Kava: Discussion as an anti-craving agent.

[The Kap'n]

Kava: Anti-craving properties.

This “kava fact” is less “fact” more “experience”, but still based on a preliminary study undertaken by steinerbio. It shouldn’t be taken as scientific fact. I’m interested to hear your experience as well. The study presented in this report has limited scientific value and does not allow for any meaningful conclusions in regard to kava’s usefulness in the treatment of addictions. It does, however, give us a place to start.

Back in 2002-2004 I found myself heavily addicted to pain killers due to my own poor choices. I had the opportunity to seek help and get treatment for my addiction. Just the thought of having to live my life without them made me shudder. There wasn’t a thought in my head that wasn’t directly related to getting and using more. 6 months into life without opioids I found myself happy with the general direction of things, but still experiencing an underlying base of anxiety and restlessness, not to mention the gut-wrenching cravings I would have. It was at this time I decided to look at the natural route in terms of anxiety treatment. I found myself in the supplement aisle at Whole Foods where I decided that this “kava kava” stuff would probably be okay to try. Since 2005 I’ve been consuming kava in one form or another, starting with extract pills and moving my way to powdered root. I found it excellent for my social anxiety and also noticed a little something extra.

It was a bit after I began taking kava, realizing it actually worked, that I noticed another impact. I also noticed I was smoking less cigarettes and reacting to stimuli in different ways, and then it hit me. I wasn’t craving getting high anymore. That gnawing desire for those chemicals that would have certainly ended my life was gone. Some people may view this as substitution, and I would agree with that, but I hadn’t been on anything for over 6 months at that point. It wasn’t the feeling I was looking for, but for some reason it just ate up my desire for opiates. It worked so well that I remember feeling guilty seeing everyone else struggle so much with drug cravings. I knew there was something about this kava that could help others in my situation. Low and behold, I must not be the only person to experience this. The study I’m referencing today took upon themselves to test the anti-craving properties of kava. I suggest reading through the source listed, as it’s freely available. I believe it possibly speaks to quantifying some of kavas anti-craving properties, but I wont be making any conclusions based on it.

In the study they gave kava (1 cup root to 1 gallon water) to volunteer addicts at the homeless shelter. Only subjects that were currently sober were accepted into the group. After about one hour the subjects were asked their opinion on how they felt about their desire for their drug of choice. No placebo was used, and no objective measures of craving were utilized.

In the second part of this study subjects were given 30mg kavalactone extracts. They were then told to take 2 capsules every 3-4 hours as needed to control cravings. Significant results were found in the group looking to reach alcohol abstinence, and some with cocaine abstinence, although not enough to be significant with cocaine. With tobacco, the subjects were less likely to attempt cessation as in relation to their other addictions, tobacco was seemingly insignificant. They did see, however, that the subjects experienced a gradual reduction in smoking as the study progressed [1].

You’ll have to draw your own facts and conclusions about what this study may be saying. I’m curious though. What is your experience? Have you noticed any reduction in troublesome or just strange habits since you’ve started drinking kava?

Steiner, G G. “Kava as an Anti-Craving Agent: Preliminary Studies.” SteinerBio, 30 Jan. 2020, www.steinerbio.com/publications/kava-as-an-anticraving-agent-preliminary-studies/.

 

[AlexisReal]

It's all about those brain chemicals, essentially.

Kava is maybe unique in it's ability to consistently boost neurotransmitter levels, it's like an infinite well to tap into in a sense.

And in that sense too, also unique to kava vs many other psychoactive herbs and substances, we could probably argue that kava continues to work just as well for longterm daily users today, as it did when they first began years or decades ago.

Not many psychoactive substances qualify equally for that bill. The famous medicinal smoked/vaped/eaten herb gives a fair enough running, in terms of longterm sustainable medical benefit and relief. However, tolerance can come into play heavily there in many cases over time.

The way kava can continue to work equally well, indefinitely, without tolerance and reduced effectiveness becoming a factor, marks it apart there.

We take so many things for granted in life. Kava has so many- infinite- attributes.

However I would like to take a little break from my daily kava consumption, because there is truth in the slogan- Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Any regular practice can become at least partially mundane.

Myself, kava gives me on a daily basis, a way of really letting go of all stress, anxiety, physical pain, and trauma from longterm illness pains and pangs.

Kava is my antidepressant. There are days when I am so exhausted or poorly, tummy upsets, respiratory troubles etc, when even kava doesn't exactly "work" for me.

It is no "magic pill" as such, which is a good thing in some aspects. It doesn't artificially cover over what is going on with you.

Rather, IMO, it works to affect and shift your mental and emotional state and consciousness.

It regularly astounds me, how I can begin some days feeling terrible, physically or mentally- not because of kava, just life and health conditions etc....it doesn't seem possible to actually feel okay or at peace at any point on those days.

Yet I am always still astounded when after a certain amount of kava those days, I am suddenly feeling completely relaxed, comfortable, and mentally free.

So for me I use kava to cope with very challenging daily living, stress, pain, trauma, anxiety, and depression.

In that sense, my use is highly medicinally oriented. No cheap thrill. Kava has a deeper purpose for me.

I also feel it is underappreciated, as a subtle plant psychedellic, in a very therapeutic sense I mean. I feel it can be very healthy for examining and releasing emotions, refining thinking processes, aiding flow of communication from the heart, with clarity and withoit fear, for improving relationships with others and crucially with oneself.

I get the strong impression that most kava drinkers are fairly happy in and with themselves, very self accepting, not in denial about our own true nature, weaknesses and strehgths.

Back to my likening kava to having a subtle plant psychedellic influence. It gives us a viewing window into ourselves, detached and stepped back, freeing shackles and enabling us to change and adapt things for the better.

To me, how I describe here, kava can be enormously therapeutic mentally, emotiinally, and character wise.

Just how scientific focus has in recent years, been heavily focussed on the extraordinary potential mental health benefits of Psilocybin and similar Psychedellics, I really hope to see kava receiving more due recognition for it's potential in this field.