By Kyle Shigekuni | estimated read time - 28 min | Updated April 21st, 2023

Hello friend. 

If you're searching for this topic - we are cut from the same cloth. and I beg you to read on with an open mind and open heart.

You are most likely here because you yourself are in pain, or someone you love is in pain and you're looking for some straightforward solutions. If you're familiar with our team, you know we deeply value transparency and are the first people to steer you somewhere else if we believe our products aren't good for you. Kava works for most people, but not everybody, and if you're looking to use kava as a solution to this specific problem, please read this whole post.

My promise to you is I will be truthful and be upfront with you unlike many others I have seen. I've seen many posts about this subject, easily spreading clickbait lies to make a quick $$. So here we go...

Kava does NOT cure depression and should not be used as a single solution to depression

Kava may help temporarily and be used to ease pain during specific times of need or while you're weening to a different lifestyle. But it should not be seen as a "cure" or an ongoing daily treatment in anyway to this debilitating mental illness.

Anyone who is saying different is a liar and is manipulating you.

Now that is out of the way, let's get to the real stuff. I will warn you, this can get dark. But trust me on this, there is light at the end and it's worth it to learn the different aspects instead of skimming this page.

This blog post talks about serious issues that are real and dangerous. So let me state.. I AM NOT medically trained physician in this field and none of this should be substituted for medical advice

I'm actually a trained physicist/scientist with a deep fascination in neuroscience and psychology, but again, I'm not a professional or expert in either of these fields in anyway. Furthermore, I'm really writing this more for myself than anything else. It's a reminder to me and the rest of our team to: stand up for the good, to embrace discomfort, to push for the better and to voluntarily take on the responsibility to make this world a better place. If there's anything you get from this I hope you at least pull these words and cement them in your mind, "Take Action NOW".

So we're constantly flooded with emails throughout the week asking questions related to kava and depression. We then started on this post to talk about it, but it started getting very deep to the point it became uncomfortable to share. I personally hesistated for a few months to hit the publish button for a myriad of reasons I won't share here. But you know what?

FUCK IT.

Come join us and let's go down the rabbit hole together.

Let's be real and raw. There are times in every persons life where you see hell. It's a glimmer in the distance often assumed to be a mirage, but it's there. It could be the chaos of a terrible event that happened to you, the mayhem of a tragedy to someone you love. Maybe you've even traveled to outskirts of hell on your own volition and dangled your feet over the cliffs into darkness that lies within. Suffering is a part of life and internal suffering can turn into a bottomless pit of unworthiness which over time can suck your soul from reality. A specific type of internal suffering known as depression is really like a death from within. If you ever get there, you'll understand how people can do terrible things to themselves and even to others. You'll be able to see, hopefully as a bystander, the real confusing mess that mental health pains can create and hopefully you'll walk away unscathed with a much deeper understanding than reflexive surface layer empathy. A human's mind can fractionate realities and identities to see victimizing angles from any situation.

I'll even be bold enough to state that, hell is not a place you go after death if you've been a bad person, it exists here, right now, within you. It's gates are always open and the devil is waiting, tempting you, until you are willing to surrender your, at times, seemingly pathetic existence.

A lot of people are lucky to live their lives and only see the mirage glimmering in the distance, never having the time or misfortune to stumble down the deep black hole that exists in their own minds. Unfortunately I wasn't one of those people. I understand how people can lose themselves- not because I'm an expert (which I am NOT by any stretch of the imagination), but because I've held up those thorn-laden bino's to the abyss and I've dangled my feet over the edge - sometimes from misfortune but other times due to a deep genuine curiosity of it.

If this is you or someone you love, hopefully we can shed some light on the darkness. This is not the end of the story as life really is much more beautiful than you can imagine as long as you can pull meaning back into it. Most of what we talk about here are not my own discoveries (obviously) as I follow some of the greats, but I will do my best here to distill their tactics into mangaeable bites.

If you're wondering what the heck we're talking about then I beg you to kiss the ground and be grateful for the beauty that surrounds you in your life. It's cliche to say this but seriously, don't take it for granted. Know that someday, something will happen to you or someone you love and you'll have to deal with it. That's life whether it's happening right now or in the future, and hopefully you'll be a little more prepared from whatever it is that we're writing here now. It's a terrible thought but it's best to train for these situations so you don't go down the wrong road when it comes up, (and you'd be surprised how easy it is to go down the wrong road.)

Take what works with you but seriously consider everything you read here - even if you are not interested or it doesn't seem to fit "who you are". Especially when we talk about martial arts. We are all beautifully complex and constantly evolving human beings. You'll be surprised what you're truly capable of when you take that first step.

As you walk along this journey, you must be methological and tactical with your approach. Conserve your energy. This is not a single one and done battle. Grab your sword and shield my friend - you're headed to war.

