Kratom to 7-OH: A Progression I Never Saw Coming

I had been sober for 17 years when I first started hearing whispers about kratom.

I honestly don't remember exactly how it first came to my attention, but I remember one moment clearly. My son was young, and I was watching one of his MMA classes. I loved watching him, like I always did. I walked next door to grab a drink, and behind the counter I saw kratom.

At the time, I was dealing with chronic pain—my back, shoulders, and neck. I remember looking at it and thinking I'd love to try it. From what I had heard, it was natural. A leaf from a tree in Southeast Asia. I had heard people used kratom for pain.

But there was also that little voice in the back of my head:

That's not for you. Don't do it.

That day, I listened to it.

Later, life got heavy. I was going through a separation from my wife that I didn't want. So now it wasn't only physical pain. I was hurting emotionally too.

I don't remember the exact day I finally bought kratom. But eventually, I did.

And I'm not going to rewrite history and pretend I didn't know what I was feeling.

I got high from it.

For me, there was a mild stimulant-like feeling along with an opioid-like feeling. My chronic pain felt better. I had more drive at work. More energy for everyday life. At first, it seemed fantastic.

But like every good junkie, once that initial feeling became normal, I went looking for more.

Regular kratom leaf eventually became kratom extracts.

Then one day I walked into a smoke shop in Manhattan and saw pills containing 7-OH—7-hydroxymitragynine. At the time, I really didn't understand the difference. I thought it was basically another form of kratom extract.

I tried it.

Wow. It hit.

And that's where everything changed.

No more telling myself this was just simple kratom leaf. No more telling myself I was taking something natural from a plant in the coffee family.

I was a full-blown addict again.

And it happened quickly.

I knew what I was doing was wrong. More importantly, after 17 years of sobriety, I knew there was a better way to live because I had already lived it.

Then my thinking changed. I wasn't even taking it to get high anymore. I was taking it because I knew what would happen if I stopped.

I was taking it to avoid 7-OH withdrawal.

And I remember exactly what went through my head:

Fuck. I'm going to have to deal with withdrawal.

That's how far something I once rationalized as a natural solution had taken me.

From kratom leaf, to extracts, to 7-OH, to being physically dependent and afraid to stop.

It was a progression I never saw coming.

This is my personal experience, not medical advice. If you're dealing with substance dependence or withdrawal, consider speaking with a qualified healthcare professional.