189 - Perry - Struggles with KRATOM and the anxieties that surrounds it189 - Perry - Struggles with KRATOM and the anxieties that surrounds it
Real Recovery Talk
Perry shares how his drug use escalated from psychedelics and opiates to a heavy dependence on kratom, including relapse after a year sober. Tom and Ben discuss what kratom is, why it can be so risky for those in recovery, and how connection and honest support can make a difference.
51:13•16 Sept 2021
Kratom, Relapse and a Year of Sobriety: Perry’s Raw Story on Real Recovery Talk
Episode Overview
- Kratom can feel similar to opiates, lead to strong physical dependence, and cause withdrawal symptoms like restlessness, anxiety and stomach issues.
- Legal status and easy availability in petrol stations and kava bars can create a false sense of safety for people with a history of addiction.
- Losing connection with recovery communities, avoiding sponsors and isolating can set the stage for relapse, even after a year sober.
- Shame about “only” using kratom or marijuana can stop people from asking for help, even when their life has become unmanageable.
- For families, avoiding enabling and being open to treatment options are key steps in supporting a loved one who is struggling.
“"Honestly... it feels like an opiate. It feels like an oxycontin, something like that."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when a drug is sold right next to chewing gum at the petrol station? This conversation on Real Recovery Talk follows 24‑year‑old Perry from Maryland as he talks candidly about his journey through psychedelics, oxycontin, heroin, benzos, alcohol – and especially kratom. Starting with weed at 16 and sliding into polysubstance use through the rave scene, he describes how addiction quickly stripped him of possessions, stability and trust.
Kratom becomes the main focus, because Perry used it first as a “safer” way to get off benzos, then later after a year sober. Sold in gas stations and vape shops, it looked harmless. But as he puts it, "Honestly... it feels like an opiate. It feels like an oxycontin." He explains the “honeymoon week” of kratom, the rapid tolerance, the stomach pain, constipation, and the restless, anxious withdrawals that felt like coming off other opiates.
Hosts Tom Conrad and Ben Bueno break down what kratom actually is, how it binds to opioid receptors, and why detox centres and insurers now treat primary kratom dependence as serious enough to need medical detox. They also highlight how the social acceptability of kava and kratom bars can mask the reality that some people end up spending over $100 a day and needing suboxone‑style protocols to stop.
You’ll hear Perry’s honest account of relapse after a year of sobriety: losing his AA community, sitting at the back of meetings, avoiding phone calls, then convincing himself he could use kratom “just once” – right up to dumpster‑diving outside work to retrieve what he’d thrown away the day before. Tom and Ben round things off with practical points for families about enabling, treatment, and why a problem with “gas station drugs” is still a real problem.
If kratom or “legal highs” feel like a grey area for you or someone you love, could this story help you see them in a different light?
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