If you see any links of references to products. We ARE NOT an affiliate site, We ARE NOT receiving commissions, Furthermore we are not (have not) received anything for free. These are things Me or the team personally use and purchased with our own money.

If you're reading this far it's highly unlikely you're a bad person with an abundance of malevolence in your heart. Which means you are a good person (mostly) and therefore it is my duty to remind you there is real evil out there. In this world real bad people exist, who take advantage of or knowingly hurt others to gain an advantage for themselves - YOU are not that. YOU... ARE THE DIVINE LIGHT. ☀️

I don't mean in a strange woo woo metaphysical manner (even though literally we are light due to the IR spectrum, Woot physics!).

The good of human beings is the light that holds this world together.

I firmly believe that. Because you are not the overarching darkness that can contaminate some societies, you have a responsibility, and a big one at that. Your responsibility and your moral duty is to bring YOUR OWN DIVINE LIGHT into this world. To stand in safety, in fear, in indecision, is to withold your light from shining upon all of us. It is a crime, a sin against humanity. Otherwise this world can become even darker than it is. We seriously need all the light we can get.

If you have any questions about this - please reach out to us

If you have something we should add or try - please reach out to us

If this helps you in any way - PLEASE reach out to us. For this one, I beg you. Please reach out and let's connect.

If you think I'm stupid - do me a favor. Write it out and record yourself reading your own words. Then LISTEN to it yourself. Then send your recording over to us. (Here's how to make a quick voice recording on your iphone)

"When we judge others we do not define them, we define ourselves."

Let's be controversial but do please hear me out.

I know we are not an exercise/medical health blog, we’re a kava company. Having said that, most blogs/sites I’ve read on this topic either don’t give any REAL information outside of whatever they copy and paste to get to the top of google's search so they can earn rank score. These are filled with the simple mined data every generic doctors office database has, or the blogs are living for the sole purpose of increasing their SEO for their Affiliate links where they earn commission. They're businesses so don't forget that.

Now I respect the hustle - but in full honesty, for this topic it pisses me the f*ck off. I am fed up with these click-baity articles giving terrible advice and not pointing out real-world applications to a human being who is actually looking for answers. We have heard time and time again from our customers about the ridiculous things they've tried or bought thanks to some stupid SEO blog. When you're in that hell, you don't know what you don't know, and these people see you as a golden ticket to money. These stupid generic advice posts to "challenge thoughts" is NOT helpful to people who actually need help in desperate times and are open to real solutions. I've read a grip of these assortments of mindless data while trying to help friends and family. I sincerely doubt any of the writers of those articles have ever experienced a depressive episode or actually looked for help.

Hopefully what you find here will be different. Hopefully what you read here you will take action on and GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.

According to recent statistics they believe about 4% of the adult population in the world suffers from depression (3). It's classified as a mental illness that brings a negative impact to how we act, think and feel. If you've never experienced it, then depression is probably very different than what you could imagine it being.

For example, losing someone close to you is terrible and can be hard to endure. But depression goes down a different channel than sadness. Personally, I believe grief and sadness are beautiful emotions that in a sense, justify the beauty of life itself. The feeling of loss from someone or something close to you reminds you how fragile things are, how fragile you are, and how your time should be focused on what is really important, which is the people around you. The very essence of the preciousnessness in any relationship is inextricably linked with the fragility that it could be ended at any second. Beauty and tragedy cannot live without each other. There is love in sadness - in the longing of what could've been and what can no longer be. There is beauty on reminicing on memories of cherished moments, which originally hang as painful reminders that they are just that, memories. Never to be repeated again. It's the dichotomy of truly living isnt it?

With depression, it's similar to grief and sadness in that it's a negative emotion, but that similarity is really the only thing they have in common. Depression is a step in the same general direction but seemingly down a much worse path. Most people report feelings of extreme worthlessness, loneliness, and commonly associated is a loss of appetite for the things they used to love and enjoy. When episodes occur it can make everyday experiences seem like massive mountains to climb. The simple essentials like taking showers, getting dressed or feeding yourself might as well be equivalent to running a marathon. One can dread the simple action of getting up to get a glass of water, with that absurd monkey brain trying to convince themselves they don't deserve the water. It sounds completely absurd right? But in that moment to this person, it is REAL.

In my opinion, most of what we feel is chemical and we should not give too much credit to the outside world for our emotions. That's not to say physical or tragic events don't play a role in triggering terrible episodes as they absolutely do. This is especially true if there is a coping cycle that has been embedded from constant management in the wrong types of ways. But regardless if it's endogenous or exogenous, our chemical makeup and neurotransmitter health has a massive impact on the effects of mental illnesses and more importantly, the way we perceive how our life is going. Again my opinion, but I think it's because we think too much that we're special. The old catholic beliefs that we are the center of the universe, and each of us personally are the center of our own universes inflate our ego and . I can go on into this, but the idea is that we're much more tribal or animalistic in nature than we give ourselves credit for, and we often make decisions based off of underlying chemical needs not really rational thought. A way to be mindful of this is to begin questioning if this is really you going down this route, or is it something chemical you're unbalanced in.

