A New Life – Kratom Testimonial

-After surviving a tragic car accident and embroiled in a long battle with his health, Kevin discovered kratom. A native of New York state, Kevin gives his kratom testimonial and explains how Kratom has given him a new lease on life.

—

Adam: Hey there, Kevin. Thanks for talking to us here, today. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself before we hop into your kratom experience.

Kevin: Absolutely. I live in West Park, New York, born and raised. I’m 37, and for the last 20 years have been struggling with mental health issues. Mostly just social anxiety and some depression. A big reason is a car accident in 2004. It took the life of my best friend, and I suffered a severe brain injury. Before this, I was overall pretty healthy, I felt. But now I have what is called ‘treatment resistant depression.’ My doctors put me on all sorts of drugs – I’ve tried just about everything. And the side effects of these have been pretty awful, at times, almost as bad as my other issues, making me sick, dependent. The depression got so bad that nothing made me happy. It was a dark time, and I didn’t really have any reason to hope. Until I found kratom.

A:How did you first find kratom?

K: I hurt my lower back, found out I have degenerative disc disease. I was in a lot of pain. My doctor began to prescribe me opiates. These not only helped my pain, but allowed me to regain some normalcy in my life, my mood. But after years of opiates, I began to feel very ill – everything just felt off. I wanted to quit, but the idea of withdrawal terrified me. I had heard so many horror stories and come up against it myself. My doctor wanted to switch me to suboxone so I could quit the opiates, but I’ve heard that’s even worse. Now, keep in mind that I don’t do illegal drugs. So I felt like I was running out of options. But after some research, I found kratom online. I gave it a try, and have been using it ever since. 

A:How has kratom helped you?

K: Kratom has helped many aspects of my life. It has allowed me to be very productive, allowed me to hold a job. It has given me a sense of peace and has significantly increased my mood – I even feel that I am treating people better. I actually want to live now; before, I woke up and just felt dead, just looking forward to falling back asleep. Kratom has changed that.

A:Do you have a preferred strain, a method of ingestion?

K: In my kratom experience, I really prefer the red strains, however I am good with taking green once in a while.  I usually enjoy using kratom tea. While I don’t mind the flavor of kratom anymore, I just get the best effects from using the tea.

A: Will you continue to use kratom?

K: Well, for now I will continue kratom. My doctors want to try new medications and treatments, but I would have to stop using kratom to see if they work. I honestly love kratom, as it has saved my life, but nobody wants to depend on something forever. Unfortunately, the threats on kratom by the FDA and DEA means there is no guarantee kratom will remain legal, and I worry that they will try to ban it.

A:Why do you think some institutions and individuals, like the FDA, have a negative perception about kratom? What can the community do the fix this?

K: Some placed in New York are seeing patients who are struggling to get off kratom. Like anything else, it can have addictive properties*, depending on who uses it. But opponents of Kratom cut out the positives and only focus on the negatives. Personally, my withdrawal from kratom is mostly mental. It’s going back to the state of mind I was in before I had found kratom, that terrifying depression and anxiety I had. After years of improvement, the idea of not being able to take what has allowed me to live is scary.

*(Editor’s Note: Researches have recently found that Kratom has minimal addictive properties. The chemicals in kratom were shown in this study to have low addiction potential, but any substance/act that gives pleasure/relief can be addictive. As always, use moderation.)

A:Do you feel that kratom has made a positive impact on your life?

K: Yes, it has made a huge positive in my life. Kratom has worked better than an opiate I’ve ever taken. Opiates lose its effectiveness after a few days. Then you have to take more and more and more. They made me very sick. After 8 years of kratom use, I still take the same dose, and it still works.

A:What are some of the common misconceptions you hear about kratom, and what would you say to explain them? 

K: The FDA talks about overdosing on kratom, but they’ve never found a single case of a patient who overdosed on kratom alone. It just hasn’t happened, and from what I’ve seen, it’s just not possible, really. Critics of kratom have also said that respiratory depression can occur, and that kratom can have heavy metals. I’ve never gotten sick from doing kratom or felt like I’m in danger, and I’ve even have my blood tested for heavy metals. I had none. My tests were normal. 

A:Do you consider your kratom use medicinal, or recreational? Why?

K: I consider it medicinal because without kratom, I may not be here today. I would likely be back in that deep dark hole wanting to end life. Bear in mind that not a single medication approved by the FDA worked for me – I didn’t want to live. But kratom has changed that.

—

Adam: Kevin, we really appreciate your openness on your kratom experience. It sounds like you’ve had a difficult journey and we wish you the best. Stories like this are important: Others in similar situations may find relief with kratom as you have, and we need to present as many kratom testimonials such as these to make sure that kratom remains legal. 

Best wishes, Kevin. The Kratom community stands with you.

***Nothing in this post is intended to be taken as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor if you have questions regarding your health. Kratom does not cure any diseases. Anyone interested in using kratom should use moderation and conduct thorough research and be aware of what they are consuming.