By JT
Nurse Practitioner at Willow Grove Recovery
Kratom is one of the substances I’ve been seeing more often lately. We started noticing it about a year ago, and a little before that. Patients were coming in who had been buying it at gas stations and vape shops, and part of what makes it worth talking about is exactly that: how easy it was to get.
Where Does Kratom Come From?
Kratom is a plant, and its story starts in Southeast Asia. Laborers there used it to get through long days in the fields. It gave them energy, and it helped with the joint pain and aches that come from working hard day after day. Over time it made its way to the United States, and people here began using it too.
What makes kratom complicated is that it does two very different things depending on how much you take. In low doses, it works like a stimulant. People often compare it to a strong shot of caffeine, or even to an amphetamine. In higher doses, though, it acts more like a pain medication, working on the same opioid receptors in the brain that oxycodone, fentanyl, and heroin do.
That dual nature is where the trouble begins. If someone is using it for energy and then stops, their energy drops, and taking a little more feels like the only way to get back to normal. And if someone is taking larger amounts, they are essentially dealing with an opioid. I’ve had patients taking as much as 1,600 milligrams six times a day, which is a great deal of powder and capsules. Almost none of them started there. They started with a little, and over time a little became more. Many of us live by the idea that if a small amount helps, a larger amount might help even more. With kratom, that instinct is how the problem grows.
What Does Withdrawal Look Like?
Because kratom acts on those opioid receptors, coming off of it feels much like coming off of any other opioid. There is nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and a general flu-like feeling, similar to what someone would experience withdrawing from oxycodone or fentanyl.
I’ve watched this unfold in people who only ever meant to use it for energy. They take a little more, and then a little more, and eventually they find themselves unable to get through a normal day or go to work without it. Often they don’t want to say anything, because admitting you’re attached to something you can’t put down on your own is hard. So it tends to stay quiet for a while before anyone reaches out for help.
But Isn’t it “Natural”?
This is the part I most want people to sit with. As a culture, we don’t always look closely at what we put into our bodies. Because kratom comes from a plant, it can feel natural, and natural can feel harmless.
The reality is that we often don’t know where a given batch came from or what’s actually in it. Some are far more potent than others, and it can be altered before it ever reaches the shelf. When you buy it off a counter, you’re trusting something you can’t really verify, simply because it grew somewhere. That’s worth pausing on before we assume it’s safe.
Is There a Certain Type of Person Who Uses Kratom?
People sometimes ask me what kind of person buys a new substance at a gas station, and the honest answer is that addiction doesn’t discriminate. It has little to do with background, or job, or where someone comes from. When a person is in a difficult moment and looking for something to take the edge off, and it happens to be right there, that can be enough.
I tend to see two groups. Some people have no idea there’s any risk at all. I once worked with a student who didn’t realize until he rotated through a substance use facility that his own brother had been quietly struggling with it. Others have a history with substances and are trying to stay away from alcohol or drugs, and they convince themselves that this more “natural” option is a safer kind of release. In practice, it often brings them right back to the place they were trying to leave.
That’s a large part of why getting it off the shelves matters. When something is that easy to reach, it becomes a question for anyone who walks in.
A Step Forward in the Law
As of July 1, 2026 kratom is no longer supposed to be sold in gas stations and vape shops. I think that’s genuinely good news, and it’s a meaningful step.
At the same time, it isn’t the end of the story. There are still other substances sitting nearby on those same shelves, some of which mimic kratom closely, and the law hasn’t caught up to all of them yet. Accessibility is a big part of what makes any of these substances a concern, and that piece is still being worked out.
About Willow Grove Recovery
Willow Grove opened just a few months ago, and if I had to describe it in a single word, it would be family.
When you come into a facility like ours, you’re often sick, unable to stop on your own, and not feeling like yourself. On top of that, you’re carrying the weight of having to say all of that out loud to someone. Our role is to meet you in that moment, to offer some hope, and to never make you feel judged for walking through the door. Whether someone is dealing with kratom, alcohol, fentanyl, methamphetamine, or cocaine, we try to meet them exactly where they are and go from there.
If you’re struggling, or someone you love is, you don’t need to have it all figured out first. You only have to be ready to start the conversation. We can take it from there.
Jennifer Lee Taylor is a Nurse Practitioner at Willow Grove Recovery, located near Clarksville, Tennessee.
She brings more than 14 years of clinical practice across family medicine, addiction medicine, and mental health, with the last nine years focused on substance use and mental health disorders. She has a particular passion for supporting expectant mothers facing substance use challenges and advocating for this vulnerable population.
A graduate of Brigham Young University and Vanderbilt University, Jennifer is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Vanderbilt alongside post-master’s studies in Psychiatric Mental Health and Nursing Education. She also partners with the local drug coalition, mentors nursing students, and is co-founding a mental health clinic — all reflecting her commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care.
Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys life as a wife and mother, supporting her family in their many endeavors.
