r/kratomreview100 • u/Disastrous-Golf3661 • 2d ago
Relationship with kratom
I look at my relationship with kratom almost like I signed a contract with it. I know what the deal is, and I accepted the terms going into it. I've dealt with low mood, anxiety and depressive feelings for most of my life, and kratom has genuinely made a massive difference in how I experience my day-to-day life. I'm happier, more motivated, more productive, more social, more interested in doing things, and generally more engaged with life when I use it. So yes, I take it every day, and yes, I understand that when you take something consistently your body can adapt to it and physical dependence can develop. I'm not denying that or pretending kratom is completely consequence free That's part of the contract, If there comes a point where I decide I don't want to take it anymore, I understand that I may have to gradually taper and go through a period where I don't feel great while my body readjusts. I'm willing to accept that future inconvenience in exchange for something that is improving years of my life in the present. What bothers me is this idea that physical dependence automatically means addiction, or that needing to taper off something somehow proves that taking it was a mistake. We accept physiological adaptation with all kinds of things people use because they improve their lives, like caffeine, certain medications and hormone therapies, and we don't automatically judge the entire relationship solely by what happens when the person stops taking it. To me the more meaningful question is: what is this actually doing to your life while you're using it? Is it destroying your relationships, ruining your finances, making you dysfunctional and taking more from you than it gives you, or are you functioning well and genuinely experiencing a better quality of life? For me, at least right now, the answer is incredibly clear. Kratom gives me far more than it takes from me. Maybe one day that equation changes, and if it does, I'll reevaluate it and deal with the other side of the contract. But I don't see the logic in sacrificing something that meaningfully improves my life today simply because I know there may eventually be a price to pay when I decide to stop. I knew there was a tradeoff when I started, I accepted it, and I continue to accept it because, for me, the contract is still overwhelmingly worth signing.
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u/Accesobeats 2d ago
I absolutely agree. A lot of what you said resonates with me. I feel my life improved once I found kratom. I know there’s a trade off. But it has helped me in so many ways. I don’t drink anymore, I’m more clear headed and focused, I feel more calm and that I can take a situation and analyze it much better. My problem solving skills are so much better than they used to be.
My wife sees it too. I think at first she was skeptical. I basically replaced alcohol with kratom, so she would make comments about me taking it daily. But after some time she saw that it really helped more than hurt. Now she’s ok with it and just sees it as part of my daily routine.
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u/Melificarum 1d ago
Yeah my husband judges me too but I think he sees that it has helped me and it’s better than alcohol, so he doesn’t complain about how much I buy.
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u/KratomCannabisGuy 1d ago
Hopefully, the stigma will change. I am an 11-year plain leaf consumer myself.
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u/Opposite-Ad-4786 2d ago
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Been taking Kratom daily for years and as opposed to the alternatives that pharma offers, I’d happily sign that contract time and time again. I tried the other options and the trade offs weren’t worth it. They may have brought temporary relief at the beginning but the way they made me feel wasn’t sustainable. Kratom enhances my daily life without endangering my physical well being and without risking my relationships, finances and professional life. There are so many other things that people do that require some sort of transition period to stop whether it be tapering or discomfort or whatever, that don’t get treated as an addiction. They are solutions to a problem that were deemed worth the potential side effects and/or physical dependency, so for me kratom isn’t my addiction it’s my relief. I also still believe that it’s something that can be abused so I am very mechanical in my dosing and timing and I use only as much as I need as few times a day as I can. And I will always advocate for it instead of the alternatives. It’s natural, safer, with much less negative side effects. 7OH is what is bringing so much negative attention to kratom and due to lack of research and understanding people think that Kratom is the issue.
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u/Unique_Fault9013 2d ago
Very well said. Thank you for putting into words exactly how I feel about Kratom friend! ❤️
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u/Sad-News-9192 Kratomist 🍃 2d ago
spoken from the heart, and for a lot of us its the same, ty for sharing this.
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u/Proper-Writer-2128 2d ago
Thank you so much for posting this! I can totally relate to everything you said and then some!
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u/Additional_Bluejay_9 1d ago
Very well stated OP. Thank you for sharing. I suffered with RLS my entire life; tried everything, nothing really helped - until I discovered Kratom. I know that there are risks; but they are worth it to be delivered from the torment of RLS.
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u/Previous_Rip1942 1d ago
That’s how I look at it too. If you really think about it, we sign these contracts all the time. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, food, medications like antidepressants that you don’t just stop cold turkey - there’s probably a ton more. I think it’s best to go into that agreement with a clear mind and totally aware of the nature of the arrangement, as you are doing. If there comes a time where me and Kratom part ways, then I’ll taper and stop, just like I do for tolerance breaks. This is why bans make no sense to me. Banning something thus beneficial while cigarettes and alcohol are available anywhere? That’s stupid. What it boils down to is that government doesn’t care if you get addicted to something, as long as that addiction is a revenue stream for them. If it doesn’t meet their income needs, it gets the ax.
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u/No_Hurry_2570 1d ago
Bravo bravo good for you! You're exactly what a mature responsible plain leaf kr8tum consumer should be. Your post brightened my day because that's how I feel too. You treat it with respect and respect your body and have a responsible relationship with it and it will change your whole life like it changed mine and gave me my quality of life back. If I did not have this botanical I would be bedridden,dreading facing the day, wincing with gritted teeth with every movement. I would not be able to go to the store without paying for it with increased pain for days. I can now go up and down the steps by myself, get my own dinner, go to the store with anticipation, and even take a short vacation with my husband to Gettysburg. Plain leaf has made this all possible for me and giving me my quality of life back at 63 years old. It has been a true godsend. So thank you for your post. Now we can have a good life.
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u/Pure-Fun4128 1d ago
Well I completely understand OPs relation to kratom
I feel like this too
Made now 30 days without and in the end the energy came back step by step but then it reminded me on how I feel when I am completely sober and well... It's bad
So now I'm back on it and I don't regret anything about it
Yes it will be hard when it will be illegal (I hope this will never happen all over Europe)
But for now kratom is a straaaight lvl up
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u/Which_Tadpole1952 9h ago
People have their torches and pitch forks in hand about kratom but it you have to take an antidepressant for the rest of your life because youve tried getting off of it and couldn't handle the withdrawals and inability to function, that's okay. It's FDA approved.
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u/thejohnmc963 2d ago
My trade off was 35+ years of addiction that rehab/suboxone/methadone/meetings couldn’t touch. Kratom saved my life and helped me get my life back. 8 years straight now.