Kava and anxiety/panic disorder update.

[Pauluk]

About 4 months in of regular kava drinking and im starting to get kava shield effects.
Ive been taking nene for situations that make me anxious. And supreme in the evening for recreation. Modest amounts for both.

very gradually my usual triggers have diminished . Im no longer stressed as soon as i feel a bit enclosed without a physical escape or a nearby alcohol escape. Im drinking alcohol so rarely now imthink my brain is rewiring. But now i wont leave the house without kava.

Today i had to drive to the mall so no beers. About 12 km. take my son to a party there. Hang around for an hour or so, then take him and a friend
To five guys for a burger. Ive been experimenting this week with using Supreme as and when rather than having a shell of nene before exposure. As it is stronger and more sedating its worked well with just a few sips. I did this today . I knocked up a two dessert spoon allubal and filled two small bottles
I drank half of one bottle, before setting off. The rest of the day i took a swig here and there and ended up doing about two thirds of my grog.

The result was my best and happiest relaxed state in that situation since before the car crash 30 years ago that kicked all these problems off.
Very very happy with that.

 

[The Kap'n]

About 4 months in of regular kava drinking and im starting to get kava shield effects.
Ive been taking nene for situations that make me anxious. And supreme in the evening for recreation. Modest amounts for both.

very gradually my usual triggers have diminished . Im no longer stressed as soon as i feel a bit enclosed without a physical escape or a nearby alcohol escape. Im drinking alcohol so rarely now imthink my brain is rewiring. But now i wont leave the house without kava.

Today i had to drive to the mall so no beers. About 12 km. take my son to a party there. Hang around for an hour or so, then take him and a friend
To five guys for a burger. Ive been experimenting this week with using Supreme as and when rather than having a shell of nene before exposure. As it is stronger and more sedating its worked well with just a few sips. I did this today . I knocked up a two dessert spoon allubal and filled two small bottles
I drank half of one bottle, before setting off. The rest of the day i took a swig here and there and ended up doing about two thirds of my grog.

The result was my best and happiest relaxed state in that situation since before the car crash 30 years ago that kicked all these problems off.
Very very happy with that.

Thank you for chronicling your experiences with kava in this context. We have many times more lurkers than registered members, and posts like these spread massive help among people we will likely never see.

 

[SelfBiasResistor]

About 4 months in of regular kava drinking and im starting to get kava shield effects.
Ive been taking nene for situations that make me anxious. And supreme in the evening for recreation. Modest amounts for both.

very gradually my usual triggers have diminished . Im no longer stressed as soon as i feel a bit enclosed without a physical escape or a nearby alcohol escape. Im drinking alcohol so rarely now imthink my brain is rewiring. But now i wont leave the house without kava.

Today i had to drive to the mall so no beers. About 12 km. take my son to a party there. Hang around for an hour or so, then take him and a friend
To five guys for a burger. Ive been experimenting this week with using Supreme as and when rather than having a shell of nene before exposure. As it is stronger and more sedating its worked well with just a few sips. I did this today . I knocked up a two dessert spoon allubal and filled two small bottles
I drank half of one bottle, before setting off. The rest of the day i took a swig here and there and ended up doing about two thirds of my grog.

The result was my best and happiest relaxed state in that situation since before the car crash 30 years ago that kicked all these problems off.
Very very happy with that.

Sounds like things are working out very well for you. One thing I noticed with alcohol is that when you stop overusing it, you realize that you actually can live normally without it. It has a way of making you feel like you gotta take it to feel or act normal at times when in fact you don't need it (or anything else). It really does take control of you in the guise of being a helper. Kava doesn't do that.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

I think your excellent attitude helped a lot with this. The great kavas you chose didn't hurt, but it was really a partnership between you and the kava working together.

Now you are entering the stage where kava will start to fix stuff you dindn't know it could, then problems you didn't realize we're problems, and then other stuff. It's lots of fun. Be receptive, keep your eyes and mind open, and you can see amazing things happen in your life on that kava adventure.

 

[Pauluk]

Thanks a lot guys. It's been amazing and the info on here has been invaluable.

In 30years of this mental health problem I hae tried a lot.

Hypnotherapy, counselling, Chinese herbal, CBT, manning up, exposure, EFT, Bet blockers, Transcendental Meditation, L Theanine, self help books and of course alcohol.

