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Dissociatives, colloquially dissos, are a subclass of that distort perception of sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment – dissociation – from the environment and/or self. Although many kinds of drugs are capable of such an effect, dissociatives are unique in that they do so in such a way that they produce effects, which may include dissociation, a general decrease in sensory experience, , oneirogen or anesthesia.
Despite most dissociatives' main mechanism of action being tied to NMDA receptor antagonism, some of these substances, which are nonselective in action and affect the dopamine and/or opioid systems, may be capable of inducing more direct and repeatable euphoria or symptoms which are more akin to the effects of typical "hard drugs" or common drugs of abuse. This is likely why dissociatives are considered to be Addiction with a fair to moderate potential for Drug abuse, unlike psychedelics. Despite some dissociatives, such as phencyclidine (PCP) possessing stimulating properties, most dissociatives seem to have a general depressant effect and can produce sedation, respiratory depression, nausea, disorientation, analgesia, anesthesia, ataxia, cognitive and memory impairment as well as amnesia.
Examples of dissociatives include arylcyclohexylamines like ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP); like dextromethorphan (DXM); like nitrous oxide (N2O); like diphenidine; and like memantine, among others.
At sub-anesthetic doses, dissociatives alter many of the same cognitive and perceptual processes affected by other hallucinogenic drugs such as mescaline, LSD, and psilocybin; hence they are often contrasted and also considered hallucinogenic. Perhaps the most significant subjective differences between dissociatives and the classical hallucinogens (such as LSD and mescaline) are the detaching effects, including: depersonalization, the feeling of being unreal, disconnected from one's self, or unable to control one's actions; and derealization, the feeling that the outside world is unreal or that one is dreaming.
Ketamine is also currently being studied and is showing promising results as a possible fast-acting antidepressant. It may also function as a possible palliative treatment for C-PTSD and chronic pain.
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