Kava Routines to Avoid Lethargy

[the_wilderness]

Appreciate the update and finding this thread. It's always going to be a battle for me as well, I love kava because it's kept me alive at times and is the kindest of all my addictions (and replaces most of the others), but yeah, I can't take a day off. Hope to get to where you are, Jacob, and congrats on your lifestyle improvement all round. The hardest work.

 

[Groggy]

Another update: I had been feeling pretty good for a few months. Started going to a local Zen center and was meditating daily. I decided to give kava another go, and within a few weeks I feel super lethargic, no interest in anything, I feel very sluggish and my mind isn't sharp. I lost all motivation to meditate. I'm going to part ways with kava for good this time. I can't control my dosage once I start, and I don't interact with my kids much when I'm drinking it. I just zone out and watch tv while sitting on one place on the floor instead of taking them out on nature trails and playgrounds. I feel like its making me tune out rather than tune in.

I'm glad kava helped me quit alcohol, but now its time for me to stop drinking kava as well, as it is not a healthy relationship for me. It is emotionally addictive to me and once I open a bag, I can't stop till its gone, whether I want any or not. The root of my problem is that kava is so effective at taking away my anxiety that once I get a taste of it, I just can't stop, and then it takes a good week for me to have any appetite and for my brain to start working at full speed again.

I hope everything works out, be sure and come visit us if you feel like chatting. Drinking kava is not a requirement for participating in these forums. I have always liked KF for that, a place to chat, in different formats, minus the other problems we all deal with on the day to day life. I don't know or participate in any other website to this extent for that very reason.

And who knows, maybe once your kids are a bit older, you can revisit kava!
Don't be a stranger...

 

[Jacob Bula]

And who knows, maybe once your kids are a bit older, you can revisit kava!
Don't be a stranger...

In my Zen practice the 5th precept is as follows:
" I resolve not to cause others to abuse alcohol or drugs/nor to do so myself but to keep the mind clear".

This is suggestion, not a commandment. And everyone know how Zen masters love green tea. They build a whole ceremony around green tea. Also kava doesn't break this precept for many people. If you can not abuse kava, I feel it can actually clear the mind; however, at my current place in life this isn't my relationship with it.

I believe I will once the kids are older. I mean I can't list all the regrets I have while on alcohol. My biggest regret on kava is watching the every season of East Bound and Down on HBO Max in 2 days while rooted in one spot on the living room floor .

 

[JohnMichael]

Another update: I had been feeling pretty good for a few months. Started going to a local Zen center and was meditating daily. I decided to give kava another go, and within a few weeks I feel super lethargic, no interest in anything, I feel very sluggish and my mind isn't sharp. I lost all motivation to meditate. I'm going to part ways with kava for good this time. I can't control my dosage once I start, and I don't interact with my kids much when I'm drinking it. I just zone out and watch tv while sitting on one place on the floor instead of taking them out on nature trails and playgrounds. I feel like its making me tune out rather than tune in.

I'm glad kava helped me quit alcohol, but now its time for me to stop drinking kava as well, as it is not a healthy relationship for me. It is emotionally addictive to me and once I open a bag, I can't stop till its gone, whether I want any or not. The root of my problem is that kava is so effective at taking away my anxiety that once I get a taste of it, I just can't stop, and then it takes a good week for me to have any appetite and for my brain to start working at full speed again.

Meditation is the way! Your decision sounds like the absolutely right one for you. Savoring life is the thing...family, nature, meditation. Bula!

 

[Alark]

Is this your first kava break?
How did the first week feel like without kava?

What i hate about kava are 2 things the bloating and the demotivation. exactly as you said it " not wanting to participate in life".

 

[Jacob Bula]

Is this your first kava break?
How did the first week feel like without kava?

What i hate about kava are 2 things the bloating and the demotivation. exactly as you said it " not wanting to participate in life".

No. I was on a 2 week on, 2 week of routine. I usually feel kind of shitty on my first week without kava. I have to re-learn how to deal with my anxiety without turning to something external. There is not physical addiction and no withdrawals, but I get emotionally addicted to it. I don't get bloated. I usually stop eating around 4am, so I can drink from 8-10am and then I pee out a lot of fluids, so I usually end up losing any belly that I have going on.

As of right now, I recently bought a pound of Lawena to see if a milder kava leads to milder unwanted effects. It seems okay so far. I just have a bit of dryness from using pantyhose instead of a proper filter, as my old filter got thrown out.

 

[jewalker7842]

No. I was on a 2 week on, 2 week of routine. I usually feel kind of shitty on my first week without kava. I have to re-learn how to deal with my anxiety without turning to something external. There is not physical addiction and no withdrawals, but I get emotionally addicted to it. I don't get bloated. I usually stop eating around 4am, so I can drink from 8-10am and then I pee out a lot of fluids, so I usually end up losing any belly that I have going on.

As of right now, I recently bought a pound of Lawena to see if a milder kava leads to milder unwanted effects. It seems okay so far. I just have a bit of dryness from using pantyhose instead of a proper filter, as my old filter got thrown out.

Do you work out at all? Are you outside any? I found that lack of Vitamin D (sunshine) and being outside will make you not motivated to do anything AT ALL. As Krunky said earlier Vitamin B does wonders as well. I drink 6 - 8 tablespoons a day, but it is throughout the day. The aluball helps with this alot.

 

[Deleted member 9642]

I find that after almost a year and a half of weekly kava consumption (2 to 3 times a week), I am getting to the same point.

I wonder to what extent the NRI and MAOI activity of kava, can be linked?

In any case, I am seriously considering stopping my consumption, but I will first reduce to once a week. I use it for anxiety, as part of post traumatic stress, and it has worked well for that purpose. But the lethargy is becoming counterproductive, and tends to lead to/aggravate feelings of depression.

 

[Jacob Bula]

Do you work out at all? Are you outside any? I found that lack of Vitamin D (sunshine) and being outside will make you not motivated to do anything AT ALL. As Krunky said earlier Vitamin B does wonders as well. I drink 6 - 8 tablespoons a day, but it is throughout the day. The aluball helps with this alot.

Yes I hike and/or swim outside year round on almost every day I have off. This unfortunate side effect has been isolated to my overconsumption of kava.

 

[Slipperwood]

I feel you Jacob, I drink mostly heavy kavas for my nerve pain and apathy/lethargy can be a problem. I find ginseng to be very useful, my gramps was a Buddhist scholar and he always recommended the stuff to bring up virya. He also lived a very long time and had a superhuman immune system all his life to boot!

I like to take 1-3x ~500mg capsules of ginseng a day (although you could double that within reason) w/ food and from my personal experience, the American species is milder than any of the Asian ones, young cultivated is milder than old-grown wildcrafted and steamed [red or black] is milder than white, lactic acid fermented or extracts. Drinking a little caffeine around the time of your ginseng dose can additionally give it more of a kick <gramps sure loved his oolongs>