EFT and cbt help a bit. As does exercise and exposure. But can be exhausting.

Beta blockers can take the edge off physically. L theanine also helps a bit. By doing all the things that work a bit I've carved out a life. But it could be bloody frustrating. I used alcohol as a break from anxiety and it works for me brilliantly . Some sufferers can't drink at all, but I can climb blooming mountains on a few beers. The trouble is the next day its worse than before, so that takes careful management.

Kava is the only substance that has been a good alternative to alcohol. Its been such a great few months. The best I can remember. And it has made me question if I maybe should have gone on an anti anxiety med years ago instead of trying to go it alone. But hey ho. Hopefully now I've dodged that buttlet. However if I can't get the right kava or any, I wont hesitate to ask for meds, I'm not going back to
That way of living.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

kava unravels what alcohol ravels

 

[PapaMoi]

Sounds like things are working out very well for you. One thing I noticed with alcohol is that when you stop overusing it, you realize that you actually can live normally without it. It has a way of making you feel like you gotta take it to feel or act normal at times when in fact you don't need it (or anything else). It really does take control of you in the guise of being a helper. Kava doesn't do that.

How true in both cases.

 

[PapaMoi]

kava unravels what alcohol ravels

Like the tangled back of the tapestry vs the colorful front. Booze vs kava. Tyson trying to bite holy field's ear!

 

[PapaMoi]

I think your excellent attitude helped a lot with this. The great kavas you chose didn't hurt, but it was really a partnership between you and the kava working together.

Now you are entering the stage where kava will start to fix stuff you dindn't know it could, then problems you didn't realize we're problems, and then other stuff. It's lots of fun. Be receptive, keep your eyes and mind open, and you can see amazing things happen in your life on that kava adventure.

You are the resident philosopher of kava. I love it.

 

[muddywaters]

Kava has over time I think rewired parts of my brain that deal with trauma triggers too, there are some that still remain but I don't have extreme or out of place reactions to many things anymore. It's weird though because I can still feel things associated that got wrapped up somehow still hold them to me and are very uncomfortable like they've been contaminated forever. I'm fearless but I still feel the terror if that makes any sense, kava has opened up more. Even the heaviest kind I've ever had that left me in a darker mood after doesn't block anything like alcohol does, I've had enough kava now to say that I feel they all have different purposes for me. It's been a journey, a expensive one before I found out what I really liked but kava has taken me through all corners of my mind and made me be at peace with the worst. So far nothing has topped what Moi does for me in terms of euphoria and energy with a lasting calm after but I'm also keeping around my bag of Nongol Noble because it feels like the bitter medicine of kava to me, a heavy time stopper that makes me reflect on a lot more. So I have both extremes around depending on what I want at the time.

 

[Pauluk]

That's great to hear Muddy Waters. I'm very lucky here to have Edward nearby that will let me sample smaller batches from his growing collection. I'm also a ligbtweight. With the cost of postage and getting hit by customs I thank goodness I didn't need 10tbs.

 

[Pauluk]

Bit of an update. Very very gradually and not a perfect straight line but im reclaiming the old me from 30 years back.

Im 51 and for decades got fatter and fatter because exercise
Made me panicky. Before kava i managed with determination to get semi comfortable in the gym working at my pace but clearly would never be able to do a class of anything.

Last week my son and I did a 2 on one boxing class with an ex pro boxer. My finess failed me before my anxiety. Lol
Ive never worked out so hard in my life. I did it to support my lad. But ive always been intrigued as to how i would do.
And people ive met in life that have boxed have akways been so confident. I want my son to have that. He did judo
For about 3 years but he has a mild learning difficulty processing aural info , and is rubbish in a crowd basically.

One on one and with me to spot when hes not taking it in works so much better. Anyway, i had a shell of supreme an hour before
The session, and a few sips before going in. Perhaps not ideal before exercise but i wasnt going in there without it so what choice lol?

It went great and we are going back after our hols.

 

[Krunkie McKrunkface]

Bit of an update. Very very gradually and not a perfect straight line but im reclaiming the old me from 30 years back.

Im 51 and for decades got fatter and fatter because exercise
Made me panicky. Before kava i managed with determination to get semi comfortable in the gym working at my pace but clearly would never be able to do a class of anything.

