virgomoonjay
Kava Curious
Warning- long. Rambly. Run-on sentences. Just sayin 
Have had the pleasure for a week or two now - to browse around this neat, kava-induced place - reading, researching, learning, giggling
Truly a great place, no matter the reason you showed up here. Kinda feel like I "know" a few of you - even if only via thru words on a screen. Mods are awesome. "Mesh" stuck with me (I have yet to figure out how to "tag" people here - first post, sorry. Teach me?).. and Steve Mariotti, I just might be in love with.. heh, heh..
Kidding - just a lover of words - and have empathized, "listened", learned, giggled, smh, "watched" him experiment and give feedback on different strains + experiences... So, forgive me, All.... should I lack formalities when communicating with you all... feeling like I'm the new kid on the block who was given a few random pages of CliffsNotes on the people of the 'hood ahead of time
So! My question. And groan. And halfa boring story or 3...
I *JUST* FINALLY tried Kava for the first time yesterday. I have been battling (eh - sometimes - sometimes I just cave to the shit and fall into the abyss) crippling depression + anxiety probably close to my entire life. Turned 40 this yr and started hearing the LOUDEST ticking clock. Time to wrestle this sonofa to the GROUND once and for all. A year ago a friend gave me an oxy. Sweet Jesus. That worked. Until it didn't, of course. And I was stuck with a really expensive habit and the same damned anxiety and depression I sought to rid myself of in the first place. I tried to quit. I tried HARD. Couldn't make it. Repeat a handful of times - THIS TIME I'LL DO IT! - no avail. Found K@. Thank god. Stopped the oxy, cold turkey, replaced with K@. Got thru withdraw + a few more weeks - felt HALFWAY decent. For a little while. Then bam - depression/crippling anxiety returned, K@ tolerance thru the roof. Kava kept appearing in my little part of the Universe via forums, articles, you name it. Ok, I'll bite. Along with a ridiculous amount of borderline OCD research, I fell thru the Kava Forums door
Have been reading & getting to know you all since. Gee, stalker-ish much?
(I also can't figure out how to use the cursed smileys or emotioncons or whatever they're called! They wont click for me - do you have to learn the right keys that make each one and type them in manually? Grr.).
So. Ordered the tea that's been mentioned here by a few - knowing good and well it's not the "real deal" - the Yogi - from Amazon. Funds were low, 2-day prime shipping, the whole reverse-tolerance thing you guys have spoken of, blah blah. Since I knew I wouldn't have funds to grab some decent kava for a while, I hit up Kava King and asked them if by any chance they might hook a gal up with some free samples. My stomach flops just remembering that - and again when typing it - not the "get something for nothing" kind. And feel it's now my obligation to make at least one purchase from them, even out the karma, whatever you wanna call it. K, I'm rambling. So.... the yogi tea did NADA - but I figured not only is it a weak version/way to take Kava - but I was positive EYE would be ridden with the reverse-tolerance blues. Cuz, you know - it's ME. Got my Kava-King free samples yesterday. 6 different instants. I thought - ok - STILL not as strong as the real-deal BUT a notch or 2 up the scale from the Yogi tea, at least. So I'll use it to work thru the reverse tolerance. (In the meantime, I placed an order with Kava by Rex, I'll get to THAT in a min, if you're still reading, that is). Halfway thru my first instant from KK -
O Oooohhh my gods. Holy kava. Not only, did I realize quickly that I was lucky enough to NOT be plagued with RT - this... - THIS.... was EXACTLY what I'd been looking for. I WANTED to engage with other humans. Life's "problems" arose (like seeing there was only $3 left in my acct for the next WEEK, getting an unexpected $500 bill - ya'll know the drill) and... so? So it'll be dealt with. In the end, is that shit gonna matter? Humans matter. Big ones. Little ones. Furry ones. Wait, those are my dogs... Point - F Peco, c'mere pooch, gimme hug, Man <3 <3
Signed, sealed, DELIVERED, I found my niche for exactly what I've been trying to cope with for so many years. And the Angels sang, haaaale- again - YOU understand...
Now. In the MEANTIME (while drinking Yogi and waiting on my KK free samples) - I also stumbled upon Kavesseur's page & his reviews. Vanutu3 sounded JUST like I was aiming for. Anxiety killer, mood enhancer, motivator, a definite daytime go-to. AND he'd said 1 TBSP was hella-potent in 16oz water. AND a whole LB was only $33. Hell YES a broke-chick clicked! But then....
Here. Kava Forums. Echoed again and again that Vanutu3 USED to be a sort of "holy-grail" - nowadays - who knows why - but THEM days are long gone. Vanutu3 absolutely unimpressive. It USED TO be the bomb. No longer. Great. Wonderful. But I already drank (purchased) the Kool-Aid, damnit! Ah, well...it can't be THAT BAD. I mean...it's true kava that I will have to knead and squish and molest and strain and salivate over while I do. "All you've had THUS FAR has been that ratchet Yogi tea and a few pkts of instants. If the INSTANTS had you hugging the dogs and talking to not only your plants, actual humans, too, even IF Vanutu3 isn't the BEST kava, still bound to be better than the instants - if only slighty). <-Yes, I absolutely talk to myself, but I digress. It'll be okay - watch...
