After years of self-medicating with the usual suspects, alcohol, cannabis, some opiates I really started looking for every day alternatives such as St. Johns, Sam-E to help with anxiety. Fairly overwhelming anxiety, never tried the prescription route but saw some friends have bizarre reactions to that mess so stayed away from it. One friend was taking Paxil and Ambien daily and would consistently sleepwalk and just be way spaced out. One time she WOKE UP in her car at a stop light, middle of traffic, driving to work.
Anyway, I couldnt keep up with the St. Johns, I was buying bottle after bottle, taking at least 1500 mg a day or more to keep balanced. And, if I didn't keep a steady supply it's like dropping from a cliff, emotionally. too much of a seesaw effect for me and i had the worst, reflux-like side effects. Burning, mealy reflux from that stuff, awful
Started trying kava since last late spring or so and, in a way, it has become a great "balancer" for me. I find that it's easier to stay away from alcohol and easier to function during and after kava sessions. I can handle crowds or social events better than when using other things. Not taking anything else daily for anxiety but Kava. My girlfriend has commented multiple times about how she notices the difference and will now drink it with me. It works in a much more symbiotic way than anything i've tried and probably less expensive and less taxing on my body than whatever else i was taking. And being a musician, it really almost replicates a similar awareness of music as with other, less legal things. I just feel more grounded and open to taking everything in musically, it's a really enjoyable experience all around.