Many people in the U.S. know nothing of a drug called kratom. Yet, kratom addiction is sweeping the nation just like other addictions before it. But kratom is technically legal in America, being a plant-based substance in the same family as the coffee plant.
About Kratom Addiction and Its Effects
To use kratom, people chew the plant’s leaves. Or, they brew the leaves to make tea, mix in other drinks or add to codeine-based cough syrups as a drink called 4×100. Many seeking its high abuse the drug’s powder form or tablets, too.
As a stimulant, kratom works much like caffeine in your system. It boosts energy, causes talkativeness and keeps you awake. If you abuse a high dose of the plant, it provides opioid-like effects compared to morphine by working on your opioid receptors, causing euphoria and pleasure.
Surprisingly, more Americans suffer kratom addiction with every passing year. These abuses also bring in increased poison control center calls, according to the Journal of Addictive Diseases.
Still, the drug is legally marketed as a diet supplement. But the FDA banned its import in 2014 because of the toxic effects and negative reactions of many people who use it. The federal government has yet to ban the substance as of early 2019. But kratom remains dangerous with high potential for abuse and kratom addiction.
How Kratom Addiction Affects Your Life
When you abuse kratom, the drug changes your natural brain chemistry. As a stimulant, it also provides some opioid-like effects at high doses. So besides working much like caffeine, using too much also causes morphine-like effects. This changes how you feel pleasure while providing a high.
With all of these effects, using kratom regularly causes semi-permanent and possibly permanent brain changes. Kratom dependence and later addiction form with repeated use. Then, if you stop using the drug, you feel the negative effects of withdrawal. Those ill feelings push you back into using more of the drug, to feel better.
Withdrawal symptoms after kratom addiction include:
- Runny nose and tremors
- Fatigue, insomnia, and confusion
- Muscle or bone pain
- Nausea and constipation
- Aggression, hostility, and psychotic symptoms
- Anxiety and depression
Addiction occurs after you use the drug for an extended period. It also happens if you mix kratom abuse with other drugs or alcohol. If you suffer from medical problems, a history of addiction, ongoing stress, or a family history of drug addiction, you also experience a higher likelihood of falling into addiction.
With addiction come multiple kratom effects shown through behavioral changes. These include risky behaviors, using the drug despite problems it causes in your life, low performance at work or school, and social isolation. You lose interest in activities you once enjoyed. Despite all of these problems, you find yourself unable to stop using kratom despite wanting a better life.
Spring Hill, Florida Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment
Whether you abuse kratom, suffer stimulant addiction, or find yourself addicted to any other substances, Spring Gardens Recovery in Spring Hill, Florida provides the detox and residential treatment you need for strong sobriety. Programs and services of Spring Gardens Recovery include:
- Detox and residential rehab
- Two-week stabilization program
- Medical director for medication therapy
- Amino acid and pediment IV infusions
- Yoga and meditation
- Addiction education and coping skills development
- Quality comforts and amenities
For your best chance of strong recovery after kratom addiction, contact Spring Gardens Recovery at (866) 244-9556. You can put your addiction behind you for a better life in sobriety.
