When a Natural Product Becomes a Recovery Problem
David Mahler is a Board-Certified Addiction Recovery Coach dedicated to helping individuals and families overcome the challenges of substance use disorder. Combining professional expertise with lived experience, he empowers people to rebuild their lives and find lasting hope in recovery.
A substance doesn't have to be illegal to become a problem in someone's life. That's an important conversation to have when it comes to kratom. Kratom has been in the news lately, yet many people still know very little about it. Others may have seen kratom products sold online, in smoke shops, convenience stores, or other retail locations and assumed that because these products are readily available, they must be relatively harmless. That assumption deserves a closer look.
Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia. People may use kratom for a variety of reasons, including energy, pain relief, relaxation, or as an attempt to manage withdrawal from other substances.
The problem is that what begins as occasional or seemingly purposeful use can sometimes become something very different. For some individuals, use becomes more frequent. The amount increases. They begin thinking about when they can use again. Eventually, they may realize that they are no longer simply choosing to use kratom. They feel as though they need it.
When "natural" creates a false sense of security
One of the challenges surrounding kratom is perception. Words such as "natural," "plant-based," and "herbal" can create a sense of safety. But a substance being derived from a plant does not automatically make it harmless or incapable of producing dependence.
Kratom can produce unwanted effects, and repeated use can lead to tolerance and dependence for some people.
Reported effects associated with kratom and kratom-related products can include nausea, constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems, dizziness, drowsiness, increased heart rate or blood pressure, and other physical or psychological effects. More serious adverse events have also been reported.
Another concern today involves products containing concentrated levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly called 7-OH. 7-OH occurs naturally in very small amounts in the kratom plant, but highly concentrated products containing 7-OH have emerged in forms such as tablets, gummies, drink mixes, and shots. Federal health authorities have raised particular concerns about these products because of their opioid-like effects and potential for addiction and withdrawal.
This distinction matters because when someone says, "I use kratom," we may no longer be talking about one uniform product. What they are taking, how concentrated it is, how frequently they use it, and what else they may be using can make an enormous difference.
Kratom dependence doesn't always look like addiction
One reason substance problems can progress unnoticed is that people often have a picture in their mind of what addiction is supposed to look like. They imagine someone losing a job, destroying a marriage, being arrested, going to treatment, or reaching some dramatic "rock bottom."
But dependence doesn't always announce itself that way.
Someone can continue going to work, pay their bills, take care of their family, and look completely functional from the outside while privately becoming increasingly dependent on a substance.
While physical dependence and a substance use disorder are not necessarily the same thing, people looking for help may describe what they are experiencing simply as kratom addiction. Whatever language someone uses, the patterns are worth paying attention to.
The questions I would encourage someone using kratom to ask are:
Am I using more than I originally intended?
Have I increased the amount or frequency?
Do I become uncomfortable, anxious, irritable, or physically unwell when I don't use it?
Have I tried to cut back and found it more difficult than expected?
Am I organizing parts of my day around having access to it?
Do I feel as though I need it to feel normal?
Is kratom beginning to have more control over me than I have over it?
You don't need to lose everything before that question becomes worth asking.
Kratom withdrawal: What happens when someone wants to stop?
Recognizing that a substance has become a problem is one thing. Knowing what to do next is another.
This is where I believe we need to be careful about oversimplifying recovery. Telling someone, "Just stop using it," may sound logical, but substance dependence rarely exists in isolation.
Why was the person using kratom in the first place? Were they trying to manage pain, stress, anxiety, low energy, or withdrawal from another substance? Were they using it to cope with difficult emotions or circumstances? And what happens when you remove the substance without addressing the reason it became important to the person?
Those questions matter.
Kratom withdrawal and physical dependence also need to be taken seriously. Recovery coaching should never replace appropriate medical evaluation or treatment. Someone experiencing dependence or withdrawal should speak with a qualified healthcare professional about the safest way to address the physical component of stopping or reducing use.
But medical care can be only one part of the picture. Once someone decides they want their life to change, they still have to live that life every day.
That's where recovery coaching can become valuable.
How recovery coaching can help with kratom dependence
Recovery coaching is not therapy, and a recovery coach does not diagnose medical or mental health conditions. Coaching is practical, person-centered support designed to help someone turn the desire for change into daily action.
When I work with someone struggling with substance use, I'm interested not only in what they want to stop doing. I'm interested in what we're going to build in its place.
