Is Kratom Addictive? Understanding the Potential for Abuse 

This is one of the most important questions for consumers and one of the most controversial questions for the kratom industry at-large. The DEA makes the vague, blanket statement that “kratom consumption can lead to addiction,” but the truth is not nearly so cut-and-dry. Tons of substances have at least some potential for abuse, despite not being associated with serious drug abuse and addiction.  

If your kratom use has been increasing and/or if you’re no longer getting the same effect from the same dose, it’s probably time to take a break and see what happens. The earlier you take this step, the easier it’s likely to be. It’s also more likely that you’ll feel comfortable using kratom again and getting the desired effects at a lower dose. 

Is Kratom Addictive? Let’s Compare with Coffee

We wanted to start this kratom addiction resource by comparing kratom and coffee for two simple reasons. First, the kratom tree (Mitragyna speciosa) is in the same botanical family (Rubiaceae) as the coffee plant (Coffea). Second, the evidence to date suggests they have a similar potential for substance abuse and addiction.  

Without a doubt, most people will experience a noticeable increase in their tolerance level with repeated consumption of coffee or kratom. Many people will also develop withdrawal symptoms, especially with heavy, prolonged use.  

That said, the severity and duration of these withdrawal symptoms can vary a lot. When quitting coffee or kratom, many people will experience headaches and mild irritability for a day or two and then be fine. Others may experience more serious symptoms including anxiety, depression, fatigue, tremors, nausea, and changes in heart rate and blood pressure. In severe cases, these symptoms may persist for a week or longer. 

Compare these resources from Healthline about what to expect from caffeine withdrawal and kratom withdrawal.  

Even still, addiction is more than just physical tolerance and withdrawal. Is caffeine addictive? Yes, it can be. Do lots of people destroy their lives and hurt their loved ones over scoring their next cup of joe? There may be a few, but there’s little evidence this is a serious public health concern. Arguably, the same things can be said about kratom.  

The Rise and Fall of Psychoactive Effects in Substance Use 

One of common characteristics of psychoactive substances with a high potential for abuse is the time to onset and the acute cessation of psychoactive effects. Simply put, drugs that hit you hard and fast and then crash just as hard, leaving you wanting another dose right away, tend to be the most addictive. 

This is one of the big factors that explains why nicotine is one of the most physically addictive substances we know about, but also why cocaine is so addictive despite producing relatively mild physical symptoms of withdrawal. It’s one of the reasons heroin is incredibly addictive, even compared to oral morphine medications.  

Kratom has a moderate onset of effects with most people feeling the effects within 15-30 minutes and peaking within an hour of ingestion. Likewise, there are some mild “coming down from” and “day-after” kratom effects, but these are rarely described in terms comparable to a “hangover.” It’s also likely that faster-acting and harder-hitting kratom extracts have a modestly higher potential for abuse than raw leaf kratom.  

Nicotine Addiction and Smoking Cigarettes 

Another instructive example is the smoking policy at many drug addiction treatment centers around the country. For decades, most treatment centers allowed their patients to smoke cigarettes. Some still do today. The prevailing view was that while nicotine is one of the most physically addictive substances, smoking cigarettes is essentially a habit that doesn’t contribute to a person’s psychological struggle to overcome serious drug addiction.  

One counterargument is that the only reason people don’t regularly betray their loved ones and destroy their lives over nicotine is the broad access and affordability of cigarettes and other nicotine products. 

What Comparative Psychology Can Tell Us about Drug Addiction  

There are all kinds of useful analogies that can partially explain substance abuse and drug addiction. Comparative psychology studies provide one such explanation.  

For example, in one famous series of addiction studies known as the Rat Park experiments, rats were given the option to drink from one of two bottles. The first contained morphine. The other one was plain tap water. The rats were then broken up into sub-groups where some of the rats lived in small, cramped cages, while the others lived in a much large enclosure with plenty of toys and activities to engage with.  

The entire series of experiments revealed several interesting nuances, but by and large, the caged rats preferred the morphine-laced bottle, while the Rat Park rats largely preferred the plain tap water.   

