Lamar Odom Opens Up About Using Ketamine to Help Treat Addiction: 'I'm Feeling Amazing'

Gabrielle Chung
·3 min read

Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom is crediting a new drug therapy in his road to recovery from addiction.

The former NBA star, 41, opened up about using ketamine to treat his struggle with addiction during an interview that aired on Monday's broadcast of Good Morning America. Odom shared that he's been taking small doses of the synthetic drug under medical supervision for the past two years as part of his recovery process.

"I went to rehab and did some other things, but ketamine came into my life at the right time," Odom told ABC News' Steve Osunsami. "I'm feeling amazing."

"I'm alive. I'm sober. I'm happy," he continued.

Ketamine, a synthetic drug with hallucinogenic effects, was approved as a short-acting anesthetic by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the 1970s, according to the agency's website.

Rich Fury/Getty Lamar Odom

RELATED: Lamar Odom Mourns Late Father Joe, Encourages Fans to 'Make Amends' with Loved Ones

While often abused as a "club drug," small doses of ketamine have been found useful in treating some mental health conditions, and a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression was approved by the FDA in 2019.

The FDA currently classifies the use of ketamine for mental health conditions as an "off-label use" of the drug.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to Odom, who has grappled with substance abuse issues in the past and was hospitalized following a near-death overdose in 2015, his treatment involves taking small doses of ketamine over the course of one-hour sessions.

Calling it the "healthy high," Odom said the process has helped him overcome the urge to use drugs such as cocaine.

RELATED VIDEO: Lamar Odom Opens Up About Overdosing, Sex Addiction and His Relationship with Ex-Wife Khloé Kardashian

"I don't wake up looking to do lines … or waking up in a dark place or feeling unfulfilled," he explained. "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."

Odom's new drug treatment will be featured in his upcoming documentary, Lamar Odom Reborn, which airs this week on YouTube, MTV Live and other social media platforms.

RELATED: Lamar Odom Says Kobe Bryant Offered to Help Him with Gambling Debt During One of Last Calls

The basketball player previously told PEOPLE that the docuseries is about "having the strength and the whereabouts to tell my own story, my way."

"I'm actually happy to share [the things I've been through] with people to inspire them," he said. "I get the same kind of feeling when people come up to me and say, 'Lamar you are an incredible basketball player.' It's the same feeling when people come up to me about adversities I've gone through, such as drugs. I've overcome many battles and they can relate to it and it inspires them. So, I feel good about sharing my life and moments I might not have been so proud of at the time."

"It's nice to look back at different times in your life and see it sort of in third person," he added.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you or someone you know need mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • This sale is money: An identity-protecting travel wallet for $10 — could 53,000+ shoppers be wrong?

    'No unexpected coin avalanche': The slim, secure bifold easily keeps all your essentials organized, fans say.

  • Royal couple announce shock divorce - details

    Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece have confirmed that they are to divorce after 14 years of marriage

  • Police to review security outside courthouse hosting Trump's trial after man sets himself on fire

    NEW YORK (AP) — Police officials said they were reviewing whether to restrict access to a public park outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial after a man set himself on fire there Friday. “We may have to shut this area down,” New York City Police Department Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said at a news conference outside the courthouse, adding that officials would discuss the security plan soon. Collect Pond Park has been a gathering spot for protesters, journali

  • Whitecaps look to bounce back against Sounders in Cascadia clash

    VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps aren't dwelling on their fall from the top spot in Major League Soccer's Western Conference. After all, there's a lot of soccer still to be played. The Whitecaps (4-2-1) dropped a 3-1 decision to the L.A. Galaxy last Saturday and sit in second spot on the West heading into a rivalry matchup with the Sounders (1-3-3) in Seattle this weekend. Moving back up the standings requires moving forward on the field, said Vancouver striker Brian White. “It’s about turnin

  • CANADA STOCKS-TSX pares weekly decline as interest rate sensitive shares gain

    Canada's main stock index edged higher on Friday as energy and interest rate sensitive shares notched gains, with the index outperforming Wall Street and clawing back some of its weekly decline. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended up 98.93 points, or 0.5%, at 21,807.37, its third straight day of gains. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500, two major U.S. benchmark indexes, fell after mixed corporate earnings and amid growing pessimism that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates soon.

