^ Hey Xork, sorry if you've answered this question a billion times on BL (if you have, can you link me to a post?), but I've been enjoying the occasional (or not-so-occasional) gram or so of kratom, and I'm wondering if you've experienced any negative side effects other than physical or psychological dependence? I just want to know what to look out for, in case I start overusing it.
Tangentially related, I love the taste of kratom. I've seen other people gag on it, but I literally think it's delicious.
Hmm, no I didn't, aside from addiction which became a tremendous problem for me. After a long time of doing it 3 or more times per day, every day, I started to get constipated from it like one would from any opiates. I'd take a shit like every 3 days and when I did... oh god, it was horrible. So painful and difficult and my asshole would be in agony for the rest of the day. If at all possible, save yourself that bullshit (literally - don't force yourself to have the take shits the size and ferocity of a bull).
Other than addiction and constipation, I found kratom entirely benign. Incidentally, before it got to the point of constipation, I found kratom to be an excellent diuretic, it would get my bowels moving like it was morning and I had just drank my cup of coffee. I really think kratom is great, if you can control yourself. It's a very enabling and functional drug. But if you start trying to be on it all the time it will fuck your life up like any opiate. Please stay away from daily or near-daily dosing. If you have a set schedule, I think that's not a good sign because it implants a structure for you. If you do it once a week and actually keep it that way, it's probably gonna be okay, but then it might change to twice a week, to every other day, to once a day, to twice a day, to 3 times a day.... you get the picture. With opiates (and kratom is one, don't fool yourself, it hits the mu opiate receptor, so it's an opiate) you have to set yourself strict rules that are based in fact (like for example dosing kratom every Saturday night and only then) and if you ever find yourself breaking them, that's your red flag that you're on the path to addiction. It's best to keep it to an occasional thing, because as soon as you have a schedule, at least if you're me and countless other ex or current opiate addicts, that schedule gives you power to make small increases. And those small increases add up. If you find yourself behaving that way, my best and heartfelt advice is to stop.

If you're prone to opiate addiction, you'll play games with yourself, you won't be aware you're doing it until you're well on the path, and opiate addiction is a soul crusher. The depths of a 10 year opiate addiction for me were indescribably horrific, something I would'n't wish on anyone. And it always starts innocent, and no one ever realizes that they've gone too far until they are already well in there, turn around, and realize the path is gone and they're lost.
Good luck getting your mitillating tatters under control Xork. You're a very wise and thoughtful person, I have no doubt that you can make whatever changes you need to make.
Thanks man.

Yeah my whole journey the past 2 years has been in developing my sense of continual conscious oversight... whenever I feel anything or have any sort of reaction to anything where I question the usefulness/goodness of that action/reaction or it results in feeling negative emotions, I try to consciously step back from myself and be the pure observer I've been on a variety of psychedelics, that immutable force of awareness that gives sentience to my human self, and I objectively decide how to truly believe I should behave as a result of whatever stimulus it is. Sometimes I get annoyed or angry and I determine that it's justified, but 95% of the time I come to the conclusion that lashing out is going to result in a net negative in the situation. This process of self-reflection helps me to act externally the way I think I should, removing myself from the heat of the moment, which improves my life and the lives of those I interact with. This is one of the very main things psychedelics have helped me learn. That, and that emotions are just chemical/hormonal impulses and it's not always necessary or beneficial to succumb to them. It's possible to let them wash over you and never externalize them, if externalizing them would hurt yourself or others, or worsen the situation.
In the same vein, I now know when I am being ridiculous with my drug usage patterns, and I'm able to do something about it because if I'm looking at the bigger picture, it's abundantly clear that it will be better if I stay mentally and physically healthy and able to work on the things I am working on.
