E183 Doreen

Lily interviews Doreen, a long-term listener from the beginning of the podcast. Doreen is coming on three years off kratom and shares her journey to being kratom free. Hers was a path not as harrowing as many, but still a difficult one, nonetheless. Before kratom, she had minimal addiction history; only seasonal cigarette smoking in high school that she could easily stop. In January 2022, Doreen underwent a lumbar puncture and desperate for pain relief after medical options failed, someone gave her husband kratom to help. Her use escalated from a teaspoon to tablespoons, multiple times daily. She took it everywhere except work, constantly thinking about her next dose. A spiritual disconnection became her wake-up call. She tried to quit multiple times, experiencing severe withdrawal: inability to sleep, restless leg syndrome, complete loss of joy, depression, and intense crying. She described it as the worst experience of her life, with no relief day or night. Doreen finally quit in February 2023, with her husband staying by her side through the worst of it.  Tragically, the person who originally gave kratom to her husband later died from kratom use, a loss that motivated Doreen to share her story publicly. She now actively warns others about kratom's dangers, having already prevented at least one coworker from trying it. Her message: kratom may seem harmless and natural, but it's addictive and can destroy lives while keeping its grip hidden from those closest to you.   WANT TO TELL YOUR STORY ON THE PODCAST? https://forms.gle/VWrjhLSTPHqJyVhw7      QUITTING KRATOM SUPPORT MEETINGS https://www.kratommeetings.com        CONNECT WITH US https://www.instagram.com/kratomsobriety        https://twitter.com/kratomsobriety      https://www.tiktok.com/@krat0ms0briety       https://www.youtube.com/@KratomSobriety        https://www.facebook.com/kratomsobriety    https://bsky.app/profile/kratomsobriety.bsky.social  https://www.threads.net/@kratomsobriety          CONTACT THE SHOW Voice: 313-437-7720 Email: [email protected]      https://kratomsobriety.com         PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kratom-addiction/id1685569424  https://www.audible.com/podcast/Kratom-Addiction/B0C3YHDLV5         https://open.spotify.com/show/4GkQiYu6S8IBn8qswyVm00