Vert pro skater and Tony Hawk's co-host Jason Ellis isn’t shy about sharing the darker parts of his life.
The former fighter and longtime radio personality has been open about his struggles in the past, and now he's using his platform to warn people about something he says nearly wrecked him: kratom.
In a recent post, Ellis wrote about how kratom quietly crept into his daily routine and eventually took a serious toll on his mental and physical health.
At first, like a lot of people, he didn’t realize how serious it could get. He admitted, “If it works for you I’m happy for you. But I didn’t know when I started taking it and it pretty much ruined my life.”
Kratom is often sold as a legal herbal supplement that supposedly helps with pain, energy, or anxiety. In reality, Ellis says it was far more damaging than he ever expected. He said getting off it was “incredibly hard” and that it caused a serious disruption in his life.
According to Healthline, there’s no solid research proving that kratom actually works the way people say it does. It also comes with risks, like getting hooked on it. Even though it’s legal, it’s not regulated, so you never really know what you’re getting - some of it could be mixed with stuff that’s harmful.
Ellis also shared that he’s now been sober from kratom and everything else for almost two years, and says he’s never felt better about who he is and what he’s doing.
He’s hoping to use his experience to help others who might be in the same situation, saying he constantly receives messages from people going through similar struggles.
A lot of people still don’t know what kratom really is or what it can do to you. “Kids shouldn’t be able to access this in my opinion,” he wrote, pointing out how easy it is to get at gas stations.
Ellis ended his post with encouragement to anyone who might be dealing with addiction. “If I got out so can you.”
He’s not preaching, and he’s not trying to start a fight. He’s just sharing what happened to him in the hope that it might help someone else make a better choice.