Lamar Odom has been using ketamine in small doses to help him overcome his addiction.
After a near-death overdose in 2015, Odom spent time in the hospital and has been using doctor-prescribed ketamine to help him overcome his addiction. Ketamine is an anesthetic and a pain reliever, according to WebMD, and the Federal Drug Administration has licensed it for those uses.
Odom revealed the following about his recovery: “I went to rehab and did some other things, but ketamine came into my life at the right time. I’m feeling amazing. I’m alive. I’m sober. I’m happy.”
And the 41-year-old star acknowledged that his life has totally changed, and that he didn’t even consider using moments that would have been major stressors in the past, such as Kobe Bryant’s death.
He went on to say on “Good Morning America”: “I don’t wake up looking to do lines … or waking up in a dark place or feeling unfulfilled. When Kobe [Bryant] passed away, you know, the old Lamar, that’d have been every excuse in the world for me to go get high, [but] doing drugs didn’t even enter my mind.”
Meanwhile, Odom previously said that he was “amazed” by the extent to which his overdose had affected his body.
He said, “I have horrible memory loss. And my long-term memory was affected as well. Athletically, my balance is poo. I was shocked how weak my body became “
“The overdose made me realize I couldn’t live the way I’d been living. Life is too good now.”
Doctors have called Odom a “walking miracle,” according to Odom.
He went on to say, “My doctors say I’m a walking miracle; they’re amazed that I’m here. I always knew I had a strong will. I think my will is even stronger than I believed it was.
“It’s a testament that God is good. When I woke up and I couldn’t talk or walk, I never thought I would be here. I never thought I would play basketball again or talk to you. Just to be here is a win for me.”
