About this video

• Video Title: This Gas Station Drug Nearly Ruined My Life
• Channel: Evan Edinger
• Speakers: Evan Edinger
• Duration: 00:25:22

Overview

This video is a personal account from Evan Edinger about his five-year addiction to Kratom, a plant-based herbal supplement. He details how he started using it to manage ADHD symptoms, its initial perceived benefits, how it led to severe addiction with physical and psychological consequences, and his eventual journey to sobriety. He also discusses the legal status and accessibility of Kratom, arguing for stricter regulation rather than an outright ban.

Key takeaways

• Kratom's Dual Nature: Kratom, derived from a Southeast Asian plant, acts as a mild stimulant in small doses and a sedative in larger doses, with painkilling effects similar to opioids.
• The Deceptive Start: Initially perceived as a natural and acceptable alternative to coffee for managing ADHD symptoms like lack of focus and task initiation issues, Kratom provided significant perceived benefits and mental clarity.
• Addiction's Grip: Despite setting rules to avoid daily use and tolerance, the speaker became addicted over five years, experiencing anxiety, nausea, blurred vision, and a complete loss of control, leading to a state of only being "on Kratom or wishing I was."
• Accessibility and Regulation Concerns: The video highlights Kratom's easy availability in gas stations and convenience stores, particularly in the US, while also noting its varying legal status globally. The speaker advocates for it to be regulated and sold only by prescription to prevent widespread addiction.
• The Path to Sobriety: After multiple failed attempts to quit, the speaker found success through therapy, cutting Kratom out completely, and managing intense cravings and physical withdrawal for over three months. He emphasizes that true freedom from addiction requires complete abstinence.
• One Year of Sobriety: The video concludes with the speaker celebrating over a year of sobriety, free from Kratom and the associated anxiety, finding joy in life naturally.

Here's a breakdown of the perceived benefits and side effects of Kratom mentioned in the video:

Perceived Benefits:

• Focus and Energy: In smaller doses, Kratom was reported to provide focus and energy.
• Mood Lift: Users experienced a mood lift.
• ADHD Symptom Management: It helped manage symptoms of ADHD, such as difficulty starting and stopping tasks, and provided mental clarity.
• Pain Relief: In higher doses, it offered painkilling benefits comparable to some prescription opioids.
• Anxiety Reduction: It was perceived to lift anxiety and remove "body anxiety."

Side Effects and Negative Consequences:

• Anxiety: Constant anxiety from not having enough Kratom.
• Nausea and Blurred Vision: Experienced from having too much.
• Lethargy: In higher doses, it could induce lethargy.
• Intense Cravings: The primary reason for relapse, even after physical withdrawal symptoms subsided.
• Body Anxiety: A persistent physical anxiety that appeared during addiction.
• Withdrawal Symptoms: Including muscle aches, sleepless nights, flu-like symptoms, and total body fatigue.
• Psychological Dependence: Developing a Pavlovian response to negative emotions, where the immediate thought was to use Kratom.
• Financial Cost: The safe used to store Kratom cost £50, indicating a financial investment in managing the addiction.
• Risk of Addiction: The substance is chemically addictive, and higher doses, especially those fortified with 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH-MIT), are designed to hook users quickly.

Yes, that's an accurate summary. The video explains that Kratom dependence was a significant issue.

• Not enough caused problems like anxiety and withdrawal symptoms, leading to a constant need to use it to feel "okay" or avoid negative feelings.
• Too much also caused problems, such as nausea and blurred vision, and contributed to the escalating cycle of addiction.

The core issue was the development of dependence, where the user's body and mind became reliant on the substance to function, creating a cycle of seeking it to avoid negative states caused by its absence or to counteract the negative effects of taking too much.