This came up on GQ, but I know a lot of you don’t often go to GQ, so I thought I’d try it here.
I’m agoraphobic and if Kava worked for me, it would be a god-send.
Do any of you have any testimonials to hand out for what sounds like a wonder-herb?
(Thanks techchick68.)
I recently tried it to help me get through some garden variety stressful weeks (job interviews, minor car accident, tax time, that sort of thing.) I found it to be reasonably effective. The effect is very mild and subtle, at least from the basic health food store brand that I bought.
I don’t know how well it would work for severe anxiety, but it’s probably worth a try. The only warnings are not to take it if you are depressed or on medication for depression.
I don’t have anxiety or panic attacks of the Tony Soprano variety, but I do get these weird moments where all of the sudden I just feel filled with worry and dread and fear and sadness and I’m on the edge of crying my eyes out and Mr. Jarbaby says, “what’s with you” and I’ll have no idea.
It could be a perfectly nice day out, sunny, happy, warm…I could have just gotten paid, everything well, and I’ll feel like I’m SUPPOSED to be worried about something. Mr. J says “well, you’re not. Don’t worry” If only it were that easy. I can’t just turn off these feelings.
Anyhoo, I don’t know what that’s called, but I took Kava Kava for a few days and noticed that those feelings didn’t return for a while.
jarbaby
I have used Kava for “stress”–being overly emotional, unable to cope, etc.
It works for me, but there is not an immediate effect–it takes usually about 45 minutes. In a panic attack you may need something a little quicker. Depends on your symptoms (like whether you have chest pains, hyperventilate, etc.)
Sometimes at night I have problems with my mind racing over pointless problems and what-if’s, and the Kava helps me sleep.
Just be careful the first time you take it–meaning don’t take it in rush hour traffic if you don’t know how it’s going to affect you. It can cause drowsiness.
Good luck!
Here’s a simple way to stop a panic attack:
Nearly all of the symptoms are caused by hyperventilation. A normal adult at rest breathes about 14 times a minute.
So wear a watch with a second hand and consciously slow your breathing to one complete in-out every three to five seconds. Keep it steady. The tingling hands, rapid heartbeat, etc. should subside after about a minute.
If you don’t happen to be wearing a watch you can still slow your breathing by counting out the seconds: “one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three…”
I was interested by the comment that people on medication for depression should not take Kava Kava.
What are the negative affects? I’ve been on anti-depressants for about a year now and I’ve been a bad boy and tried mixing pretty much everything with them, including Kava. I found it more than mild, it was barely noticeable.
I took it a couple of times before I started on the anti-depressants and never really felt any effect, ditto for St. John’s Wart.
So, basically: I don’t use Kava but I’d like to know why I can’t 
— G. Raven
I don’t think it’s a true interaction with antidepressants other than an additive effect that could compound drowsiness.
Kava seems to affect the brain in a similar way to alchohol, which is a depressant. Not what you need when you’re already depressed. Everyone is different though. From the feedback I get from others, Kava has a mild calming effect. Noone I know has been “knocked out” by it, but it is a possibility. Ditto goes for drinking a glass of wine. I don’t think it’s a miracle drug that cures all ills, but for mild anxiety, IMO, it’s better than being on Valium or Xanax, which both have a high potential for abuse.
Kava doesn’t work for full-blown panic attacks, or even for general severe anxiety once you’re already into it, but if you take it before you go into a potentially anxiety-producing situation, it can keep you on an even keel. You don’t want to use it every day, though, because you can build up a tolerance to it.
St. John’s Wort is useless. I tried taking it for a couple of months, and it did absolutely nothing for my (mostly pre-menstrual) depression.