The key to using dissociatives safely is to take them in moderation — there are no exceptions here. The dissociative experience is bizarre, blissful, and deeply therapeutic — when used with the right intention, context, and in strict moderation. Its effects typically occur almost immediately after consumption and last less than 30 minutes.

Researchers are also investigating other drugs sometimes classified as psychedelic and dissociative drugs, such as MDMA, and the way they work in the brain. Dissociative drugs are a type of hallucinogen that causes the user to feel detached from their surroundings and sensory experiences. Users may have a distorted sense of time, Dissociative Drugs List color, sound, motion, or sense of self.

Dissociative Drugs – Comprehensive Guide to Effects and Risks

Its effects can vary depending on the strain, dosage, and individual factors, often resulting in relaxation, euphoria, or altered sensory experiences. Dissociatives (also referred to as ‘dissociative anaesthetics’) are a class of psychedelic drug. This class of drug causes people to feel separated or detached from their body or physical environment. In higher doses, the dissociative effects become much more hallucinogenic and can lead to K-hole states. However, unlike other MXE doesn’t do as good of a job at removing feelings of fear or grief — so it’s much more likely to experience a bad trip on this drug after taking too much. Its effects are described as euphoric, stimulating (higher doses), and relaxing (lower doses).

Find More Resources on Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs

This blog post delves into the nature of dissociative drugs, their effects, risks, and the ongoing debate about their safety and potential therapeutic applications. The dual nature of dissociative drugs—as both potential therapeutic agents and substances of abuse—highlights the importance of understanding their effects, risks, and the contexts in which they can be safely used. Misuse of dissociatives can lead to serious health issues, including addiction and long-term mental health problems​​.

How is NIDA advancing research on psychedelic and dissociative drugs?

While researchers debate how to describe these drugs and how specific drugs should be classified, they generally group them according to what is known about how they work in the brain. Better understanding these mechanisms is an active area of NIDA-funded research. This basic research plays an important role in identifying their health effects and potential therapeutic uses.

How Do Dissociative Drugs Work?

• Addiction to dissociative drugs is a serious medical condition that requires professional treatment.
• This basic research plays an important role in identifying their health effects and potential therapeutic uses.
• In either case, escapism is not a healthy reason for using any substance — especially dissociatives.
• For instance, ketamine has been used as an anesthetic and more recently, in a derivative form, as a treatment for resistant depression.

One study found that a metabolite from ketamine called norketamine had cytotoxic effects in the bladder, leading to fibrosis and chronic pain 5. This effect has also been reported with other dissociatives in the arylcyclohexylamine family. Users may start to feel like the people they interact with are all scripted or fake.

NIDA conducts and supports research on psychedelic and dissociative drugs to help inform health decisions and policies related to their use. The individual effects and toxicity of each dissociative drug can vary greatly between each person using them. Many dissociatives have general depressant effects including drowsiness, slow ineffective breathing, pain relief, anesthesia, and loss of muscle control, as well as cognitive and memory impairment. Some dissociatives affect dopamine release and the opioid systems of the body and may produce euphoria. While short-term positive and negative mood changes are common with psychedelic and dissociative drugs, more research is needed to better understand the long-term effects these substances may have on mental health. Some people who use psychedelic or dissociative drugs report having a mystical experience, a change in perception that may include feeling a strong sense of awe and of unity with everything that exists.

• Some dissociative reliably induce states that feel enlightening and enjoyable; others produce powerful hallucinogenic experiences that are almost always terrifying and traumatizing.
• Common nicknames include Angel Dust for PCP, Special K for Ketamine, and DXM for Dextromethorphan.
• You might also find it helpful to learn about the signs of addiction and potential treatments for managing abuse to combat the effects.
• This effect is especially true for people who develop a dependency on the drug.
• They’re known to interrupt one’s capacity for learning, forming new memories, regulating emotions, processing language, and maintaining conscious thought 1.

The effects are described as “flipping a switch for euphoria” in the brain. While much of this is overexaggerated, PCP and its various analogs are cheap to make and produce powerful effects even in very small doses — so it’s a common adulterant of choice for clandestine drug manufacturers. PCP was the first chemical anesthetic ever used but was replaced a few years later by ketamine. Xenon gas is considered the “perfect anesthetic” because it’s non-toxic, fast-acting, and provides thorough anesthesia. In fact, there are some legitimate uses for dissociative drugs — both official and unofficial. Likewise, some motivations for using these drugs cause more harm than good.

How Effective Is Rehab and Drug Addiction Treatment?

The FDA has also granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for two formulations of psilocybin being studied as potential medical treatments for depression. Dissociative drugs, a class of substances that alter consciousness and perception, have long intrigued both the medical community and the public. These substances, which include ketamine, PCP, DXM, nitrous oxide, and salvia divinorum, can induce a range of effects from euphoria to profound disconnection from reality.

There’s evidence to suggest that people who use dissociatives can develop dependence (addiction) and tolerance to them. Tolerance means you need to take larger amounts to get the same effect. Being in a good state of mind, with trusted friends and a safe environment, before taking dissociatives reduces the risk of having a negative experience. Some natural deliriants like Amanita muscaria, datura, nutmeg, Brugmansia, and mandrake root can produce feelings of dissociation in lower doses or as the effects start to kick in.

Because of the lack of identity and absence of attachment, users feel as though they’re in a state of perfect zen. People who use dissociatives will experience dream-like states of consciousness, including blurriness, difficulty making sense of events, confusion, detachment from emotion, and lapses in memory. Dissociative drugs tend to be very strong compared to other psychedelics.

Ketamine is a powder that is snorted when used for nonmedical purposes but can also be smoked when sprinkled on tobacco or marijuana. The reaction that users get when abusing ketamine is very much dose-dependent. As low doses, users can experience side effects that include a loss of memory, learning ability, and a loss of attention. At higher dosages, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, and severe breathing problems. The drug ketamine was initially created as a replacement for PCP and when abused produces effects similar to PCP but less intense and shorter lasting.