Make your health and sobriety your number one priority. You can’t pour into anyone else’s cup (or your business) until you get yourself healthy. If you need to take time to go to rehab, then absolutely do it. If you need to invest in therapy, healing modalities, or doctors, then do it. You take care of yourself right now, and the rest of life will catch up when you’re ready for it.
As a part of my series about people who made the journey from an addict to an entrepreneur, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Beutler
Emily Beutler is a powerhouse entrepreneur, proud wife, and mom of two. But behind her professional success is a deeply personal mission born from her own battle with Kratom addiction.
After experiencing the challenges of addiction and the isolation of withdrawal firsthand, Emily discovered there was nothing on the market that offered an all-in-one, natural formula to ease symptoms and support recovery. Refusing to accept that gap, she immersed herself in research, working alongside naturopaths and doctors to create QuitK, which is a powerful blend of amino acids, adaptogens, vitamins, and herbs to help support those in recovery day and night.
Today, Emily leads a growing wellness brand dedicated to helping thousands break free from dependency, restore balance, and reclaim their lives. Her journey from personal struggle to an innovative wellness supplement founder is inspiring hope and sparking change in the way people approach recovery.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you describe your childhood for us?
From the outside looking in, I had an ideal childhood. I came from a family with married parents with two older brothers, and I always had a dog by my side. I was active in sports and was my high school’s ASB president. Even so, I think everybody wishes some things were different about their childhoods. I had workaholic parents who weren’t around much, and brothers who didn’t want a little sister around. I was pretty introverted and remember feeling a bit lonely growing up. There was no real trauma in my life that people associate with addicts. That is one thing I have learned from work in this space: addiction touches everyone either directly or indirectly. I have no judgment towards anyone struggling with addiction. There are very few people in this world who haven’t reached for a substance that offers temporary reprieve from our turbulent worlds. I truly believe “addict” is just an exaggerated version of all of us…just a person desperately searching for relief from life.
Can you share with us how you were initially introduced to your addiction?
I was going through a rough breakup, and my anxiety and depression were at an all-time high. I was seeking something to help alleviate the difficult feelings. I was in Sedona on a spiritual retreat seeking some reprieve, and one of the wellness practitioners suggested I try a kratom drink down the street at the Kava Bar to help with my angst, so I gave it a try. It was almost instant that my dread and anxiety dissipated, and I thought I had found the miracle solution, especially since it was natural and I didn’t need a prescription for it. Little did I know, you need more kratom more often to get the same effect, and that’s why it’s so addictive. Within a year, I was consuming kratom every day, multiple times a day, and it was starting to have some really negative side effects on me. It was no longer making me feel good, but I had to keep taking it just not to go into withdrawal.
What do you think you were really masking or running from in the first place?
I’ve dealt with anxiety since I was 19 years old, and when I first started taking kratom, I thought it was the solution to my anxiety. It gave me a sense of bliss and ease that I rarely feel in my day-to-day life.
Can you share what the lowest point in your addiction and life was?
This is extremely hard to admit, but I was taking kratom during my pregnancy with my son. After his birth, is when it really got out of hand, but that was also something I feel a lot of guilt about …The first year of his life, I was consumed by a substance and trying to get off that substance. I thank god he is a healthy, happy little boy with no medical issues.
Can you tell us the story about how you were able to overcome your addiction?
I had tried to quit taking kratom multiple times before I was actually able to quit. I remember the exact day that I quit for good and the sequence of events. I had a long drive that day, and I found a podcast to listen to called the Kratom Sobriety Podcast. I binged listened to multiple episodes, and each one was an episode with someone’s kratom addiction story. One story was a girl who had gotten into over $100,000 of debt from taking kratom extracts and ended up in rehab with her family’s support. Another story was a mother whose son died from kratom, as kratom was the only substance that came back in his toxicology report. Another man was taking up to 17 Feel Free’s (Kratom Kava Extract Drink) a day and had gotten down to 120lbs with a horrible quality of life. These stories were the final shove I needed to know I really couldn’t keep going down this road. As soon as I got home that night, I broke down to my husband and told him how out of hand my kratom use had gotten and how badly I had been struggling. We both agreed I had to stop, and he wanted to support me in any way he could. We threw out all of the kratom I had, and I went cold turkey that night. The next couple of months were a struggle, but I am so grateful to be where I am today and truly believe I’m a stronger, better person having gone through that.
