WHAT WE TREAT
At Paracelsus Recovery, we’re here to help you break free from your kratom addiction. Our personalised treatment programmes both support you through a safe detox from kratom and address each underlying cause of the addiction. Because people become dependent on both the stimulant and opioid effects of the drug, a holistic and comprehensive approach like ours is essential to make a full recovery.
Kratom is a psychotropic (mind-alerting) substance derived from the leaves of a Southeast Asian plant known as mitragyna speciosa. Although kratom has been used as a legal opioid withdrawal aid since 1836, its use has skyrocketed in recent years. Kratom has also been used as a natural home remedy for hundreds of years to treat depression and relieve pain. While kratom can help some people, it leads to far more problems than it solves for others. Worryingly, because kratom is not yet illegal, users are often unaware of the risks that come with abuse. As kratom is unregulated and addictive, more and more people are substituting an opioid dependency with a kratom dependency.
Kratom is addictive because it contains mitragynine, which is roughly 13 times more potent than morphine. In low doses, it will interact with receptors in our brain to produce a stimulant effect. However, in high doses, the mitragynine and another kratom compound known as 7-α-hydroxymitragynine interact with opioid receptors in our brain. As a result, these compounds produce almost identical effects to opioids, such as increased pleasure and decreased pain. However, this also means that kratom is as addictive as both opioids and stimulants. Some experts even argue that this combination of addictive properties makes kratom even more addictive than cocaine or heroin.
There are a lot of unknown substances in kratom. For example, while experts are unsure what it is, one such substance seems to act similarly to benzodiazepine (an anti-anxiety medication). Secondly, kratom produces both stimulant and opioid effects. This means that a person can essentially be ‘doubly-addicted’ to both the upper and downer impact on the brain. This makes treating it very complex but not impossible.
Kratom abuse has many side effects, including depression, anxiety, hostility, irritability, insomnia, muscle aches, coma, heart attacks, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, psychosis, hallucinations and opioid withdrawal symptoms. The risk of overdose is particularly elevated when combined with other substances.
A kratom addiction can be overpowering, especially if you begin abusing this substance in the hopes it would help you stop taking other opioids. It can be disheartening to realise you are still stuck in an addictive cycle, and it can be very difficult to overcome that cycle alone. Often, the only way to overcome your kratom addiction is to undergo a medical detox to manage the physical withdrawal symptoms and to work with mental health experts to manage the psychological withdrawal.
Through our combination of medical, psychological and personal care, we are proud to be the only clinic in the world that addresses co-occurring conditions and every possible root-cause of kratom addiction. In so doing, we can help you recover in a matter of weeks, rather than years or months.
bespoke treatment
How we treat kratom addiction
We can’t tell you exactly what your four-week stay will involve, as each individual’s experience with kratom addiction is deeply personal. Therefore, we curate a bespoke treatment plan for each person who comes to stay at Paracelsus Recovery. There is no fixed treatment path, nor do we adopt a specific treatment model. Instead, we advocate for a completely pragmatic approach to addiction; whatever works best for you to achieve your goals.
Each of your days with us is thoughtfully structured to include a carefully selected range of therapeutic elements designed to help you overcome your kratom addiction and create healthier coping mechanisms. Every step is tailored to you, from the withdrawal process to intensive therapy. All the therapies we use complement one another to facilitate recovery by restoring every aspect of your physical, emotional, and psychological health. See below for more details.
Our approach considers the whole person: mind, body and soul
We understand that everyone’s journey is different, which is why we never take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead, we carefully tailor each programme to meet your unique needs. While we prioritise the latest treatment methods and holistic care, it’s your individual circumstances that ultimately shape how we work with you.
As part of your recovery from kratom addiction, we offer a carefully monitored withdrawal process, using medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and IV therapy to help ease withdrawal symptoms. Another key component of our approach is comprehensive testing, which enables us to uncover the underlying causes of your dependency. From here, we craft a personalised treatment plan that targets your specific root causes and support your long-term recovery. Your custom programme will include a diverse range of therapies such as biofeedback, nutritional therapy, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), sleep therapies, personal training, acupuncture, equine therapy, and art therapy.
In addition to tackling the root causes of addiction, we also focus on any broader impacts, such as neurological or physical damage, resulting from kratom use. Our holistic approach combines intensive psychotherapy, biochemical restoration, and complementary therapies, all working together to reduce stress, promote healing, and foster a sustainable recovery.
15+ team members, all dedicated to your health and well-being
We are the only residential drug treatment centre in the world to provide a minimum of 15 dedicated professionals to each client.
Our team is made up of world-renowned doctors, therapists, and addiction specialists, including a Nobel Prize-winning board member. With an unparalleled team to client ratio of 15:1, our team provides around-the-clock support to manage your withdrawal and get you on the road to recovery. A live-in therapist will also be available for 24/7 emotional support. No matter the unique blend of treatments you receive, they will be delivered with the Swiss medical excellence we are known for.
Comprehensive programmes as unique as you are
At Paracelsus Recovery, we curate a comprehensive and intensive treatment programme that works for you. Driven by our core principles of pragmatism and empathy, we design a treatment programme based on your unique needs. Those needs may be physical and psychological, e.g. if our team identifies nutritional deficiencies or signs of other addictions during the assessment period, your programme would be shaped with these in mind. However, those needs can be practical too, such as when a client needs to work or travel during their stay with us.
We can provide treatment for Kratom addiction and any co-occurring dependencies and mental health conditions at our discrete addiction treatment centre in Zurich.
FURTHER READING