More than just surrounding yourself with fun, shiny objects, these studies were used as a jumping off point to study the value of strong social and family connections, including sponsors, in overcoming drug addiction. These experiments have also been used to show that the root cause of addiction is based more in psychological factors than physical dependence on a psychoactive substance.  

Addiction is a Complex Neurological Process 

There are all kinds of disagreements, even among top behavioral scientists, about the nature of addiction. One of the most common ones is whether true addiction depends on a physical substance of abuse or if certain behaviors and environmental stimuli can themselves serve as the basis for a clinically significant diagnosis.  

Notably, Internet Gaming Disorder was added to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders) for the first time in 2013 with the publication of the fifth edition, also known as the DSM-5. This is the first instance of an addictive disorder appearing in the DSM without the involvement of substance use. 

Clinical Experiments vs Case Studies of Kratom Addiction 

Researchers funded by the American Kratom Association conducted an experiment of 357 kratom users with different patterns of use. They found the average number of symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD) in these kratom users was less than four. Notably, even two or three symptoms is enough to warrant a mild substance use disorder diagnosis, though six or more is needed for a severe diagnosis.  

The list of symptoms most commonly reported by these kratom users is also telling: withdrawal, tolerance, cravings, using more than intended, and unsuccessful reduction attempts. Meanwhile, the symptoms least commonly reported were: physically hazardous use, social and psychological problems, interference with fulfilling social roles, and giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities. Yes, many kratom users develop a tolerance of and cravings for kratom, but it’s rare for these physical symptoms to manifest as serious behavioral problems. Again, kratom’s addictive profile is very similar to coffee.

This isn’t to suggest that kratom has no potential for abuse or no documented cases of substance addiction. Here’s one case study published in the NIH National Library of Medicine. This case, and others like it, is also very telling. The woman was already struggling with a history of major depressive disorder, opiate addiction, and suicide attempts. She started using kratom not because it was her preferred choice to deal with her psychological pain, but because she lost access to services at a Suboxone clinic when she moved out of state.  

Kratom’s Potential as an Exit Drug 

Another important topic related to kratom potential for abuse and addiction is whether kratom holds potential as an exit drug. Many people report that kratom is more effective at relieving pain than cannabis. Mixed kratom-kava products are popular among a segment of recovering alcoholics who find comfort in the inhibition and sociability that results from consuming kratom and kava together.  

Even if kratom does simply replace the previous substance of abuse, there is broad consensus that kratom use is generally less destructive than other substances of abuse, especially alcohol and opiates.  

Key Takeaway: Low Potential for Abuse, High Value of Tolerance Breaks 

Like many substances, kratom resists a simple yes or no answer to the question of whether it is addictive. Kratom definitely falls somewhere on the spectrum, though we believe it’s fair to say that kratom has a relatively low potential for abuse. Still, given the physical tolerance and withdrawal that is likely to set in with heavy and prolonged use, it’s important to take periodic tolerance breaks and monitor the severity of your cravings. Apart from psychological addiction and physical withdrawal,  

There is also emerging evidence that long-term kratom use can lead to health problems later in life, especially liver and kidney damage. Again, moderating your daily dose and taking periodic breaks is crucial to use kratom in a way that improves your health and quality of life over the long run.

References  

Anonymous. Kratom. DEA. Published April 2020.  

Jillian Kubala. 8 Symptoms of Caffeine Withdrawal. Healthline. Updated October 2022. 

Adrienne Santos-Longhurst. What to Expect from Kratom Withdrawal. Healthline. Published May 2020.  

Wikipedia contributor(s). Rat Park. Wikipedia. Updated January 2024. 

Borges G, et al. (Internet) Gaming Disorder in DSM-5 and ICD-11: A Case of the Glass Half Empty or Half Full. Can J Psychiatry. 2021 May;66(5):477-484. doi: 10.1177/0706743720948431. Epub 2020 Aug 18. PMID: 32806957; PMCID: PMC8107956.   

Anonymous. DSM-5 Criteria for Substance Use Disorders. Gateway Foundation. Updated September 2023. 

Settle AG, Yang C. A Case of Severe Kratom Addiction Contributing to a Suicide Attempt. Cureus. 2022 Sep 28;14(9):e29698. doi: 10.7759/cureus.29698. PMID: 36321032; PMCID: PMC9616552.