Hi, thanks for stopping by. I am looking for reassurance i suppose. I dont think im able to enjoy kava to the fullest because i tend to sip a serving over an hour instead of chugging. Its a small dose, tsp of medium grind to 1/2 of water. I use medium grind ghk moi in an aluball. When i take a few sips j start to panic a bit, thinking it might affect me adversely. for example, thinking jt could be the wrong strain for me and then have a panic attack and be stuck until it wears off. That kind of thing. I dont feel anxious for long, maybe 5 minutes after i take a few sips. I didnt have this issue when i tried kava the first time around, with kava king instant. (yes i think i broke through) and so i have some micro on the way from kwk. As you can tell im looking for anxiety relief. Thx
sipping instead of chugging. get anxiety attacks at thought of trying new substance.
- Thread starter Ell
- Start date
Dr.Krunk
Certified Quack
Well I don't think anybody here can change your mentality about it besides simply reassuring you as you already stated. With that said I doubt you would have any issues with a kava that is known to be noble. I can't speculate what your tolerance is but you most likely need to drink more than you are expecting. I'm not 100% sure what you meant on dosing. You said a 1 tsp to a 1/2 water? I'm assuming you filled the aluball shaker half way. Try filling the aluball to the fill line, you will see it on the inside, and fill the bottle at least 1/2 to 3/4 way up. Don't drink the whole bottle at once. Just take large swigs with 5-10 mins between that way you are able to feel the effects comfortably and adjust as needed.
You are correct, half the bottle. I guess im looking yo hear others experience with thks. I will most likely try your advice. Thanks.
Alrighty. Thanks
Welcome to the forums fellow worrier. You will find many of us here, you came to the right place
Since you are sipping it (nothing wrong with that) try mixing a stronger dose and see what happens.
GHK Mo'i was my first real krunk and it was life changing, it's wonderful kava.
Summer
mercy triumphs over judgment
I think if you focus on all the negative stuff you may read and expect negative stuff to happen to you (or worry that it will), then you will never be able to experience the true freedom that kava is meant to give. I did the same thing when I first started using it too and I'm sure others have too.
As with most issues in life, try to expect good things. It really is a battle in your mind most of all. You need to bring your thoughts into check. As those of us who have suffered from anxiety know - this is how anxiety snowballs. Kava is not a cure all for me but it definitely fills in a lot of the gaps.
Mo'i is generally a more euphoric strain, maybe try a well-balanced kava such as Mahakea.
As with most issues in life, try to expect good things. It really is a battle in your mind most of all. You need to bring your thoughts into check. As those of us who have suffered from anxiety know - this is how anxiety snowballs. Kava is not a cure all for me but it definitely fills in a lot of the gaps.
Mo'i is generally a more euphoric strain, maybe try a well-balanced kava such as Mahakea.
Do you have experience with anything other than kava? If you've ever been comfortable with alcohol, then you can rest easy, kava is much more gentle and difficult to get negatively inebriated on. Most new kava drinkers will have many shells and say they barely feel it at all. -- Careful worrisome sipping will NEVER have any powerful effect on you...apart from what you bring to it yourself. In fact, chugging is almost necessary to really feel it all. I'd say chug a good shell or two before you start worrying if you need to sip one. Chances are, the shells you drank will kick in and let your mind realize how unnecessary it was to worry in the first place. -- I was, and slightly still am, one of those people who obsessively worries about a substance and all it's possible negatives. Early on, I was even trepidatious about kava and I quickly came to see it was a waste of worry, it's incredibly hard to find any extremes with kava, especially with the dry powder we have available to us. Kava might be the closest thing to a 'get out of jail free' card of drvgs, if ever there were one.
If you've ever been comfortable with marijuana, then stop worrying about kava at all and chug away.
There's no chance at all that kava could give you the psycho-panic that weed gives to some people.
If you've ever been comfortable with marijuana, then stop worrying about kava at all and chug away.
There's no chance at all that kava could give you the psycho-panic that weed gives to some people.
Last edited:
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
I like to distinguish between four distinct types of "feelings" you can have with kava, depending on the prep, dosage, and way of consuming, and they're all good as long as they are appropriate to what you want or need.
1. Feel nothing - small dose, the effect is purely medicinal and systemic, as an anti-inflammatory, general "health tonic" and preventative
2. Relieve or prevent undesired feelings - doesn't give you good feelings, it makes existing bad feelings go away, e.g. anxiety or insomnia or as an analgesic for aches and pains.
3. Give mild good feelings - basically calm or mellow, relaxation, mild fun
4 krunk - krunk and beyond, including euphoria, joy, etc, but usually just super relaxed
As I say, these are all good, and the only difference it would make here betwee sipping and chuggin would be in 3 or 4 but it only really makes a difference in 4, and then not always.
So, if you want to sip, sip. The only instance in which it is even remotely arguable that you must chug if you don't want to is when you want to krunk your face off. And even then.....
In general, listen to the kava. It'll tell you. And if the kava tells you to sip, for heaven's sake, follow kava's excellent sage advice. But if you seek permission to sip, I personally give you explicit permission to sip. fwiw I'm a chugger and my wife is a sipper, we still get along, it's not a Hatfield and McCoy thing.
Last edited:
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
Moi is as mellow and gentle a kava as I have ever encountered. I like to make a trad prep at work, 2 TBS in a strainer bag to about 2.5 cups of water, kneaded for 15 minutes or so, and then I sip it, with a chug of ginger beer to chase. I could not imagine a more congenial and gentle kava. Everything about it is mild and gentle. But also very satisfying.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
What I've come to believe works best, and what I recommend to anyone who asks, is first pick one thing, one specific thing that you want kava to do for you. Then gear everything you do to that specific goal and ignore everything else until you have achieved it.
