Kratom and Anxiety: How It Helps

Kratom aka Mitragyna Speciosa is a naturally growing tree native to South Asia. This tree belongs to the coffee family. For decades, its leaves have been used for self-treatment of conditions like chronic pain, opioid withdrawal symptoms, depression, and anxiety by the natives of South Asina countries.

Most users of kratom use it for pain management and the occasional recreational purpose. It’s worth noting that while kratom is not illegal in the USA, the FDA is yet to approve it for commercial/pharmaceutical purposes.

Since it’s not approved by any medical body it’s important to educate yourself about kratom as much as you can all the while exercising complete precaution during consumption. As a user, it’s also wise to start off with small amounts until you find a dosage that best works for you.

Read more to find out how kratom works, what conditions it can help you with including stress and anxiety along with all the other crucial information –

Exactly How Does Kratom Help With Depression and Anxiety?

Upon consumption, kratom tends to exhibit symptoms that are similar to that of common opioids say codeine or morphine. However, it’s not an opioid. In fact, kratom leaves are used for the management of opioid withdrawals; particularly in many parts of South Asia. The way kratom works are through a profile of active alkaloids – two of the most important of them are Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. These alkaloids bind themselves with opioid receptors in the brain thereby providing a sense of relief from pain and anxiety.

This explains why the majority use it for pain management. This particular mechanism may also be responsible for its anti-anxiety and antidepressant-like behavior as reported by several kratom users.

Let it be known that no official medical research/material is available out there that could support the antidepressant properties of kratom. Most of the evidence is anecdotal and shared by individuals as their personal experience with kratom.

WebMD has a dedicated page that lists reviews by kratom users in terms of its effectiveness and how it made them feel. Majority reviews talk about kratom helping them with their pain and anxiety and are generally favorable.

Physical/behavioral Effects Of Kratom As Reported By Users

Below are some other common benefits that kratom users have shared time and again –

– A sense of euphoria.

– Feeling more in control of their emotions.

– Native people of South Asia would consume kratom before taking on labor-intensive work since it ups the energy levels.

– Many feel more confident and often talkative which made them more sociable in conditions that they otherwise found overwhelming like attending a meeting or a social event.

– In some users, kratom improved focus all the while nulling their sensations of stress and pain which kept them going through the day.

– People who have difficulty sleeping report feeling mildly and pleasantly sedated which helped them put to sleep and achieve a good night’s sleep.

– Some users feel mildly ‘high’.

Some Other Potential Benefits Of Kratom Consumption

In addition to reducing depression & anxiety, kratom can be beneficial in myriad in other conditions as well. Some of them are –

    ▪    Chronic pains

    ▪    Muscle pains

    ▪    High blood pressure

    ▪    Diarrhoea

    ▪    PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Different Forms In Which Kratom Is Available

It’s available in many forms but, you are most likely to stumble upon or buy kratom strains in the form of –

    •    Powder

    •    Capsules

    •    Gums

    •    Tablets

    •    Gels

    •    Extract

    •    Tincture

You can also eat raw, dried, and boiled kratom leaves. It’s also common to brew them for tea preparation. A less common way to consume kratom is in the form of smokes and vapes.

Exactly What Is Kratom?

At its heart lies the most dominant alkaloid called mitragynine which is found in the leaves. All the positive/medicinal benefits of kratom that we discussed earlier are best enjoyed at low kratom doses. Higher doses are discouraged unless you know your personal threshold and tolerance levels. Also, higher doses can result in sedation, therefore, exercising caution is advised. But, as long as you consume it in smaller amounts and in isolation, it should be well-tolerated and give no reason for concern.

Different Kratom Strains Types and Their Properties

Kratom has several types and each of those types is called a ‘strain’. These strains typically get their names from the place of their origin. Just like hemp and marijuana, different kratom strains tend to yield a unique spectrum of effects. Again, all these conclusions are mostly anecdotal and based on people’s personal experiences with different kratom strains observed over the years. It might also be interesting to know that the effects of kratom from one supplier may vary from another supplier’s kratom.

Since it can be difficult to decide which strain type to use, you can start out with a small dosage of different strains until you can find the best one.