Yeah, no. Crap on toast is what it is. Unimpressive is an understatement. And THAT comes from an almost-virgin (so many jokes I'll leave just lying there - you're welcome
Now... I realize I'm still super new & wet behind the ears. But am I correct in assuming that I DONT have to deal with RT - since yesterday, those KK samples had me grabbing a ladder so's I could climb up and hug the moon? "It's not you, it's me, I swear...". I mean - would you say it's me or the kava? Ugg, how very damned deflating and disappointing. I am 1/2 gallon in. I feel a LITTLE something. But nothing NEAR what I felt with yesterday's instants. I used 1.5cups in 1 gal. water. I kneaded for 5 or so mins with half the water - then kneaded a 2nd time with the other half of water for 5mins. Nearing nausea at this point - indicating I've had too much, yes? With minimal effects. Did same routine as yest with the instants. Empty stomach - check. Coconut oil ingested with kava - just in case that whole "take it with fats!" thing is legit - some say yes, some say no - not tryina take chances especially on limited funds.
So now. Moving fwd. Kava by Rex - so I've read on here - DOES have a good strain, somewhere along the lines of the V3 - but more up to par. The Tongan. Hoping some here will chime in if you've had any recently and attest to the quality. I have enough dough this week to order ONE decent priced batch - if I order another dud strain - ugg. I'm outta facepalms!
Gracias if I've managed to keep your attention this far - truly
I know the "newbies" section probably doesn't get touched too much by the semi-seasoned folk. I mean, just HOW many questions can one answer about "is this or that good?". I get it. And then one sees THIS LONG ASS SHIT and yeah, ok, I'm going to go listen to music...
But if you HAVE read this far - Hello! Nice to "meetcha", glad to readya (probably already have, no doubt) - and.. thank you!
Bula, Everyone! Thanks for having me. A nauseas Me, but still...
<-- Oh look - I learniddd!
PS - kava have any easy potentiators that you all know of? With this being a pretty non-effective batch and all...
Have had the pleasure for a week or two now - to browse around this neat, kava-induced place - reading, researching, learning, giggling
So! My question. And groan. And halfa boring story or 3...
I *JUST* FINALLY tried Kava for the first time yesterday. I have been battling (eh - sometimes - sometimes I just cave to the shit and fall into the abyss) crippling depression + anxiety probably close to my entire life. Turned 40 this yr and started hearing the LOUDEST ticking clock. Time to wrestle this sonofa to the GROUND once and for all. A year ago a friend gave me an oxy. Sweet Jesus. That worked. Until it didn't, of course. And I was stuck with a really expensive habit and the same damned anxiety and depression I sought to rid myself of in the first place. I tried to quit. I tried HARD. Couldn't make it. Repeat a handful of times - THIS TIME I'LL DO IT! - no avail. Found K@. Thank god. Stopped the oxy, cold turkey, replaced with K@. Got thru withdraw + a few more weeks - felt HALFWAY decent. For a little while. Then bam - depression/crippling anxiety returned, K@ tolerance thru the roof. Kava kept appearing in my little part of the Universe via forums, articles, you name it. Ok, I'll bite. Along with a ridiculous amount of borderline OCD research, I fell thru the Kava Forums door
So. Ordered the tea that's been mentioned here by a few - knowing good and well it's not the "real deal" - the Yogi - from Amazon. Funds were low, 2-day prime shipping, the whole reverse-tolerance thing you guys have spoken of, blah blah. Since I knew I wouldn't have funds to grab some decent kava for a while, I hit up Kava King and asked them if by any chance they might hook a gal up with some free samples. My stomach flops just remembering that - and again when typing it - not the "get something for nothing" kind. And feel it's now my obligation to make at least one purchase from them, even out the karma, whatever you wanna call it. K, I'm rambling. So.... the yogi tea did NADA - but I figured not only is it a weak version/way to take Kava - but I was positive EYE would be ridden with the reverse-tolerance blues. Cuz, you know - it's ME. Got my Kava-King free samples yesterday. 6 different instants. I thought - ok - STILL not as strong as the real-deal BUT a notch or 2 up the scale from the Yogi tea, at least. So I'll use it to work thru the reverse tolerance. (In the meantime, I placed an order with Kava by Rex, I'll get to THAT in a min, if you're still reading, that is). Halfway thru my first instant from KK -
Now. In the MEANTIME (while drinking Yogi and waiting on my KK free samples) - I also stumbled upon Kavesseur's page & his reviews. Vanutu3 sounded JUST like I was aiming for. Anxiety killer, mood enhancer, motivator, a definite daytime go-to. AND he'd said 1 TBSP was hella-potent in 16oz water. AND a whole LB was only $33. Hell YES a broke-chick clicked! But then....
Here. Kava Forums. Echoed again and again that Vanutu3 USED to be a sort of "holy-grail" - nowadays - who knows why - but THEM days are long gone. Vanutu3 absolutely unimpressive. It USED TO be the bomb. No longer. Great. Wonderful. But I already drank (purchased) the Kool-Aid, damnit! Ah, well...it can't be THAT BAD. I mean...it's true kava that I will have to knead and squish and molest and strain and salivate over while I do. "All you've had THUS FAR has been that ratchet Yogi tea and a few pkts of instants. If the INSTANTS had you hugging the dogs and talking to not only your plants, actual humans, too, even IF Vanutu3 isn't the BEST kava, still bound to be better than the instants - if only slighty). <-Yes, I absolutely talk to myself, but I digress. It'll be okay - watch...
Yeah, no. Crap on toast is what it is. Unimpressive is an understatement. And THAT comes from an almost-virgin (so many jokes I'll leave just lying there - you're welcome
So now. Moving fwd. Kava by Rex - so I've read on here - DOES have a good strain, somewhere along the lines of the V3 - but more up to par. The Tongan. Hoping some here will chime in if you've had any recently and attest to the quality. I have enough dough this week to order ONE decent priced batch - if I order another dud strain - ugg. I'm outta facepalms!
Gracias if I've managed to keep your attention this far - truly
Bula, Everyone! Thanks for having me. A nauseas Me, but still...

PS - kava have any easy potentiators that you all know of? With this being a pretty non-effective batch and all...