A True Story by Edward
Kava Instead of Alcohol
The Kava
Library
My name is Edward Munroe and I am an alcoholic. That’s not strictly true actually, I used to be an alcoholic. Now plenty of people will tell you that once you have been an alcoholic you never lose it, you’re labelled for life. Well I don’t believe that.
Admitting the Problem
About three and a half years ago I read something on the internet about kava. I looked into it further and found a vendor based in Hawaii (not GHK) who would ship to the UK so I bought a bag. It came and I put it in a cupboard. I forgot all about it and ended up throwing it away. I was scared of something but I didn’t know what, I didn’t know how it would make me feel, if it would make me ill. At that time I was drinking heavily every day. I would need three to four beers just to feel normal and a weekend evening could run into several beers mixed with spirits as well. It got to the point that I actually got nervous before going on a vacation because I knew how much I would drink and didn’t know what bad things might happen. I was more or less powerless to stop it. I could have a day off if I really, really tried but I got really cranky without a drink, couldn’t sleep, etc. So this carried on for a while and I came across something else about kava and I had reached the point where I really wanted to try kava again. I was really struggling to imagine my life without alcohol to the point where I wasn’t even sure whether I wanted to carry on living if I couldn’t drink.
Taking the Plunge
So I ordered some kava from the same vendor as before and came across the Kava Forums and found a few other vendors on there. After asking many questions on the forums, I finally took the plunge and drank my first kava. I can’t remember the first time too clearly. I don’t think I felt much. The taste was pretty bitter but I persevered and I think the second time I drank it I was just blown away. I hadn’t got the prep method sorted completely so I was blending and then putting it through a large kitchen sieve. This took a while but also let a lot of sediment through so although I remember getting some amazing effects. Because of poor filtering, I also got some pretty bad nausea too. Once I honed my preparation process and started drinking regularly, I found that I needed alcohol a lot less. On occasion, I would still drink and I still felt a strong urge to drink. However, after several long periods of only drinking kava, I got to the point where I could take or leave alcohol which gets me to the place I am now.
Happy Ending
Two and a half years down the line, I still drink alcohol occasionally, usually when food with other people is a priority, weekends and the like. I find no problem switching between one and the other (on separate days) and I find when I drink I actually enjoy it a lot more because I can actually taste what I am drinking. When you drink every day you lose a lot of the taste, it all just starts tasting the same. I know for a fact that if I wanted a break from drinking I could just start drinking kava. I am a lot less worried about my drinking now and I know that kava has probably saved my life in the long term because you can’t keep drinking alcohol in the quantities I was drinking and not get some lasting effects sooner or later. Living in the UK there is a small problem with kava being regulated. It is treated as a food but banned from being imported so any kava that I buy has to come in from abroad. I have never had a parcel of kava stopped on the way into the country. Possibly at the moment it is coming in under the radar so to speak. Either way I’m not worried as long as I can get my kava. In the long run the kava drinkers of the UK are going to have to get together and speak out about this ridiculous situation. For the meantime though, I’m happy chugging my shells and talking about kava on the forums.
Comment from the Editor
Edwards story is not unique and it is the same story as mine. From the age of 18, I drank too much. As an adult, “Happy Hour” became a daily custom. As you get older, the effects wear on you. I found kava and now I enjoy blissful sleep, excellent health, and I bounce out of bed at 5am in the morning feeling great and full of energy. Like Edward, a nice glass of red wine with a steak is a treat and I do have 1 or 2 alcohol days during the week where I can imbide. Know this, once you get into kava, you will become more sensitive to alcohol. So 2.5 drinks (yeah, I measured it) is about right for me. Funny thing ... after my alcohol day ... I can’t wait for the next day so I can get back on the kava.
Please forward your comments or questions to info@kavalibrary.com and reference the article by Edward.
