Kratom is one of the most common used herbal products today. It can offer you with lot of benefits. This substance is originated in the tropical regions of Southeast Asia. Its leaves are chewed and can be brewed in a tea.
Sometimes, it also comes in a form of incense and nutritional supplement. The effects of Kratom are the same to opioid drugs such as heroin and morphine. Even though the product is used for treating opioid addiction, kratom can also be addictive that can result to relapse. If you ask yourself: “is kratom addictive?”, you will find the truth in this article…
It can also bring various effects at high and low doses.
Side effects
Kratom can provide you with stimulant or energizing effects at low doses. It can give you with sleep inducing or sedative and pain-relieving or analgesic effects. The following are the side effects that you can get from kratom intake.
Behavioral:
- Improved social behavior
- Talkativeness
Physical:
- Sleepiness
- Pain relief
- Increased libido
- Loss of appetite
- Sweating
- Improved energy levels
- Constipation
- Increased urination
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Itching
- Sensitivity to sunburn
Mood:
- Euphoria
- Sense of well-being
- Calmness
Psychological:
- Increased alertness
- Increased motivation
- Psychosis
Dependence versus addiction
Drug dependence signifies a physical state wherein your body is dependent on the drug. Here, you need more substance to attain similar effect or tolerance. You can also experience physical and mental effects or withdrawal as you stop using the drug.
On the other side, addiction is the condition where you can stop taking the drug, despite of its negative effects. Addiction may happen with or without physical dependence on the substance. However, physical dependence is a usual feature.
Causes of addiction
Addiction has a lot of causes. These causes can be related to your life experiences and environment like having friends who take drugs. Meanwhile, others are genetic. As you use a drug, some genetic factors can boost your risk to develop the addiction.
Regular use of a drug can change the chemistry of your brains, which can affect your pleasure experience. It is hard to stop using drug if you have started. However, if you want to overcome the addiction, you must be willing to discipline yourself.
Signs of addiction
Addiction usually has the same signs. It is not important what the substance is. The following are some general signs of addiction:
- Feeling an urge to use the substance extremely which make it hard to focus on other things
- Desire to use it regularly, perhaps every day or frequent times daily
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms upon stopping the use of the substance
- Using it despite the problems or risks that it can bring
- Engaging in risky behaviors under the substance’ influence like unprotected sex or driving
- Trying but failing to stop the intake of the substance
- Using the substance for long period than recommended
- Having a sufficient supply of the substance
- Resorting to dangerous behaviors to get the substance like violence or stealing
- Spending money to buy the substance, even when money is not enough
- Spending excess amounts of time using substance and recovering from its effects
Recognizing addiction in others
There are some instances when your loved one or friend is hiding an addiction from you. You are wondering if it’s a substance use or other addictions. Well, the following signs can help you to recognize their addiction:
- Health problems: fatigue, lack of energy, and chronic illnesses related to drug use
- Money or legal problems: stealing money from family members or friends, asking money without a reasonable explanation
- Sudden changes in mood: Irritability, depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Changes in physical appearance: poor hygiene, weight loss, weight gain and red eyes
- Changes in behavior: violent, acting secretive, or aggressive
- Poor work or school performance: drop in grades or work efficiency, disinterest in work or school, loss of job, skipping work or school regularly
- Changes in social activities: relationship problems, withdrawal from family or friends, new friendships with identified drug users
Addiction to a substance like kratom can give you withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include tremors, anxiety, sweating, restlessness and cravings. In addition to that, withdrawal symptoms also include the following:
- Runny nose
- Aches and pains
- Fatigue and weakness
- Hostility and aggression
- Jerky movements
- Hallucinations
- Mood swings
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Nausea
Treatments for kratom addiction
Meanwhile, there is a great solution to reduce the drug dose to minimize the effects. We are talking about the kratom detox. This is a treatment that you can do to avoid or stop the addiction. The following are some of the treatments for Kratom addiction.
- Therapy
Therapy is done by a professional psychologist, psychiatrist or addictions counselor. You can also do it by yourself, with family or in a group.
- Medication
Research is still identifying the most effective medications for kratom addiction. Lofexidine (lucemyra) and dihydrocodeine are used for treating opioid withdrawal. They are also used for treating kratom withdrawal.
Meanwhile, if you look for the best kratom products, you can choose the Amazing Botanicals.