’s a reminder that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to find the elusive “up.” So, here’s to you, Nick; may your journey remain in the limelight for others to see, to learn from, and perhaps chuckle with, as they hold their weekend revelries in check.
*Nick is a fictitious name. Nick’s real name is known to the editors.
Ck, detox was a brutal battle. He learned that detoxing at a clinic isn’t just about cleansing the body; it’s a painful awakening to the reality of his addiction.
**Editor:** Nick, can you share a bit about how your journey with ketamine began?
**Nick:** Sure. It all started when I was about fifteen. I tried it for fun on weekends with friends. At first, it was just a bit of a thrill, but it quickly escalated into a regular habit. Soon, it went from weekends to four or five days a week. I didn’t realize how much it would take over my life.
**Editor:** That sounds intense. At what point did you recognize that you had a problem?
**Nick:** I started noticing changes in myself. My parents were concerned, and I began calling in sick to work more frequently. I was becoming more isolated. At first, I denied it, but deep down I knew things were getting out of control.
**Editor:** You mentioned that you were in a lot of pain. Can you explain what that felt like?
**Nick:** The pain was unbearable—especially the ‘k-cramps’, which are associated with ketamine use. They could last for hours or even days and made it impossible to do anything. I’d be in bed, unable to eat or even move much. It was a cycle of using to escape the pain, only to create more pain in the process.
**Editor:** That sounds incredibly tough. After your parents kicked you out, you found yourself in a homeless shelter. What was that experience like?
**Nick:** It was jarring, to say the least. I had to confront the mess I had made of my life. It was uncomfortable and humiliating, but it was also a wake-up call. I realized I needed help, so I went back to Novadic-Kentron to seek treatment again.
**Editor:** How did you finally commit to your recovery?
**Nick:** It wasn’t easy. I went through detox at the clinic, and I was still feeling a lot of pain. But this time I was determined to be honest with myself and the doctors. It took a few weeks of being sober for me to fully understand the extent of the damage—both physically and emotionally.
**Editor:** And now, how are you coping with life after treatment?
**Nick:** I’m doing much better. I still have physical pain and I’m working through that with medical help. I’m also slowly rebuilding my life—I’ll be moving back in with my parents soon and looking for work again.
**Editor:** What’s next for you, Nick?
**Nick:** I want to stay focused on my recovery and being sober. It’s a daily struggle, but I feel hopeful now. I know that one lapse could mean a painful return to addiction, so I have to stay vigilant.
**Editor:** Thank you for sharing your journey with us, Nick. Your story is an important reminder of the impact addiction can have and the strength it takes to fight back.
**Nick:** Thank you for giving me a platform to share my story. I hope it helps others who might be going through something similar.
Treatment again. It was my chance to really commit to recovery.
**Editor:** Recovery sounds like it’s been challenging. Can you tell us about your time in the treatment program at Novadic-Kentron? What was the most difficult part?
**Nick:** The detox process was brutal. I was initially resistant to it, and I quickly realized that detoxing wasn’t just about stopping the drug; it was about facing the reality of my pain and addiction. The cramps were debilitating, and that was a harsh awakening. It made me confront my dependency and the harm I’d caused to my body.
**Editor:** You’ve mentioned the physical pain you experienced during detox. How did it feel to discover that the pain continued even after getting sober?
**Nick:** It was really shocking. I thought that once I stopped using, I’d feel better. But instead, it took a few weeks to realize how much I had put my body through with the ketamine. I struggled with bladder issues and had to deal with a level of discomfort I hadn’t anticipated. It felt like it just never ended.
**Editor:** Given everything you’ve been through, how do you feel about your future now?
**Nick:** I feel hopeful, honestly. I still have a long road ahead, and I know I need to stay vigilant. But I’m excited to go back home and reconnect with my parents. I’m ready to get back to work and start rebuilding my life. It’s a daunting task, but I finally have a clearer sense of who I am and what I want.
**Editor:** That’s encouraging to hear, Nick. What message would you like to share with others who may be struggling with similar addiction issues?
**Nick:** I want people to know that it’s okay to ask for help. It’s a hard journey, and it can feel overwhelming, but there’s hope. Facing the consequences is painful, but it’s the first step to real change. And recovery is possible. You’re not alone in this fight.
**Editor:** Thank you so much, Nick, for sharing your story. Your resilience is inspiring, and we hope your journey continues to lead you toward healing and recovery.
