When Big Pharma, the FDA, or DEA want to make kratom look bad, they sometimes trot out some poor soul who claims that he was hooked on dope and alcohol, got off it, started living a normal life, but then discovered kratom – and his life turned into hell.
The typical scenario is how the person who turned to kratom started “needing” larger and larger doses, and more frequently, until he was so strung out and broke, his life was a mess.
In one particular report, the man claimed he was using an entire kilo of kratom each week. He said he needed it to be motivated and without kratom, he was sluggish and basically useless. So he had to keep increasing his dosage, due to receiving diminishing returns. He was chasing some dragon that he fantasied about, but is not the truth about kratom.
There are so many things wrong with this story. It makes you wonder if the person was bribed or pressured somehow to say all these things.
As a point of reference, check out this story in Westword:
https://www.westword.com/news/kratom-ruined-my-life-user-says-10023902
The “journalist” who wrote this story is Michael Roberts “who has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.”
In other words, Michael Roberts is not a medical topic media expert or a specialist in covering health-related issues. So he approaches this subject at a distinct disadvantage.
ONE – First of all, kratom tends to enhance a person’s life, not ruin it.
Many folks had been suffering tremendously until they discovered kratom (botanical name: mitragyna speciosa). They have gotten their lives back and would be offended that anyone would dream of accusing kratom of destroying them.
Unlike opioid addicts and benzo dependent individuals, people who use kratom tend to be better at their jobs, in their families, and among strangers and friends. Their symptoms are relieved and they can focus on tasks. Those who take kratom tend to be more responsible and mature, not less.
Those who were suffering from debilitating symptoms are now symptom-free, entirely or nearly. They are more at ease and gracious. They may even be so socially activated, they are seen as “talkative”. Kratom users don’t lurk in the shadows, they are out in the open, actively pursuing their dreams.
So in general, the truth about kratom is that it is a very positive thing for people. It’s hard to imagine kratom being a negative thing in someone’s life.
TWO – Doses do not increase.
Kratom users agree that once an ideal amount of kratom, and frequency of dosing, is established, they can go for many years at that same level of usage.
With kratom, less is more. Low doses are stimulating, and larger doses tend to be sedating, causing drowsiness. So depending on your purposes, you adjust your dose accordingly. And it remains steady, with no relentless escalating.
When you hear someone say rhat they developed a tolerance to kratom quickly, and had to keep taking more and more, a red flag should go up in your mind. This is probably a person with what doctors call “drug seeking behavior”. They may not admit it, but they seem to want to “get high” on kratom, like it was a recreational drug.
Often, folks like this have had extreme feelings brought on by opioids or benzos. They have fallen madly in love with an intense euphoria, the kind of bliss that backfires later. It’s no longer about relieving legitimate symptoms, it’s about having fun and chasing pleasure for its own sake.
Because with other substances, the person had to keep taking more and more, they wrongly assume that if they don’t get the buzz they expected, the solution is to take more kratom and take it more often.
Our bodies will tell us how much kratom to take and when to take it. Your own experience will be your guide. And your body knows that excessive amounts of kratom are self-defeating. There is a perfect amount of kratom for each of us and that amount will remain stable over many years, based on what customers tell us.
In the Westword article, the person says they were using kratom every two hours. That sounds absurd. It’s hard to even imagine anyone’s stomach being able to hold that much kratom in it perpetually. Notice also how the person says he was having withdrawals, but is not specific about them. He just says he went to get help and the hospital offered him vitamins.
The whole story seems a bit shakey and possible exaggerated.
THREE – Kratom abusers blame the kratom, instead of taking responsibility for their behavior.
While it’s not actually easy to take too much kratom, a person with lack of self-restraint can fall into all sorts of black holes that devour them. Permissive parenting, no boundaries, getting their way all the time, pampering – all this can result in a troubled psyche that is never satisfied and wants more all the time.
There do exist individuals who take everything to an extreme. They go hog wild with anything they get into. And sometimes, this excessive behavior can be what ruins their life, not the kratom.
So when you read a headline that demonizes kratom, as if it were no different from heroin or cocaine, stop and look more closely. Chances are, it’s like “Reefer Madness”, a misguided attempt to paint a bad picture of kratom.
Read closely and think of your own experiences with kratom. Certain things just don’t add up in these florid accounts of how kratom was a bad thing for a person.
