Do you think this is just prolonging the suffering?

Honestly yes. If you go CT, I won't sugarcoat it, you're going to be going through hell. But the hell will only last a week, at the most, and then the physical symptoms go away.

What I would do if you still want to taper is hold out for as long as you can, don't take any kratom for as long as you can bear. The first three days will be miserable, that's as far as I got before I caved in and took 2 grams for relief.

The thing is, before that I needed 4 grams to feel "normal" and 8 to feel "good." After three days my tolerance had sunk so much that 2 grams let me get a good night's sleep.

Abstaining is a more effective way to lower your tolerance quickly. But you will suffer greatly. Since that night ive only taken a single gram, the day after, to take the edge off at work. That was Friday. I have been clean since and every day I feel a little better.

My original habit wasn't as high as yours, but I think if I didn't have work the next day I probably could have held out longer. I was desperate for sleep. Ideally I would have waited until the beginning of a vacation to quit, and not the end, but I just woke up one day and decided enough was enough (well also the DEA but I had been contemplating it long before the ban was announced I just didn't take the plunge)