Kratom is often marketed as a natural way to boost energy or ease anxiety, but its opioid-like effects can lead to addiction, organ damage, and mental health...
## What Kratom Is and Why Youth Try It Kratom comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, native to Southeast Asia, and is sold in powders, capsules, drinks, and "energy shots" at gas stations, smoke shops, and online. It contains active compounds (primarily mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine) that act on the same receptors in the brain as opioids, producing stimulant effects at low doses and sedating, pain-relieving effects at higher doses. Young adults are especially drawn to kratom because it is easy to buy, often appears in "legal high" or "plant-based wellness" sections, and is promoted heavily on social media as a safer alternative to opioids, ADHD meds, or anxiety drugs. Federal agencies, however, have repeatedly warned that kratom is not approved for any medical use and carries significant risks for dependence, overdose, and organ damage. ## Immediate Physical Effects In the short term, kratom can cause a mix of stimulating and sedating physical symptoms that many young users mistake for harmless side effects. Commonly reported problems include nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, rapid heartbeat, and high blood pressure. These symptoms may seem minor at first but often intensify as tolerance builds and doses increase over time. More serious physical reactions have been documented even when kratom is used alone, including seizures, tremors, shallow or slowed breathing, irregular heart rhythms, and loss of consciousness. Poison control centers in the United States have logged thousands of kratom-related calls in recent years, including cases that involved coma and death, especially when combined with other substances like alcohol, benzodiazepines, or fentanyl. ## Long-Term Damage to Organs Chronic, heavy kratom use can leave young adults with damage that goes far beyond an upset stomach or a bad night. Case reports and reviews link sustained use with liver injury, sometimes severe enough to cause jaundice, dark urine, intense itching, and hospitalization for acute liver failure. In some users, liver toxicity emerged after weeks to months of what they believed were "moderate" doses, suggesting that individual vulnerability and product potency play a large role. Kratom has also been associated with kidney injury, lung problems, and cardiovascular complications such as persistent tachycardia and hypertension. These medical issues may be easy to miss in young adults who often skip routine health care, meaning kratom-related damage can progress quietly until a crisis forces emergency treatment. For students or young workers without stable insurance, the financial and academic fallout of a sudden ICU stay can be devastating. ## Mental Health and Brain Impacts The mental health consequences of kratom are particularly concerning in a population already struggling with anxiety, depression, and stress. Kratom alters the central nervous system and has been linked to dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, and impaired thinking in everyday functioning. People who start with low doses for focus or anxiety relief may find themselves needing higher and more frequent doses just to feel "normal," while their mood and cognition gradually worsen. Reports also document hallucinations, delusions, agitation, and episodes of psychosis in some users, especially at high doses or with concentrated products. Depression and suicidal thoughts have been noted in the context of chronic use and withdrawal, raising concerns that kratom can worsen underlying mental health conditions rather than relieve them. For young adults navigating college, early careers, or relationships, these shifts can derail academic performance, decision-making, and social stability. ## Addiction and Withdrawal in Young Adults Despite its "herbal" branding, kratom is addictive; it acts on opioid receptors and can produce both tolerance and a recognizable withdrawal syndrome. Public health and addiction organizations report that regular users are at risk of developing a substance use disorder, with cravings, loss of control over use, and continuing to take kratom despite clear harm. Surveys suggest that a significant portion of kratom users also meet criteria for one or more other substance use disorders, underscoring its role in broader patterns of risky use. When young adults try to quit, they may experience withdrawal symptoms such as muscle aches, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, restlessness, runny nose, and gastrointestinal distress. These symptoms can be intense enough to push them back into use, creating a cycle that looks and feels very similar to opioid dependence. For those already in recovery from opioids or other drugs, kratom can become a substitute that slowly undermines sobriety and reactivates addictive thinking. ## Hidden Risks: Contamination and Interactions Another danger for young adults is that kratom products are often unregulated and mislabeled, with wide variation in strength and purity. Investigations have found high-potency extracts with far more active compound than traditional plant material, raising the risk of overdose, and some batches have been contaminated with salmonella or other substances. Because these products are sold as supplements or "botanicals," the quality controls that apply to medications typically do not apply. Kratom can also interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, pain medications, and substances that affect liver enzymes. These interactions may increase side effects or trigger serious complications such as severe headaches, confusion, or dangerous changes in breathing and heart rhythm. Young adults who do not disclose kratom use to their doctors—often out of fear or shame—are at particular risk because providers cannot accurately assess interaction dangers. ## Talking with Young Adults and Getting Help For parents, educators, and young adults themselves, the most important step is to stop treating kratom as a harmless tea or a benign "wellness" supplement. Public health and regulatory agencies now classify it as a substance of concern and warn against its use because of documented risks of liver damage, seizures, addiction, and fatalities. That message needs to be as familiar on campuses and in group chats as the warnings about vaping, counterfeit pills, and fentanyl. If a young person is using kratom regularly—especially if they have increased their dose, feel sick when they stop, or are hiding their use—this is a sign to seek professional help, not just "cut back." Medical providers, addiction specialists, and interventionists can assess withdrawal risk, screen for co-occurring mental health issues, and recommend appropriate levels of care, from outpatient support to residential treatment. National helplines and local crisis lines can offer confidential guidance, and families can reach out to qualified intervention professionals to help navigate next steps and protect their loved one's health and future.