That can mean identifying the situations, emotions, people, or environments that trigger the desire to use. It can mean developing strategies for cravings and urges. It can mean creating structure around mornings, evenings, weekends, travel, work stress, or other vulnerable times.
It can mean improving sleep, exercise, nutrition, relationships, connection, accountability, and purpose.
It can also mean helping someone build what we call recovery capital, the internal and external resources that make sustained recovery more achievable.
Recovery capital might include supportive family relationships, healthy friendships, employment, stable housing, faith, physical health, treatment providers, recovery communities, meaningful activities, and a sense of purpose.
For someone searching for help for kratom addiction, kratom recovery, or guidance on how to stop using kratom, recovery coaching can provide a practical layer of support alongside appropriate medical or behavioral health care.
The goal isn't simply, "How do we remove kratom?" The bigger question is, "What does this person's life need so they no longer have to depend on kratom to get through it?"
Accountability can change the recovery experience
One of the greatest challenges in changing any substance use pattern is what happens between moments of motivation.
Someone may wake up Monday morning determined to make a change. Then Wednesday comes. Work is stressful. They haven't slept well. There is conflict at home. A craving hits. The motivation that felt so powerful on Monday suddenly feels very far away.
Recovery coaching provides another layer of accountability during those moments.
An addiction recovery coach can help someone recognize patterns before they become setbacks, talk through difficult situations, revisit goals, celebrate progress, and make adjustments when something isn't working.
The purpose isn't to police someone's behavior. It is to help them become increasingly responsible for their own recovery.
Ultimately, successful recovery cannot depend forever on another person watching over you. The goal is to develop the awareness, tools, confidence, relationships, and lifestyle that allow you to protect your own recovery.
What can families look for?
Kratom dependence doesn't only affect the person using it. Families are often the first people to notice that something has changed, even when they aren't sure exactly what they're seeing.
A spouse, parent, sibling, or close friend may notice that the person is using kratom more frequently, spending more money on it, keeping larger amounts available, or becoming increasingly concerned about making sure they don't run out.
They may notice changes in sleep, mood, energy, routines, relationships, or interest in activities that once mattered.
Perhaps the person has said several times that they're going to cut back but hasn't been able to follow through. Family members may also notice irritability, restlessness, anxiety, physical discomfort, or other changes when the person hasn't used kratom.
Any one of these things by itself doesn't necessarily mean someone has developed a substance use disorder. But patterns matter.
You don't have to become a detective to help someone you love. Constantly searching, checking, counting, confronting, or trying to catch someone using can quickly turn a family relationship into a battle between policing and hiding.
Instead, begin with what you actually see, "I've noticed you're using this more often." "You told me you wanted to cut back, but it seems like that's been difficult." "I've noticed you don't seem like yourself when you don't have it."
Then ask a question rather than immediately making an accusation, "Are you concerned at all about how much you're using?"
The goal of that first conversation doesn't have to be getting someone to admit they have an addiction. Sometimes, the goal is simply to open a door.
Families also deserve support of their own. Family recovery coaching can help loved ones understand the difference between supporting recovery and taking responsibility for someone else's recovery, a distinction that can be just as important for the family as changing substance use is for the individual.
You don't have to wait for rock bottom
You don't have to wait until your life completely falls apart before asking for help.
If you are questioning your relationship with kratom, that question itself may be worth exploring.
Maybe you aren't ready to call yourself addicted. Maybe you aren't even sure you want to stop completely. But perhaps you know you're using more than you planned. Perhaps you've tried cutting back and haven't been successful. Perhaps someone you trust has expressed concern. Or maybe you're simply tired of needing something every day just to feel okay.
Those are conversations worth having.
Recovery doesn't always begin with a dramatic crisis. Sometimes, it begins quietly, with an honest realization. This has become more of a problem than I intended, and I want my life to look different.
You don't have to have all the answers. You don't even have to know exactly what recovery is going to look like yet.
Sometimes, the first step is simply becoming willing to have an honest conversation about what's happening and what you would like to change.
That realization isn't the end of the story. It can be the beginning.
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David Mahler, Recovery Coach, Sober Companion & Addiction Awareness Facilitator
My coaching approach is rooted in building trust and openness with clients, drawing from my experience with both those struggling with substance use disorder and their families. My coaching journey through my own battle with substance abuse, my career's survival through national tragedy, and my relentless support in my daughter's fight against substance abuse have equipped me with invaluable insights into the recovery process.