It is very likely that in that process you will get lots of beneficial side-effects on that journey, maybe more than if you didn't have that focused approach. But IAE, once you have achieved your goal, you then have a much better baseline to pursue other pleasures with kava than if you start out with no baseline and a scattershot approach.
For me, I just wanted kava to make my dreams more interesting. And it did, and along the way it cured my obesity and alcoholism and a life-long inflammatory condition, and my dandruff and athlete's foot. I didn't ask for any of that, it was just beneficial side-effects. Same with my wife, she just wanted to reduce her anxiety, which kava did, and then it fixed a ton of other stuff. It fixes stuff you didn't even know were problems.
Good advice. It is quite a battle fighting anxiety, but we must "fight the good fight." how did you get over your fear? As you mentioned. I want to use it to help me overcome social anxiety and other things that stop me from connecting with those around me. i would like to try many different strains, havent tried heavy yet. if only the budget would allow! With time i suppose.
I wish i could work up the courage to chug one serving. I dont know how to get past the overthinking which brings anxiety. Anxiety that hasnt been relieved my fear of new kava because i havent had a "wow" experience with this type. I do have experience with alcohol. Have been back on the wagon for months and have no plans to drink again lol. I have experience with mj as well but i would never touch it again considering how uncomfortable it made me feel towards the end. With the panic attacks lately, im afraid to use something that could make it worse. Based on experiences ive read on here. Although i know kava most likely wont cause or aggravate panic, but just my way of thinking. Am i right? You mentioned you were worried too at first. How did you get over that?
Do you have eperience with anything other than kava? If you've ever been comfortable with alcohol, then you can rest easy, kava is much more gentle and difficult to get negatively inebriated on. Most new kava drinkers will have many shells and say they barely feel it at all. -- Careful worrisome sipping will NEVER have any powerful effect on you...apart from what you bring to it yourself. In fact, chugging is almost necessary to really feel it all. I'd say chug a good shell or two before you start worrying if you need to sip one. Chances are, the shells you drank will kick in and let your mind realize how unnecessary it was to worry in the first place. -- I was, and slightly still am, one of those people who obsessively worries about a substance and all it's possible negatives. Early on, I was even trepidatious about kava and I quickly came to see it was a waste of worry, it's incredibly hard to find any extremes with kava, especially with the dry powder we have available to us. Kava might be the closest thing to a 'get out of jail free' card of drvgs, if ever there were one.
If you've ever been comfortable with marijuana, then stop worrying about kava at all and chug away.
There's no chance at all that kava could give you the psycho-panic that weed gives to some people.
I am looking to get no further than #3 lol. I dont mind sipping. But it doesnt seem to give me the effect im quite looking for. Which is why im trying to work up the courage to finish a shell in one shot.
So sipping works for you and mellows you out? I am using pretty much the same measurement as you with no great effects. Maybe a case of reverse tolerance/low dose. I suppose. I am only a couple months into this kava experience. Almost daily though.
Thank you, I will keep those in mind.
It should make you feel somewhat better to keep in mind that kava really is a very safe botanical and you have no reason to be worried about it. Try nene from ghk or maybe kula from BKH if you want something very gentle and friendly.
yiki
Kava Enthusiast
I understand completly as i've been the same after getting prolonged anxiety problems due to medication.
No problem in taking it slow, on the contrary. Just try to get better at drinking kava everytime....
Day 1: Sip 1 teaspoon
Day 2: Chug half a teaspoon
Day 3: Sip 2 teaspoons
Day 4: Chug 1 teaspoon
...
etc
Just find out what works best for you now and at what speed you are feeling comfortable getting better.
You can also drink more after the first 5 minutes have passed....
No problem in taking it slow, on the contrary. Just try to get better at drinking kava everytime....
Day 1: Sip 1 teaspoon
Day 2: Chug half a teaspoon
Day 3: Sip 2 teaspoons
Day 4: Chug 1 teaspoon
...
etc
Just find out what works best for you now and at what speed you are feeling comfortable getting better.
You can also drink more after the first 5 minutes have passed....
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
I was like that with reading poetry and listening to opera. No, I'm not kidding, I am quite serious. I always wanted to, but there was a huge barrier. Just could not "get it" or get into it, and yes, to me it didn't taste good and I was afraid of it. But I kept trying, and I didn't feel bad if it didn't work "this time" I just resolved to try again real soon and keep trying till it worked, because I trusted there would, in the end, be something there there, because people I trusted said there was. So I kept at it. And for both of them, one day it clicked. That's also what happened for me with kava after a couple of months of daily trying.
Last edited:
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
Yes, when I sip a trad prep of a low dose of GHK Moi at work over the course of an hour or usually more it mellows me and feels very noticeably pleasant. I am willing to testify to this in a court of law.
That's the only time I sip, but my wife almost always sips. Last night she played Kingdoms of Amalur for hours while sipping her way through shell after shell after shell of pretty strong trad prep, and nothing special or expensive, just a blend of Wakacon Fijian waka and lawena, which is pedestrian, quotidian quality budget kava. She never got krunk, but didn't want to, she just wanted to feel very good and have a good time, and succeeded. And now, the after effect the next day is it worked as an anxiolytic. She feels no anxiety, got a full night's sleep, didn't wake up at 4:30 in nameless fear and obsessed with stupid annoying stuff at work and then not be able to get back to sleep. None of that, and she was plagued by that almost daily (and nightly) for a very long time. She got all that from sipping plain unspecial kava.
Oh, ftr Piper is right about GHK Nene, it is both gentle and friendly, very much so, including the flavour, relatively speaking.