Treatment Options for Kratom Addiction

While kratom is often sold over the counter, it’s not a safe drug for recreational use. Many people experiment with this drug and quickly become addicted to it. Even when they want to quit, they can’t make sobriety stick. 

More than 14,000 addiction treatment facilities exist in the United States. Some offer intensive care, while others focus on outpatient treatment. 

Determining what type of treatment you need is a good first step, and interviewing potential programs can help you find the right fit. 

What Treatment Options Are Available for Kratom Addiction?

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) recognizes five different types of treatment for people with persistent drug problems. If you struggle with kratom addiction, one of these programs can help you get well. Many people use these programs on a path to recovery, utilizing different approaches as they get better. 

Here are the primary treatment options for kratom addiction:

Early Intervention

These approaches are made for people with a new drug habit. An early intervention can be as simple as a conversation. 

A doctor or counselor helps you examine why you started using kratom and how it’s changed your life. Together, you determine how quitting could help you, and you begin to devise a plan to do that. 

Outpatient Care

If an early intervention didn’t help, outpatient care might be a better fit. You’ll begin with an assessment to determine the type of treatment that will suit your needs. 

You’ll set up a series of appointments with a counselor and discuss your kratom use in detail. Your doctor can also prescribe medications for at-home use. 

Intensive Outpatient Care

If you need more support than a standard outpatient care program can provide, an intensive program might help. You’ll spend time with a counselor or doctor every day, discussing your kratom use and abuse. You can still live at home, but most of your time is spent healing. 

Residential Care

Programs like this allow you to move away from your triggers and focus on your recovery. You’ll take your medications, participate in therapy, spend time in support groups, and more. 

The lessons you learn here could help you throughout the rest of your life. During this time, your primary focus is on addiction recovery.

Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient

Kratom abuse can cause significant health issues, including organ damage. In a medically managed program, your team can treat these issues while helping you to both find and sustain your sobriety. You’ll live in the facility during the duration of your treatment. 

Therapy Options Used in Treatment

Therapy is an important part of kratom treatment programs. In therapy, you can learn more about why you started drug use, and you can build skills to help prevent relapse. 

Therapy options include the following:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy: Learn how to recognize and avoid situations that can lead to relapse. 
• Motivational incentives: Therapists use rewards or privileges for participating in your prescribed treatment plan.
• Motivational interviewing: Your doctor digs deep into your reasons for prolonged sobriety, helping you to strengthen your resolve and truly change your life. 
• Group therapy: Share your sessions with other people also struggling with drug abuse. In these supportive environments, you’ll learn from your counselor and your peers at the same time. 

Life After Rehabilitation

Many people work through several kratom treatment approaches. They start in residential programs, move to outpatient care, and then stay connected with treatment when their recovery is complete. 

Sticking with care is one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t relapse to kratom abuse. Taking other steps may help too.

Your long-term rehabilitation plan can include the following steps:

• Stay rested. Fatigue can increase your relapse risks, and it could harm your health too. Craft a bedtime plan and stick with it. 
• Create a meal plan. Hunger pangs can make your cravings come back stronger, and drug abuse can lead to malnutrition too. Find a way to nourish your body and mind with food.
• Stretch your muscles. Add exercise to every day. You’ll boost your natural feel-good chemicals and feel stronger too. 
• Flex your mind. Meditation, yoga, breath work, and other techniques can help you stay calm even when cravings hit. 
• Connect with friends. Find people who support your recovery and spend time with them. 
• Fill your time. Finding and taking drugs can fill up your days. Rewarding hobbies can help you stay connected with the benefits of sobriety.

For many people, staying in touch with their treatment teams is an important part of their recovery. In fact, most treatment program providers encourage their clients to participate in group therapy and alumni events after a formal treatment program ends. 

Following the above steps can help you support what you learn in treatment. 

Support Groups & Options for People in Recovery

While you’ll stay connected with therapy teams after your kratom treatment, you may also benefit from working with your peers. Sitting in a room with other people in recovery can give you a sense of community, and sometimes, these people can give you tips based on what worked for them in recovery. 

Support groups in the 12-step model (such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous) could be useful in your recovery. Meetings are held in public spaces, like church basements and office parks, and they’re free to attend. 

You can go to any meeting that seems right for you. Even if you’re sitting with people addicted to something other than kratom (like alcohol), you could still learn something new and helpful. Many meetings cater to substance abuse in general rather than abuse of a specific substance like kratom.

If a group meeting makes you uncomfortable, find one person in recovery you trust and work together on your recovery. Meeting together, regularly and often, can help you learn even more about what it takes to stay sober. And helping someone else could help you maintain your sobriety too.