With that said, here are some of the most common types available in the market –

Maeng Da

This strain comes from Thailand but Malaysian and Indonesian Maeng Da is    also common. In terms of color, it can be white, green, and red. It is supposed to be high potency strain the effects of which are brought along with a higher ‘stimulation’. Maeng da is the largest and most commonly used for pain management. So, if you are experiencing anxiety caused by severe pain, you should definitely experience a great deal of relief after consuming it.

Users of maeng da kratom strain report feeling more free with a reduced sense of pain brought with heightened energy. ‘Grafting’ is the technique used for processing maeng da wherein different types of plants are joined and bred together to form a new strain which supposedly carries all the different qualities of different strains. Maeng da is supposed to offer pain relief without the sedative effects. That is why Indonesians would drink it to get more productivity at work.

Indo

This strain comes from the islands of Indonesia. It’s supposed to offer energizing effects much like coffee. That’s why a lot of people have switched their morning coffee with a swig of Kratom. The most common use of Indo strain is as an antidepressant. It helps put you in a good mood and induces feelings of well-being making you feel more peaceful. Therefore, if you plan on using kratom for stress, anxiety, and depression you can try this particular strain.

Red Vein Bali Kratom

This strain comes from Bali and happens to be reddish in color. It’s also supposed to be the most affordable type of kratom. Mostly it’s supposed to help with pain and anxiety.

Over 30 alkaloids are present in red vein kratom strain. The leaves that go into the processing of red vein kratom tend to have less stimulating and more analgesic effects due to the high availability of 7-hydroxymitragynine coupled with mitragynine which carries pain-relieving properties.

Additional muscle-relaxing and analgesic alkaloids are Mitraphylline, Speciogynine, and 9-Hydroxycorynantheidine. Users of red vein kratom say it’s the most ‘opioid-like’ of all strains which is why it is particularly helpful with anxiety and stress; granted the relief may only be temporary.

White Vein Kratom

It’s the most potent and powerful strain of all. It’s supposed to be most effective in putting the mind at ease. White vein kratom may also exhibit certain nootropic-like effects. It may help improve focus, give you an energy boost, enhance your mood, and better your concentration.

Green Vein Kratom

You can think of this strain as an in-between of red and white strain. It can give a mild boost to the energy and brighten the day. Most consumers of green vein kratom say it made them get ‘in the flow’ and also improved their alertness. The effects of green vein kratom are most subtle in nature which is why it’s best for treating pains. It carries analgesic properties and doesn’t lead to drowsiness so if you want to forego sedative effects, this can be the best for you.

Guidelines For Usage

Let it be known that there are no concrete or standard guidelines issued by any medical body in terms of kratom usage for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

Some of the factors that may affect the dosage and their effects are –

    •    Age

    •    Sex

    •    Health status

    •    Method of ingestion

    •    Type of strain used

Since there are no set dosage guidelines, it’s best to start off with 1 to 2 grams of dosage per day. This should give you a safe frame to monitor your physical and behavioral changes. Keep a close check on how you feel and slowly increase the dosage until you find that ‘sweet spot’.

A word of caution – To avoid any unwanted side-effects it’s advised not to consume kratom with any other substances such as alcohol or any other drugs.

In 2018, the findings of a survey conducted on around 8,000 kratom users were published. It showed that a dose of 5 gram of kratom powder taken 3 times a day give them the desired effects. However, for a first time user – it’s always best to start out with small dosages.

Final Thoughts

It’s true that more research is needed to stimulate the true benefits of kratom, but users all over the world have experimented with this plant and found it to be incredibly useful under many grave circumstances. All the positive effects of kratom as mentioned earlier should definitely work together to make you less anxious and depressed. It’s safe to say that controlled and safe consumption of kratom should pose no threats or risks and should be well-tolerated yielding all the benefits that most kratom users report.

Author Bio:

The Golden Monk is a premium bulk kratom supplier based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. We provide both powder and capsules. Many who shop with us are customers for life due to the top-notch quality of our products and excelling customer support. We sell our kratom with a no-gimmick money-back guarantee.