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Kratom Addiction Treatment and Rehab

Written by Thomas Christiansen

& Medically Reviewed by Dr. Andrew Proulx, MD

Medically Reviewed

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Last Updated - 07/25/2023

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Updated 07/25/2023

Key Takeaways

  • Kratom is a highly addictive substance that produces significant withdrawal effects and biological and psychological dependence
  • There are various options for addiction treatment
  • There are a variety of treatment programs available with different costs
  • There are a few different ways to pay for addiction treatment
  • Addiction treatment and rehab offers the best opportunity for healing and long-term recovery

Kratom addiction treatment is the process where the deep issues surrounding the cycle of addiction are addressed. Learn about how treatment helps people recover from addiction.

For most people with substance addiction, at some point their substance use was no longer about getting high. Instead, it became a repetitive, daily process of avoiding withdrawal symptoms and escaping from their reality. Kratom addiction treatment is the process where the deep issues around this cycle are carefully healed.

The rehab process is the biggest part of an addiction treatment program. This process is where the underlying causes of the addiction are identified and addressed. This is the key to learning how to get off kratom or any other substances.

Without treatment, quitting kratom is difficult. Research and experience have shown that willpower alone is not an effective deterrent to drug use. Better to use the willpower to get oneself into a proper treatment program.

Treatment allows individuals to counteract the powerful effects of addiction on the brain. Even if someone in active addiction could “just stop,” recovery from addiction is not simply the absence of using the substance. Rather, recovery is about identifying and addressing the reasons and causes behind the substance use and healing all the physical and mental damage that came from the substance use. That is the purpose of addiction treatment and rehab.

Specialized addiction treatment programs give the best opportunity for successful recovery and a return to good health and function. Rehab enables participants to put together a plan for long-term recovery and setback prevention in order to optimize their ongoing growth in recovery.

Addiction Treatment Options

There are different options for kratom addiction treatment, with differing levels of care provided. The choice of the type of program should be primarily based on what will afford the individual the best opportunity for success in recovery. All other considerations — even very important things like job, family, and responsibilities — should be secondary. After all, without successful recovery, all those aspects may be in jeopardy.

Substance addiction is characterized by pathological psychology that includes a deep need for control, a tendency to rationalize bad decisions and a lack of objective self-insight. This combination of dysfunctional thinking propels many people to overestimate their ability to stop using drugs on their own. As such, they may be reluctant to see and admit that they require kratom addiction help and they may underestimate the level of care they should receive. As such, when making decisions about treatment program options, it may be wise to seek advice from others.

  • Medical detox: To recover from kratom or other substance use, people must first go through the process of ridding the body of the active substances and their toxic metabolites. This process is known as detoxification or detox.
  • Residential rehab: Residential rehab involves staying at the rehab facility during the course of the treatment. This removes individuals from normal day-to-day life so that they can focus their attention on recovery and healing without the stressors, distractions, and triggers of normal home life.
  • Outpatient rehab: Outpatient rehab involves living at home or in a sober living house and attending treatment activities during the day. Outpatient rehab may be more appropriate than residential rehab for some individuals.
  • Dual diagnosis: Dual diagnosis is a co-occurring substance use disorder and a mental health disorder. Many people are not even aware of having a mental health disorder or have never been properly diagnosed or treated. Many people who develop substance addiction began their substance use as an effort to self-medicate mental health symptoms. Because of this factor, identifying and treating dual diagnosis is crucial to the success in recovery and a return to good health and function.
  • Aftercare and sober living: People do not leave rehab cured of addiction for life. Rather, long-term recovery requires ongoing attention to preventing relapse. Rehab provides the tools for achieving success, including putting together a plan for aftercare. Sober living houses may be an attractive aftercare option for some people following discharge from rehab. That type of housing situation allows for easing back into post-treatment life while maintaining a focus on recovery.

Related Topic: Halfway Houses vs. Sober Homes

How Long Does Rehab Take?

The length of the treatment program depends on the type of program. Different rehab facilities often have different program lengths. On average:

  • Detox is usually around seven days
  • Residential programs average 21 to 90 days
  • Long-term residential care programs are usually 3 to 12 months
  • Outpatient programs depend on the intensity of the program, but they usually range from a few weeks to three months

According to data from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the average length of stay in drug rehab is:

  • 90 days for outpatient medication-assisted opioid therapy
  • 78 days for non-intensive outpatient treatment
  • 42 days for intensive outpatient treatment
  • 39 days for long-term residential treatment
  • 5 days for medication-assisted narcotic detoxification

What Does Kratom Rehab Cost?

