Author: Gary Jackson

Guide to Kratom Addiction and Abuse

Withdrawal symptoms are a collection of unpleasant physical and psychological problems that emerge when your body tries to function without a substance that it’s addicted to. Supplements like kratom also work on this system to provide similar pain relief. However, the body begins to respond when the opioid system is constantly bombarded with compounds that activate its receptors. 7-hydroxymitragynine is the most potent alkaloid in terms of its effects on the opioid system [4], so choosing strains with less of this alkaloid may actually deter dependence. However, even with just a single daily dose, it’s possible to build up a significant tolerance and dependence. The only way to really avoid addiction is to avoid daily use or to supplement with potentiators.

Though addiction recovery is difficult, it is possible and we want to help. The best way to manage a kratom addiction is to taper down your use — regulate your dose size and avoid taking it every day — or avoid it altogether. Many factors can contribute to the symptoms of PAWS, but they’re generally the result of changes in brain chemistry caused by long-term substance abuse.

What Are Common Kratom Abuse Signs & Symptoms?

This stage of addiction is harder to treat because it can feel pretty uncomfortable when you stop taking kratom. Physical dependence is more than just psychologically craving the experience. Kratom detox may involve gradually reducing the drug dose to minimize these effects. You can also search for a nearby treatment center using the Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, a free online tool provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Your loved one might deny having a problem at all or refuse to seek help.

Kratom refers to the leaves of a tree by the name of Mitragyna speciosa. It’s a supplement that’s been used for hundreds of years and provides several different benefits that range from stimulation to sedation and pain relief. Any substance that offers a release from pain, depression, or other forms of discomfort can become addictive if they aren’t used responsibly. Some sites say kratom isn’t addictive at all, whereas others demonize it as an addictive substance on par with opioids. Learning techniques for relapse prevention and management is an important part of a long-term recovery plan. It’s important to remember that recovering from any addiction is an ongoing process that can take time.

Emotional Symptoms

It was also used in some religious practices or for medicinal purposes. There are lots of support groups for people with kratom addiction, especially online. Websites like Reddit have entire communities of people dedicated specifically to helping people manage kratom addictions.

• It’s best to, at a minimum, take two days off every week and one week off every month.
• Rehab centers will hook you up with therapists, group meetings, and education that you can use to overcome your addiction.
• It’s a powerful and potentially life-saving medicine for many, but it needs to be respected [3].
• If you refuse to deal with your anxiety in a permanent manner with therapy or other options, it won’t simply get better.
• Your “normal” state of homeostasis (balance) assumes kratom will be in the system.

Some people feel profoundly sedated while using kratom and may drop into a deep sleep while intoxicated. Others experience kratom’s stimulant effects and seem jittery or anxious. Kratom is a generic term referring to an herbal substance that triggers opioid and stimulant symptoms. People who buy a product called kratom could be ingesting almost anything — from harmless herbs to deadly fentanyl. Kratom abuse symptoms include confusion, hallucinations, and sedation or jitteriness.

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You may even have one and won’t realize it until you try and stop. If you’re concerned about whether your kratom abuse is getting out of your control, take some time to reflect on your life and the way things have been going. For many people, the answer to this is physical pain, but for others, it could be something much deeper. Visiting a mental health therapist is invaluable for learning to identify with this pain, bringing it to the surface, and integrating it.

Kratom use could have serious adverse events due to drug–herb interactions, specifically with the antipsychotic quetiapine. Brain cells accustomed to kratom don’t function well without it. Kratom withdrawal can make people feel so sick that they relapse back to drugs for relief. Kratom was popularized as a pain-killer, though many users started to use it in small doses as a recreational stimulant.

Many people find that they are unable to get to sleep during kratom withdrawal. The dopaminergic imbalance causes a lack of energy, and yet they lack the ability to drift off to sleep. Many people experience the classic symptoms of an allergy when they are going through kratom withdrawal. This might mean having a runny nose, sneezing a lot, watery eyes, or excessive yawning. A number of people experience mental restlessness when they’re going through kratom withdrawal. They are plagued with the sensation of needing to do something but lack the energy to do it.

• The respective demographic use patterns of Kratom differ between Southeast Asia and the Western world.
• You might be considering staging an intervention with other family members or friends.
• In a drug treatment program, you can get the customized care you need to help you stop abusing kratom and other substances.
• Experts haven’t created a uniform kratom addiction treatment program.

However, if you have never been through withdrawal before, the symptoms can seem shocking or unpleasant. Dopamine itself is responsible for things like managing our mood, as well as sensations of reward and pleasure. Dopamine is also involved with libido, energy, and many other important things. One of the main ways that it does this is through a process known as downregulation — your body’s attempt to remain in a state of balance.