TOPIC: Explaining to Close Friends and Family

Hello my new Kratom Family! So my question is in the title. Pretty much, what is your best advice on presenting this to your family and friends? I know a large part of the dialogue would be pretty straight forward. But I am more looking for your personal experiences, little things that you may have experienced that made the difference in explaining to them that it isn't the "devil's leaf", so-to-speak. There is so much misinformation out there, it seems like it is hard to explain when the FIRST thing they heard was something negative on the square slave-master in their living room

So I was hoping that maybe you could help me with a few ideas? Maybe some tips that worked for you, to explain what it really is, how it can help, etc? Thanks guys, reading through the forums this morning before I need to get to bed was really refreshing. I've been searching for a place to get involved, and not be surrounded by negativity. ^_^

I hear you about misunderstanding what/why the leaf.

I can’t explain it to anyone satisfactorily. People have pre misconceptions.

My behavior while “under the influence” of the leaf explains it best.

Fortunately my family- Husband, parents, sisters, have been totally supportive. They come to me for medical advice and alternative solutions because I have been managing pain for almost two decades. I am reluctantly their health guru or something.
Although I am not here or there recommending Kratom Reddit forum( because of the snarky answers lol) I have seen that community step up and suggest really supportive answers on this particular subject.
Also the AKA has two Facebook groups that are really helpful
Kratom Consumer Advocacy and Support
American Kratom Association

The AKA website is a good source also.
www.americankratom.org/

Thanks for the responses. Part of the family has no issues at all, and has done research at my insistence, and actually sees it for what it is. The other part... not so much. No matter what I have shown them, it is still a bane to their existence for some reason. That is ok, I will take what I can get

Some minds are closed and won’t open. I minimize my exposure time around those ones.
No growth can occur with closed minds. One of my favorite things in LIFE is learning new stuff!

I have only sympathy for those who already know everything and judge others.

Fear based ignorance is rather common. Changing such minds is outside of my ability.

Seeing you doing BETTER should be all they need. In a perfect world.

Hang in there.

Have them watch “A Leaf of Faith”
Its on netflix, i was in Wahington DC at the protest while they shot some of this movie.

It is a movie about Kratom and its benefits.

PLEASE check it out!

Thanx
Insense1
Rob

"Leaf of Faith" is excellent and made me want to look for more Chris Bell documentaries. In fact, there were a lot of common points in or histories like the weight training and similar in the firefighting. As for my wife, she had ordered a sample without my knowledge and I finally found out and tried it when we saw the news story on it.

So explaining to her was not at issue. My youngest came in with the mylar envelope I had brought some home in from a smoke shop (I guess you can imagine the imagery) with a grin on her face and asked, "what is this?" She seemed a little disappointed it wasn't something "jucier". Again, not a problem. My eldest daughter is married and even my son-in-law see eye to eye on things like marijuana.

All of them are thrilled to see me take less medicine. I've only mentioned it to a couple of people at work and their reactions were of curiosity. My in-laws didn't react one way or another but I had recently had an opportunity to talk to a sister-in-law who has fybro and a ton of other auto-immune issues. We had a long talk about it and I believe we've had a convert.

I have a very narrow affect so how I act on the RX stuff vs. Kratom is not much different. What they do see is better mobility and better mood.

Kyle
edited because of fat fingers

Good for you, Kyle. I am currently watching Leaf of Faith and thinking I might need to make my wife watch it.

Honestly, my biggest problem is that I take it for depression, anxiety, mood, etc. and I think that's very difficult for some people to understand if they don't have those issues. I believe my wife is one of those people. "Pain" is a lot easier for common folk to understand, but I don't have it.

I used to drink or crave a drink more than I should - now I don't hardly drink at all.

I am still the same person i was before kratom. I function like a normal human and even though you can't measure it, I'm pretty sure I keep my temper under control a little better than i would otherwise.

I Philly sympathize,

Same here, only I’m not married anymore. Loved ones who do believe me still don’t get it.

I’ve had to accept their judgement is wrong and hold my head up high for always doing the best I can.

Laurie wrote: I Philly sympathize,

Same here, only I’m not married anymore. Loved ones who do believe me still don’t get it.

I’ve had to accept their judgement is wrong and hold my head up high for always doing the best I can.

Thank you, Laurie and good for you. It's good to know I'm not alone.

So far that's the only problem I see with Leaf of Faith - it focuses a lot on pain and addiction and not so much on depression. I mean, I understand WHY the film focuses on that. That's the majority and, as I explained earlier, the public can understand it.

They have mentioned a couple of times briefly about it being good for depression/anxiety, etc. So that's better than nothing.

It's just that the impression is/could be/would be that I'm taking a pain killer (kratom) to get "high" because I'm "depressed." Of course, that's not even close to being the case......