Leaving a substance addiction untreated can be costly. Many people lose their jobs, homes, savings or their own life. However, paying for drug rehab is nonetheless a challenge for most people and affordability and coverage must be a good fit for their financial situations.

How much does rehab cost? The exact cost of rehab varies for each person, but there are some helpful options for people looking to reduce the amount of money they spend on rehab. One of the common ways people afford rehab is through their insurance.

Does Insurance Cover Rehab?

Many private insurance plans include rehab insurance that covers substance use treatment completely. Our online insurance verification tool can help people discover insurance options.

The Affordable Care Act requires that all marketplace insurance plans provide coverage for mental health and substance use treatment. Providers cannot deny coverage for mental health or substance use disorders, even if they are a pre-existing condition. Other financial options include:

  • Government Assistance Programs  
  • Sliding Fee Programs 
  • Private Pay Programs

Related Topic: Rehab Without Insurance

Choosing a Rehab Center For Kratom Abuse

It can be challenging to figure out how to choose a rehab center. Sometimes people in active addiction do not have a clear mind and may lack objectivity, so involving family, friends or health care providers in the decision may be wise.

Although the tendency is to look for a program close to home, many people find it advantageous to be away from home for treatment, so that they are completely removed from distractions and are better able to focus their entire attention on their treatment.

Some of the factors to consider when looking at treatment programs include:

  • Location
  • Cost
  • Methods of treatment provided
  • Success rate
  • Duration of treatment
  • Staff to patient ratio

What to Expect When You go to Rehab

To get the most out of rehab, people must give themselves to the process whole-heartedly and participate with an open mind. As a result, they can expect to be busy while in rehab and make some lasting friendships with other people in recovery.

The rehab process may involve a number of components:

  • Group and individual counseling
  • Recreational therapy
  • Medication management, if applicable
  • Management of co-occurring mental health disorders
  • Family therapy
  • Aftercare and discharge planning
  • Health care
  • Learning to manage diet, exercise, social activities and proper sleep routines

We are here when you are ready.

Speak with a Recovery Advocate today to talk about your treatment options.

Rehab Rules

The environment and schedule at rehab are structured to provide individuals with a safe and therapeutic environment. Some common drug rehab rules include:

  • No cell phones or computers
  • No romantic relationships while in the program
  • Attendance at all sessions
  • No movies, TV or music
  • Total abstinence from drugs and alcohol
  • Restrictions on leaving the facility
  • Phone calls and family visits are regulated
  • Smoke breaks may be permitted

What to Bring to Rehab

Individuals who will be attending drug rehab may be encouraged to bring:

  • Two-weeks worth of seasonally appropriate clothing, including sleepwear
  • A toothbrush and unopened toothpaste
  • Unopened (sealed) alcohol-free toiletries
  • Reading materials
  • Journaling materials
  • Approved medications

What Happens After Rehab?

Maintaining recovery requires an ongoing effort and presence of mind. Rehab provides individuals with a plan and the tools for maintaining recovery for the long term. In particular, people are prepared for handling life on life’s terms without having to resort to substance use to cope with the stress and adversity that are normal parts of life.

How Rehab Improves Recovery

Research and experience have shown that most people who attend treatment succeed in stopping their drug use and functioning better in life socially, occupationally and in terms of physical and mental health.

Rehab techniques have been developed over decades and are based heavily on research evidence. The treatment approach is to treat the whole person – the biological, psychological, social and spiritual (not religious) – aspects of compulsive drug use. The experience is transformative so that people find that their drive and need to use drugs to cope with life falls away.

Most people find rehab to be a life-changing experience for reasons that go well beyond the fact that they are finally freed from substance addiction. They learn aspects about themselves that give them clarity on where they fit in the world and how to live life and handle its stressors better than they ever could before. Many people are able to confront and deal with traumatic issues that played a major role in their addiction.

View Sources

HealthCare.gov. “Mental health & substance abuse coverage.” Accessed August 10, 2019.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Comorbidity: Addiction and other mental illnesses.” Research Report Series, September 2010. Accessed August 10, 2019.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “How effective is drug addiction treatment?” January 17, 2018. Accessed August 10, 2019.

Skewes, Monica; Gonzalez, Vivian. “The biopsychosocial model of addiction.” Principles of Addiction, 2013. Accessed August 10, 2019.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Treatment episode data set (TEDS) 2017.” April 2019. Accessed August 10, 2019.

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