When addicts give up anything, be that food, cigarettes, booze or drugs, they often find themselves with a void in their life. Get home after a long day at work and reach for an ice-cold beer or glass of wine. Kids driving you up the wall and suddenly you could murder a cheeky cigarette. That’s why so many people fall off the wagon.

Using Kratom to beat addiction

Certain situations can trigger emotions, often at times when you’re at your weakest. Rather than reach for your vice of choice, you might want to source yourself some Kratom. Now, I am assuming everyone reading this is living in America where it’s legal in most states. Unfortunately, it’s not in the UK, but my sources tell me it’s easy to come by online.

An in-depth look at Kratom

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree, which is part of the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. It’s indigenous to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar where it has been used as a traditional medicine for hundreds of years. It was banned in Thailand back in the 1940s, because many people turned to Kratom to help them overcome heroin addiction. The very drug Thailand had been profiting from for decades.

In the West, Kratom has been used by people battling with alcohol addiction and, with huge success, I might add.

Fast forward to 2020, and you’ll find people using Kratom to help with pain relief, anxiety and insomnia. In my circle of friends, Kratom is used by some incredibly successful people who use the plant as a tool to biohack and optimise their performance in certain areas of their life.

Different strains produce different results. White Sumatra, for example, will give you more energy and a euphoric rush whereas, Thai Red will help you relax and switch off, which is great if you’ve hard a hard day at the office and don’t want the negative after-effects that comes with consuming alcohol.

I would say it gives cannabis a run for its money when used as a relaxant, which will come as good news for those who don’t react well to THC or CBD, or get drug tested at work.

How do I personally use Kratom?

I sometimes use it to take the edge off social gatherings or relax of an evening. I’ll occasionally take 4-5 grams if I'm planning on settling down to write for the evening. If you're new to Kratom, it might take a few attempts to find your sweet spot. Start with 2 grams and see how you go from there. Gradually build up until you have found the dosage that works for you.

Unlike many other drugs, more doesn't always equate to a better experience. It certainly isn’t the best option when it comes to Kratom. I’ve personally found that with certain strains 3 grams has been much more effective than 6 grams. So my advice is to be respectful of the medicine and don’t be a greedy shit.

As with most other plant-based medicines, the potential uses are tenfold. I know people who have used Kratom to kick heroin addiction and control their alcohol consumption. I also know mixed martial artists and athletes who have used it to reduce their consumption of prescription pain killers.

Disclaimer

Whilst not strictly an opioid, it acts in much the same way. So, with that in mind, I advise anyone thinking of experimenting with it to air some caution with regards to consumption. Kratom is a medicine that can be abused much like any other. It’s all too easy to become accustomed to it and get greedy. Before long it doesn’t give you the same effect. You quickly become tolerant and it doesn’t give you anywhere near as much bang for your buck.

So, by all means, check it out, but also be respectful at the same time - too much of anything is never a good thing.

I am keen to hear of anyone else who has used or currently uses Kratom. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or hit me up on Instagram, Facebook