Kava and Alcohol Withdrawal Guide

Traditional rituals in many Pacific cultures use this root for important social, religious, and political ceremonies. Women and children typically chew the root into a dense paste, which is then diluted to create the kava drink. Fortunately, we can now obtain high-quality options that have been pre-chewed by machines rather than humans.

In Awaken The Giant Within, Tony Robbins recounts an experience in which he drank this root with the natives of an island in the Pacific and achieved the most intense sensation of inner peace that he had ever felt.

How Kava Works

Scientists have found that ir induces relaxation and a sense of well-being through a number of subtle mechanisms. Since many of these mechanisms are weak compared to drugs that act along the same pathways, we will note the three primary ways in which this root exerts its mild psychoactive effects:

There have been up to 18 kavalactones identified in the root, but only six of them are responsible for the plant’s effects on the brain. Kavalactones mainly affect GABA-A receptors, which are also stimulated by alcohol and benzodiazepines. This mechanism of action accounts for why many ex-drinkers have found relief from withdrawal by consuming it.

The sensation of consuming kava is a mellow state of mind and enhanced sociability. Despite its mild psychoactive properties, it is not physically addictive.

Dopamine and norepinephrine are excitatory neurotransmitters associated with reward and energy. It increases concentrations of these neurotransmitters, making it a great social beverage. The mild stimulation of the CB1 receptor may account for increased feelings of empathy and spiritual well-being.

While kava is quite unique in its chemical composition, one could understand it as a natural alternative to GABA-enhancing drugs in the same way that kratom is a natural alternative to opioid-stimulating drugs. (You can click on that link to learn how drinking actually activates the opioid system.)

Using this root for withdrawal can help to alleviate the following maladies, many of which continue for months during post-acute withdrawal:

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Muscle soreness
• Fatigue
• Depression

Years ago, I would have gladly tried this root for withdrawal when I had mild or moderate symptoms upon quitting. Unfortunately, I did not know what it was.

I have heard from many people who experienced profound relief from anxiety by using this root shortly after quitting. Most of them had either weaned off of liquor or had medically detoxed and found their ensuing cravings to be unmanageable. While I have not heard from anyone who used this root to help them wean off of liquor, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be possible.

Kava provided these people with the gentle support they needed to avoid alcohol and allow their bodies and minds to rest.

As with any form of harm reduction, care should be taken to repair nutritional deficiencies that contribute to neurotransmitter imbalance and perpetuate the desire to drink in the first place.

If you are interested in using a stronger alternative, you can read my article about how to use phenibut for withdrawal.

Note: Unfortunately, kava is too weak of a GABA-agonist to be helpful for symptoms of severe withdrawal like hallucinations and seizures. If you’re suffering from severe withdrawal, have no fear:

• Consult a doctor who can prescribe you with a tapered regimen of a benzodiazepine like Ativan.
• To deal with post-acute withdrawal, you may want to get a prescription for gabapentin or .
• Read my eBook to learn how to reduce the symptoms of post-acute withdrawal and transform your life!

Best Brands For Withdrawal

Over the past several years, I have tried several different vendors in a number of different forms. My first experience came from a tincture that I bought at Whole Foods, which I found to be the weakest form. It numbed my tongue for a few minutes and any relaxation benefit was either muted or nonexistent.

In full disclosure, I medically detoxed after quitting drinking and did not discover kava until a few years after I had already quit drinking. However, I was interested in experiencing the effects of it and began sampling powders imported from the Pacific Islands. I found that some of these powders improved my mood slightly and absolutely helped me drift off to sleep, with no after-effects in the morning.

I didn’t really need help sleeping; chamomile tea does the trick for me. And so I forgot about it for a while.

A few months later, after having been extremely impressed by the kratom produced by a stellar company called Top Extracts, I decided to sample their version. I expected to feel a bit dazed and fall into a deep sleep, as I had with the other brands.

Instead, after mixing one teaspoon of Top Extracts’ 70% Kavalactones Powder into a glass of spring water, I felt blissful, carefree, and focused all at the same time.

I caught up with my roommate and read half a book before falling into the deepest sleep I could remember.

If I were using kava for withdrawal, here is what I would do:

• Order Top Extracts’ 70% Kavalactones Powder
• Drink half a teaspoon mixed into a glass of cold water
• Re-dose every half hour until I felt a relaxing effect (I would not exceed 1.5 teaspoons)
• Use this relaxing ritual each evening for a week or two while taking supplements for brain repair (see below)

I have also tried Top Extracts’ Supercritical 60% Kavalactones Extract, and can report that a dime-sized portion on my thumb made for a wonderful afternoon (it is a paste, rather than a powder). I have not yet sampled their Traditional Solomon Kava, but the verified buyer reviews on their website are compelling.

I should note that there is something called “reverse tolerance” with it. If you use this root a few times, you might notice that you need less and less of it to achieve the same effect.

While I did not use kava for withdrawal, I can state with a high degree of confidence that Top Extracts is the best quality that you will find online. 