How did you reconcile within yourself and to others the pain that addiction caused to you and them?
Within a couple of months, I knew that kratom was probably a problem for me, but I kept telling myself it was fine because it was legal and natural. There are also thousands of testimonials online of how kratom is helpful to people, so I referenced those a lot. There was even a kratom group I was a part of for pregnant women on Facebook that advocated kratom as being safe to use while pregnant. I found everything that supported my kratom use to be an acceptable thing to do.
When you stopped your addiction, what did you do to fill in all the newfound time you had?
This wasn’t intentional to distract myself, but I was mad that I had so easily fallen into an addiction for something I thought was natural and safe. I became very vocal online that kratom was very addictive and extremely hard to quit, with horrible withdrawals. A lot of people online wanted to know how I got past the
withdrawals, so I started sharing the supplements I was taking, which were a lot. That’s when it dawned on me that no supplement contained all of these nutrients in one. I wanted to find a career I was passionate about and could help others, so I started working with a pharmaceutical supplement manufacturer on how to best compound these supplements together to target withdrawal symptoms and support overall recovery. 6 months later, QuitK was born. QuitK is an all-in-one day and night supplement designed to support your quitting journey by helping to relieve withdrawal discomfort, curb cravings, promote balanced brain chemistry to help improve mood, and aid in restful sleep. It has now helped thousands of people!
What positive habits have you incorporated into your life post-addiction to keep you on the right path?
When I was going through the withdrawals from kratom, I found a lot of comfort and relief in the heat. During this time, I started doing sauna and cold plunges as well as hot yoga, which I still do multiple times a week. I found that it has really helped my mental health and anxiety. I also never took any supplements before going through withdrawals, now I do, and I can honestly say my hair has never been so long and thick. I have the most lean muscle mass I have ever had, and I can sleep through the night consistently, where I used to be a light sleeper. I also now know I can’t rely on a substance to help alleviate my anxiety, so I’ve become very mindful of relaxing my nervous system naturally. I go for a lot of walks, I do breathing exercises, I take time for myself when needed, and I try to get as much time outside as possible.
Why do you think this topic is not discussed enough?
Kratom is a very controversial substance. There is a huge group of advocates for it that seems to think kratom is a lifesaver for their chronic pain and a better alternative to prescription opioids. Then there are the people who became addicted to it and had negative experiences, such as horrible withdrawals, landing them in rehab, and in some cases it has even led to death. There is just not a lot of research that’s been done on it, and a lot of medical professionals don’t know much about it. When I went to my family doctor in 2023 for help with my addiction, he didn’t even know what kratom was. It is coming to light more as the FDA recently declared 7-OH a Schedule 1 drug, which is one of the chemicals in kratom and is sold in gas stations and smoke shops across the country.
Can you share three pieces of advice that you would give to the entrepreneur who is struggling with some sort of addiction but is ashamed to speak about it or get help?
Secrets hold so much power, and as soon as you are able to open up about your struggle, you’ll be amazed by how much strength and support it will bring you. I felt like I was drowning in my addiction until I opened up to my husband about it, and when I did that, it finally felt like I might be able to overcome it. So number #1 — find somebody close to you to confide in. #2 — Find a support group, whether it’s online or in person, such as AA- these people know exactly what you’re dealing with and have a lot of real-life and good advice. #3 — Make your health and sobriety your number one priority. You can’t pour into anyone else’s cup (or your business) until you get yourself healthy. If you need to take time to go to rehab, then absolutely do it. If you need to invest in therapy, healing modalities, or doctors, then do it. You take care of yourself right now, and the rest of life will catch up when you’re ready for it.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Follow TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@quitk_supplements
Thank you so much for your insights. That was really inspiring!
Emily Beutler Of QuitK On How To Achieve Great Success After Recovering From An Addiction was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.