  • Leafs, Jets, Oilers and Canucks carry Canada's Cup hopes with drought at 30 years

    Josh Morrissey remembers the city coming to life before his eyes. A nine-year-old Flames fan in the spring of 2004, he was captivated by every Jarome Iginla chance and Miikka Kiprusoff save during Calgary's run to the Stanley Cup final. "It was just an awesome experience," said Morrissey, now a star defenceman for the Winnipeg Jets. "Living and dying on every win and loss." Hockey fans across Canada are once again preparing themselves to experience that annual thrill and torment. The Jets, Vanco

  • Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial identified as ‘researcher’ who posted conspiracy-laden manifesto moments earlier

    The NYPD identified the man as Maxwell Azzarello, 37, who is now in critical condition in Cornell burns unit. He has a long history of posting conspiracy theories and railing against the rich and powerful

  • Trump’s criminal hush-money trial concludes jury selection after difficulties

    With the panel selected, Donald Trump’s trial can enter its next stage, with opening arguments expected on Monday

  • IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Ringo Starr announces autumn tour

    The former Beatle will tour with his All Starr Band, which includes Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart and Gregg Bissonette. The nine-show tour kicks off at the Astro Amphitheatre in Omaha, Nebraska on 12 September, and wraps at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on 25 September. More than 60 years have passed since The Beatles’ historic Ed Sullivan Show performance in February 1964. At 83 years old, Starr shows no signs of slowing down, having released his four-song EP Crooked Boy on April 20.

  • Ethics panel investigating whether Matt Gaetz got high at Florida party after he’d become a member of Congress

    Panel has obtained sworn written statement from female witness to party in Florida. Mr Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing

  • Stock market today: Tumbling tech stocks drag Wall Street to the finish line of another losing week

    NEW YORK (AP) — The worst week for big technology stocks since the COVID crash in 2020 dragged Wall Street on Friday across the finish line of another losing week. The S&P 500 dropped 0.9% to close out its third straight losing week. That’s its longest such streak since September, before it broke into a romp that sent it to a string of records this year. The Nasdaq composite sank 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which has less of an emphasis on tech, was an outlier and rose 211 points, or 0

  • TSX Finishes Inconsistent Week on Up Note

    Markets in Toronto were substantially down on the week, but better performance on Friday eased the blow ...

  • Nvidia, AI Stocks Catch A Cold After Super Micro Computer Sneezes

    Nvidia and other AI stocks fell Friday after Super Micro Computer announced its next earnings date without giving preliminary results.

  • Yale students continue hunger strike in protest over Israel’s war on Gaza

    Protesters into seventh day of hunger strike in support of Palestinians and in effort to demand university divestment

  • Doctor Who star Millie Gibson teases "beautiful" future on show

    Doctor Who star Millie Gibson has teased a "beautiful" future on the show.

  • As inflation cools, Macklem says different countries will cut rates at own pace

    OTTAWA — Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says central banks will make monetary policy decisions geared toward their own economies, which means some countries may begin cutting interest rates before others. Macklem made the comments while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington, D.C. Friday. "We've all been resolute in our commitment to restore price stability, and we've matched those words with action that has helped us all bring inflatio

  • Tories were told Mark Menzies claims ‘constituted fraud’, says whistleblower

    Lancashire police have said they are ‘reviewing the available information’ after receiving a complaint about the Fylde MP.

  • S&P/TSX composite closes up nearly 100 points, U.S. stock markets mixed

    TORONTO — Canada's main stock index closed up nearly 100 points Friday, helped by strength in energy and financial stocks, while U.S. markets were mixed. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 98.93 points at 21,807.37. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 211.02 points at 37,986.40. The S&P 500 index was down 43.89 points at 4,967.23, while the Nasdaq composite was down 319.49 points, or 2.05 per cent, at 15,282.01. The Canadian dollar traded for 72.74 cents US compared with 72.6

  • SLB posts Q1 earnings beat, sees softening oil demand in US

    Shares of Schlumberger Limited (SLB) are dipping slightly on Friday as the oil drilling operator posted its first-quarter earnings, beating Wall Street revenue expectations for the quarter but disappointing on its failure to truly capitalize on the recent jump in oil prices. Yahoo Finance Anchors Julie Hyman and Madison Mills break down the latest development for the company and what it could mean for the stock moving forward. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • Winston-Salem Police Department creates 4th police district due to growth of city

    Winston-Salem Police Department creates 4th police district due to growth of city