Kratom: honest help if it’s become hard to stop

Please read this first

Get support before you stop. If you take kratom every day and feel unwell without it, talk to your GP or a drug service before you stop or cut down. If you also take prescribed opioid painkillers, the MHRA says not to stop them suddenly, and to talk to your doctor, nurse or a pharmacist.

Be careful with combinations. FRANK’s general advice is that mixing drugs is always risky, and some mixtures are more dangerous than others. Take particular care about combining kratom with alcohol, opioids, benzos or other drugs, and tell your pharmacist about it if you take any medicine.

Call 999 if someone is unconscious, won’t wake up or is struggling to breathe. FRANK’s emergency advice is to lie someone who is unconscious but breathing on their side in the recovery position, and not to leave them alone. FRANK is confidential and open 24 hours on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. If you’re feeling hopeless or thinking about ending your life, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time.

You might have started taking kratom for energy, for pain, to lift your mood or to help you get off other drugs. Because it can feel more like a supplement than a drug, it can be a while before you notice you’re taking it every day and feel off when you miss a dose.

I want to be straight with you about what’s known. There’s much less official UK guidance on kratom than on most drugs. At the time of writing, FRANK’s drugs A to Z doesn’t include it, and I haven’t found NHS guidance on it either. So this page sticks to what I can stand behind: how to tell if it’s become a problem, and where to get proper help.

Signs kratom use has become a problem

Whatever the substance, the signs that it’s become a problem look much the same. Watch for:

  • Taking it every day, and more than you used to
  • Feeling unwell, restless or unable to sleep when you miss it
  • Urges to take it that are hard to resist
  • Using it to manage pain, mood or other drug use without anyone else involved
  • Worrying about the money you spend on it
  • Trying to cut down and finding you can’t

Using kratom for pain or to come off opioids

If you started taking kratom to manage pain, please talk to your GP about the pain itself. They can look at what’s causing it and the treatments that are available, and they need to know about the kratom so they can prescribe safely.

If you’ve been using kratom to get off heroin or opioid painkillers, there is proper treatment for that. The NHS says that if you need treatment for addiction to heroin or another opioid, you can see a GP or contact your local drug treatment service. My page on heroin and opioids explains the options, and my pages on codeine and tramadol cover painkiller dependence. If you take prescribed opioids, the MHRA advises not stopping suddenly, and asking your prescriber or a pharmacist first.

Where to get help in the UK

  • Your GP. A confidential place to start. Tell them how much kratom you take and how often, and about any other medicines or drugs, so they can help you stop safely.
  • FRANK. Confidential advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. You can ask them anything about kratom, including questions about the law.
  • Local drug services. Kratom is a fair thing to raise with them. The NHS says you can go to one directly, and in England they are confidential and free of charge. Search for local support
  • DAN 24/7 in Wales. The Wales drug and alcohol helpline is open day and night on 0808 808 2234, and has a short entry on kratom.
  • Support groups. Narcotics Anonymous has face to face and online meetings, with a helpline on 0300 999 1212 (10am to midnight). SMART Recovery runs free meetings too.
  • Family and friends. Addiction Family Support runs a helpline on 0300 888 3853, and Adfam has guidance for families.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for kratom dependence, and I don’t offer it as one. Your GP or a drug service needs to be part of your recovery, especially if pain or other drug use is part of the story.

Where I can help is alongside that care. If you reach for kratom to take the edge off something, whether that’s stress, low energy, poor sleep or the strain of coming off something else, that need is still there when you stop. We can use sessions for stress, sleep and confidence, and for the daily routines that have kratom built into them. The change itself comes from you, and sessions are there to support it.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from your GP or a drug service, and about any pain or other medicines. If I think you need that support first, I’ll tell you honestly.

Common questions

Is kratom legal in the UK?

I haven’t been able to confirm kratom’s legal status from an official UK source, so I won’t guess. Please don’t rely on what a seller’s website says. You can ask FRANK in confidence, 24 hours a day, on 0300 123 6600.

Can you get withdrawal from kratom?

I can’t give you a reliable answer, because I haven’t found FRANK or NHS guidance on kratom. What I can say is that if you feel unwell, restless or can’t sleep when you go without, please talk to your GP or a drug service before you stop, so you have support.

Is kratom safe because it’s natural?

Being natural doesn’t make something safe, and FRANK’s general advice is that mixing drugs is always risky. Be wary of health claims from people selling it, and tell your GP or pharmacist that you take it.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone else’s kratom use. What can I do?

Encourage them to talk to their GP or a drug service, especially if they’re using it for pain or to come off other drugs. If they collapse or can’t be woken, call 999. Addiction Family Support and Adfam help the people around someone who uses drugs, and that includes you.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll go through what’s happening and whether sessions would add to the help you have. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you’ll get a recording of the hypnosis afterwards. You’ll find session options and fees on my work with Adam page.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: FRANK, drugs A to Z; NHS, heroin: get help; MHRA, opioid medicines and the risk of addiction; NHS, drug addiction: getting help; DAN 24/7, kratom. Checked October 2026.