If it’s your first time ordering from Top Extracts, you can save 15% on your order by using this promo code: Welcome Friends.

Note: Regular customers of Top Extracts have come to understand that this company only sells the freshest products, and as a result, items frequently go out of stock for short periods. If the one that you wish to try is out of stock, my advice is to keep checking every few days and order the closest available alternative! I haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve ordered from Top Extracts.

Optimizing Your Recovery

The best way to use kava for withdrawal is to combine it with a regimen of biochemical repair.

It’s VERY important to provide your system with the building blocks it needs to produce the neurotransmitters, hormones, and many other compounds that your brain requires to achieve long-term stability.

Stable moods are impossible without a stable brain.

If you’re anything like I was when I quit drinking, you’ll probably deny that you have any nutritional deficiencies. You might even deny that you have neurotransmitter deficiencies. I implore you to reconsider these assumptions.

Nearly a year after I quit drinking, I finally understood that the majority of my post-acute withdrawal symptoms were caused by invisible deficiencies caused by prolonged drinking.

I finally ended my post-acute withdrawal symptoms (including cravings) by doing a lot of research and spending a lot of money on herbs, vitamins, and minerals.

Calm Support (read my review here) is among the most well-researched options for repairing alcohol-induced nutritional deficiencies.

This supplement consists of high-quality nutrients and herbs that have been clinically proven to help alleviate the symptoms of withdrawal. These ingredients cost a lot of money when purchased separately.

Many people are quitting drinking using Calm Support along with external support and basic lifestyle improvements.

Note: The great people who work at Calm Support have been scrambling to keep up with insanely high demand for this product. If it is out of stock, make sure to sign up on their website to receive a notification when it’s back!!

Is It Toxic?

There is a persistent myth that this root is inherently toxic to the liver. In fact, it is not toxic as long as it meets two conditions:

• This product has not been extracted using alcohol or acetone
• This product has been made from only the roots

The plant’s leaves contain a toxic alkaloid, which is why only the roots of the plant can be consumed. In the early 2000s, a German company began extracting alkaloids from the plant’s leaves as well as the roots. A few customers suffered from liver damage, setting into motion a rumor that it is necessarily toxic to the liver.

Now most products (including Top Extracts) carry a warning that liver damage may occur from consuming it.

This rumor has also been seized upon by government agencies that are eager to ban natural alternatives to prescription drugs. More research needs to be done on the effects of chronic, long-term use, but this is not the kind of usage that we are discussing in this article.

(In 2013, a World Health Organization report clarified that this root is safe as long as only the roots are used and alcohol and acetone are not used as solvents. In 2014, Germany lifted the ban on all products that was enacted in 2002.)

As for myself, every few months, I’ll have a teaspoon to chill out during a pleasant evening with friends. I have never experienced any adverse effects.

Is It Addictive?

There is no evidence that kava is physically addictive.

If this addiction is even possible, then we have enough anecdotal evidence to conclude that it is extremely rare. We don’t find “kava addicts” loitering on the streets of the Polynesian Islands. Nor do we have an “epidemic” in the U.S., despite our obvious problems with garbage substances.

I have never heard of anyone who has been addicted to this root, but I have read plenty of articles by treatment centers that claim that this addiction exists. Usually, they provide their phone number underneath their article, in case you want to give them tens of thousands of dollars to treat your kava addiction.

“Any form of mind-alteration will lead you back to your original addiction” is an incoherent and sad article of faith that ignores both neuroscience and the reality of self-transformation. It’s incoherent because everything we do is a form of mind-alteration. It’s sad because harm-reduction saves lives and people are suffering. It’s time to enter the 21st century.

Anyway, kava bars are cropping up around the U.S. – and they’re a huge hit with people who have quit drinking. They’re also a big hit with police, who are busy dealing with drunk mayhem outside of regular bars, while the bar attendees enjoy relaxed conversation. What a concept!

Research Studies

A number of studies have been done on the safety and efficacy of kava for anxiety, which is usually the symptom of withdrawal that leads people back to the bottle.

Three studies in particular are pertinent:

• A craving survey and pilot study found that this root can decrease cravings for alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin (source)
• An 18-week study found that it “may help sufferers of anxiety and provide significant support to use in a clinical setting” (source)
• A 6-week study found that it is a moderately effective short-term treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (source)

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article.

Because everyone is different, nothing I write on this site is a definitive recommendation for anyone.

My goal is simply to provide information about many potential solutions for the physical trap of withdrawal. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and if you’re as addicted to alcohol as I was when I quit drinking, medical detox is your best bet.

I’m not promoting a lifestyle of daily usage, although I don’t judge anyone who uses this root on a daily basis.

My favorite highs come from herbs like chamomile, yerba mate, and cocoa leaf – and a great workout in the sun. If I’m with old friends, I’ll smoke a good cigar. I use meditation almost every day to calm my brain.

Nothing feels better to me than waking up with a clear mind and feeling at peace with raw, majestic, mysterious reality.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment box below.

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