Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia and has found its way across the world into the hands of people with serious illness and disease. Most notably, Kratom has been successfully used to taper off hardcore prescription painkillers and heroin. While Kratom has not yet been accepted into the mainstream, it has reached legendary status in its impressive circle of supporters.

This rise of Kratom has attracted recreational users and also people looking to alleviate things like depression.

But just how well can one plant treat something like depression?

Having the occasional bout of depression myself I can attest to using the plant in this context and shed insights on the effectiveness.

There are of course different levels of depression. On a scale of 1 – 10, my day to day depression is at a 4 on a normal day and about an 8 on a bad day. 4 being a low level jadedness with the world and 8 being suicidal thoughts and unable to do things like work. My thoughts tend to spiral into deeply negative realms. Lately however I must say I’m feeling better about my life and the deep lows are rare occurrences. Since I quit drinking I’ve been feeling good, getting lots of work done, and also picked up cycling which has helped tremendously.

Depending on the strain, Kratom has the potential to deliver a significant boost in mood. A good strain will create a euphoric warmth in your body and wrap you in a blanket of “it’s all gonna be okay.” With the right strain and the right dose I become pro social and ultra productive at work. My current favorite is Red Dragon from Gaia Botanicals. I will talk to random people at the grocery store and blow through the day in high spirits. If you get a good strain and you have a low tolerance, you’ll feel these warming effects all day.

Does Kratom lift the depression? Yes, but not without a few side effects.

The negatives

Kratom changes your state of mind. If you’re depressed chances are you’ve become stagnant in life and craving change. The brain needs new stimulus to thrive. It wants to experience new and novel things. Drugs like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, etc offer a method to change the state of your brain without having to do anything external like switch jobs, travel, or find new friends.

It’s a temporary fix but far from a solution. Eventually your brain will become use to the Kratom and now you’ll just be a depressed person with a Kratom addiction.

Personally, I find my mind and body is dulled the day after I take Kratom. The body feels sluggish, the mind feels foggy. I’ve found the best way to mitigate these effects is staying hydrated and getting in a good session of cardio. Kratom is a rapid dehydrator. Nootropics like Piracetam and a ton of water pretty much clear out the sludge immediately.

Best way to use Kratom for Depression

My first piece of advice is read my Kratom dosing guide. The idea behind a proper dose of Kratom is determining the least amount you need to get all the desired effects.

My second piece of advice is limiting Kratom usage to 1 – 3 times a week TOPS. This will keep your tolerance low. Discover your favorite strains and find 3 of them to rotate so your body doesn’t get used to a single strain.

Third, white and green vein strains are more stimulating than reds. If your depression is characterized by lethargy and a lack of energy, try a white or green strain. Reds are sedating which might make you more depressed and tired.

Conclusion

The TLDR is Kratom can be a great tool in your arsenal to alleviate depression but is far from a solution. Unfortunately what most don’t want to hear is solving underlying issues like Depression requires deep personal work. Things like Kratom can be used to help us on the path to real change.