Recovering addict

[BULABUCK]

So i started drinking kava about three months ago in tinctures which i know is bad but thats how i started . Ok so ive been sober for about 2 and 1/2 years i began drinking kava against suggestion of my fellow support group the ones close to me. My wife drinks kava also we started visiting the local kava bar getting shells to go 12 oz and instant added to make them more potant worked ok then i started to research everything about kava.so it turns out i payed my kava dues on the rev tolerance and had a great experience on tanna marang with some instant which after working all week 6 days a week 11 hrs a day ive become dry and had not been to enough meeting i became selfish with my time.So with that i began purchasing all the good kava i could find which vendors for what strain an began shelling nightly . At first it was relaxing then i became edgy and depressed and felt guilty and the next day had kavaover and began obsessing if id relapsed and it drives me crazy but i continue telling myself its just the desiese but its messing with my head so maybe its me any help would be very greatfull the kavas ive used bkh bog both kinds melo melo nak@ home stone and black sand i love kava it helps but whats going on seems to be really bothering my internal and mental body my mind is telling me its bad thx everyone

 

[BULABUCK]

Ok also the reason i started drinking kava was for stress anger and depression from my job and life and this shitty disease of alcoholism and addiction also my body began to hurt i became burnt out workin so much sorry to repost and iam still a noob to all this esp kava and forums hope i didnt mess anything up thanks again

 

[Vekta]

Unlike alcohol, kava doesn't interact with the reward center (for lack of a better description) of your brain in the same way if at all. You know better than I do that addiction is not as simple as just the substance itself. I realize you've had a bad experience with alcohol and that may very well be influencing your view on kava and the act of drinking it.


Have you ever heard of the phrase "I think, therefore I am"? What we think and feel can influence how we feel physically. The last thing any of us in the kava community want it to derail your success so far. If you feel kava has become counter productive...stop. Your success on staying sober , I assure you, is the most important thing to us here.


I would, however, ask you to take a moment and really ask yourself whether or not it feels bad because your body is telling you it is; or it feels bad because your mind is telling you it's bad and therefore making you feel bad.


There are a lot of positives to kava and part of it is how you apply it to your life. With that being said it's not a fit for everyone and we wish you the best of luck with your sobriety.

 

[BULABUCK]

Thats what iam saying vekta i appreciate ur quick and knowledgable respose iam stuck i cant decide i dont know what to do my mind says stop and it also says drink so i dont know

 

[Vekta]

Hop on over to the kavalounge chat room. I'm logged in if you want to talk.


http://www.kavaforums.com/chat/

 

[KavaKrunked]

Unlike alcohol, kava doesn't interact with the reward center (for lack of a better description) of your brain in the same way if at all. You know better than I do that addiction is not as simple as just the substance itself. I realize you've had a bad experience with alcohol and that may very well be influencing your view on kava and the act of drinking it.


Have you ever heard of the phrase "I think, therefore I am"? What we think and feel can influence how we feel physically. The last thing any of us in the kava community want it to derail your success so far. If you feel kava has become counter productive...stop. Your success on staying sober , I assure you, is the most important thing to us here.


I would, however, ask you to take a moment and really ask yourself whether or not it feels bad because your body is telling you it is; or it feels bad because your mind is telling you it's bad and therefore making you feel bad.


There are a lot of positives to kava and part of it is how you apply it to your life. With that being said it's not a fit for everyone and we wish you the best of luck with your sobriety.

Excellent response.  Well done, Vekta.

 

[BULABUCK]

Yea vekta is awwsome

 

[Ed!]

I drink kava as an alcohol alternative, when you get down to it. I think that's a pretty common theme here. I've even recommended it to a truly alcoholic friend who started drinking with some regularity as well. Kava just can't be compared for the following reasons:


1) As Vekta mentioned, it doesn't impact your mental facilities.

2) Kava is also not physically addictive. You may find yourself becoming "addicted" to the routine of it, because physical routine does seem to be pretty powerful, but for me alcohol (and I would imagine other substances) just built and built and built on me, where kava I'll drink until I feel like I don't want to, and then I can go for extended periods of time without it.

3) Kava makes you stop when you've had enough, and makes you take it slow or you'll feel sick. If I exercise moderation and put decent gaps between shells then I don't feel queasy, otherwise I may throw up if I try to go too fast and hard.


Vekta said most of that already, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents having been down a similar road.

 

[BULABUCK]

Thx everyone u all have been very helpfull iam stiil drinking kava trying new strains and trying to start earlier in the evening instead of 11 at night and staying up till two and working 11 hr shifts think its helping will let u all know how it goes

 

[Buddhacide]

Fwiw, an informal poll a few months back confirmed a majority of users on this forum have some history of substance abuse, and or mental illness of one sort or another, so you're in good company. My personal feeling is that kava is indeed a drug, and it is possible to abuse it. However, as stated above I find kava unique in that it really does tell you when you've had too much. It's also very easy to take breaks from it without any sort of withdrawel. I think it's important not to deify kava. It is a drug, and there are consequences for misuse. But in the same breath it's also quite forgiving compared to the amount of joy it can bring.

 

[BULABUCK]

Thx budda