Last week my son and I did a 2 on one boxing class with an ex pro boxer. My finess failed me before my anxiety. Lol
Ive never worked out so hard in my life. I did it to support my lad. But ive always been intrigued as to how i would do.
And people ive met in life that have boxed have akways been so confident. I want my son to have that. He did judo
For about 3 years but he has a mild learning difficulty processing aural info , and is rubbish in a crowd basically.

One on one and with me to spot when hes not taking it in works so much better. Anyway, i had a shell of supreme an hour before
The session, and a few sips before going in. Perhaps not ideal before exercise but i wasnt going in there without it so what choice lol?

It went great and we are going back after our hols.

IME light to moderate kava with exercise is fine. Just be careful in heat because of dehydration. Being krunk is not good with exercise, though, obviously. Unless you are rowing for the entire 2 hours, then it s pure heaven.

 

[Pauluk]

Well,krunkie. You are so right re the hydration. Im pretty good at that. Im the sort that knocks back a pint of water every hour or so most days. On the boxing day it was 35 degrees somi was well hydrated. But i still went through my 750 ml sports bottle
In half an hour. And that was trying ti drink with boxing gloves on.

Took my lad and his friend swimming today. Its a good pool, they had an inflable course in there from 10 am to 12 at 11.30 they opened the two slides. And 12.30 they opened the diving boards. In all we were there 3 and a half hours.

Of course i would take him swimming before kava, but i was restless and itching to go within half an hour. I did an hour or so
And then sat in the cafe and had a sip of kava.

 

[rapunzel]

Well,krunkie. You are so right re the hydration. Im pretty good at that. Im the sort that knocks back a pint of water every hour or so most days. On the boxing day it was 35 degrees somi was well hydrated. But i still went through my 750 ml sports bottle
In half an hour. And that was trying ti drink with boxing gloves on.

Took my lad and his friend swimming today. Its a good pool, they had an inflable course in there from 10 am to 12 at 11.30 they opened the two slides. And 12.30 they opened the diving boards. In all we were there 3 and a half hours.

Of course i would take him swimming before kava, but i was restless and itching to go within half an hour. I did an hour or so
And then sat in the cafe and had a sip of kava.

Glad to hear it is working so well for you. Personally I am really having trouble with anxiety right now and the relief from kava has been fleeting. It can take the edge off, but I can’t get away from the anxiety/ impending doom sensation. Don’t get me wrong - kava still has done great things for me. But recently the anxiety has really cranked up and at times borders on panic attacks. I do not want to get into an endless cycle of benzos or start on any other meds for gad if I can help it. But for the moment, the kava is not getting me where I need to be.

 

[Pauluk]

What kava are you using Rapunzal?

 

[rapunzel]

What kava are you using Rapunzal?

I am still playing around, but Right now I have been liking squanch, supreme, ambae, Savusavu.

 

[Pauluk]

Ambae did nothing for me , maybe a tiny bit of edgy. However i alept well a few hours later.
The only other of yours ive tried is supreme. Thats my go to for anxiety. Im sorry to hear its tough for you right now.

I should also disclose im on a beta blocker called propranalol . But ive been on that 25 years . It takes away
Some of The physical sensations of too much adrenaline.

 

[rapunzel]

Weird - the ambae feels nice and strong to me, but we all do respond differently.

I don’t think my anxiety has ever been as severe as what you have described. Nonetheless, it has really been at me lately, more than usual. I wake up with my heart racing sometimes. I think they’ll never give me a beta blocker since I have natuarally have very low blood pressure. I have tried ssris in the past. They have their place, but I don’t want to go that route at this point. And besides, the effectiveness has always been half assed for my anxiety. I have a small stash of emergency benzo, but trying not to rely on it. I will pop one if the physical symptoms keep up though. Wish I could get over this already.

 

[Pauluk]

Just got back from 11 nights all inclusive holiday in Spain. Those that don't know there's alcohol everywhere. In the recent past I end up drinking too much for. Anxiety and get into a downward spiral. And it can take me a Month to get back to normal. Last couple of hols the quality of the alcohol has hurt my stomach and I've ended up leaving my wife and kid out at night and gone back to the room to avoid anxiety and drinking.

This holiday I took Supreme with me. Just small dose in the morning let me relaxed enough that a couple of weak small beers during the day was enough. Or I had some more kava at 12 and just didn't drink all day. Nighttime I might have a couple of beers. But no spirits and no hamster wheel of drinking. I came home and stopped drinking immediately. So quite happy with that