In my opinion, keeping in mind this balance is the best way to attack the problems of mental illness. Although the struggle with depression may seem like an endless battle, it can get significantly better with the right tools. Getting help is never easy for individuals who suffer from depression because they usually don't want to be a burdeon to the world and would rather keep the pain to themselves. But one of the most crucial steps in treating depression is being okay with receiving the right help.

If you are experiencing something like this, we urge you to reach out to the SAMSA helplines while exploring other options (like the ones below)

Remember the approach you take to combat this terror should be multi-variate, one main point being the awareness of your baseline neural chemistry at all times.

These are some major symptoms I've personally seen that are markers letting me know the mind is going down the wrong path. Often just the awareness of these flags can be enough to snap someone out of falling deeper into the whole.

• Slowness of breath could be stopped with standing up and doing 10-25 air squats.
• Inability to make decisions could be stopping by CHOOSING to make a simple decision with the information you already have, then moving forward. Or make decisions with smaller things to build up the decision muscle. Example: I am deciding to goto the bathroom, I am deciding to take a walk around the block.

These are some quick actions you can take for the symptoms above, but these are temporary and for a longer term solution an integration to keep these episodes from happening again should be considered. (Although you should definitely keep a list of these at hand, see our QRF later in this chapter)

"Trust in God, but tie up your camels"

Antidepressants in combination with psychotherapy is said to be the first treatment people with depression get. Antidepressants may help improve the symptoms within one to two weeks, but the full benefits may not show for two to three months. If there’s no improvement from taking the medicine the psychiatrist can either change the dosage or change the antidepressant. But what are antidepressants?

In terms of neuroscience I'm sure you're familiar with the common neurotransmitters,

• Dopamine
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin
• Ephedrine

Also known as D.O.S.E.

We'll focus mainly on dopamine and serotonin, but the rest are also important. Dopamine and Serotonin are two neurotransmitters that are involved in regulating mood, motivation, and reward processing.

Dopamine is the reward chemical, and is often referred to as the "feel-good" neurotransmitter because it is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When we engage in physical activity, dopamine levels in the brain increase, leading to a sense of euphoria and a boost in mood. This is why exercise is often recommended as a natural way to combat depression and anxiety.

Serotonin is another neurotransmitter that is involved in regulating mood, appetite, and sleep. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression and anxiety. Exercise has been shown to increase serotonin levels in the brain, which can lead to a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In addition to increasing dopamine and serotonin levels, exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins, which are natural painkillers that promote feelings of well-being and happiness. We'll go more into this later but these levels are crucial when thinking about action and especially when doing hard things

Most of us do not have a positive past with pharmaceutical drugs, so I'll always ebb toward not using them. However, if in dire straights it should always be considered while you explore other options.

The real danger in pharmaceutical treatments is dependency it can create over time, as it can be an easier route from you actually putting in the work to fight the pain yourself and overcome it. If you do decide to go down this route make sure to setup specific markers during the following weeks, months, and maybe years, to re-evaluate if this is still the procedure you want to continue doing. Like a doctors checkup, you should setup checkin times with yourself to journal how you feel, what you think you need, and if this is still helping.

But pills are easy! For example, exercise is known to help with depression (more on that later). Running 5 miles at a 7 minute mile pace is hard if you don't run. It's really really hard. Taking a pill to modulate your dopamine or serotonin levels is a way easier route but the easy way out can often condition yourself to be even more prone to the underworld. Plus big pharma doesn't really know as much as we think they do, or maybe they do...

There's some preliminary evidence showing how exogenous neurotransmitters (or prescription chemicals that can affect them) being applied over long periods of time can reduce the natural states of these neurotransmitters. In other words, your body adapts to the pill that is hijacking your central nervous system, and is creating an artificial chemical dependency to baseline your health. Sooner or later you'll need the pill just to feel normal (similar to alcoholism). And because of these chemical adaptations your body undertakes, there is a long withdrawal period of about 3-6 months that you will need to struggle through if you ever want to get off of them. Most people are comfortable taking pills for the rest of their life (and big pharma really hopes it stays that way). But I don't think this is the right answer. I believe strongly in the body's natural need for balance and its ability to heal itself with just a little intervention.

Although we are all different, we do run off similar hardware and the individual should be extremely mindful about the awareness of these medications being a permanent crutch.

Typically anti-depressant drugs focus on Serotonin but may at times be dopaminergic as well. These serotonin based drugs are known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's). Examples are Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, etc. Serotonin is known as the "happy" neurotransmitter so it makes sense the pharma drug is basing off of this.

SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) work by increasing the amount of serotonin available in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood, emotions, and behavior. In people with depression or anxiety, there may be a deficiency in serotonin levels, which can contribute to their symptoms.

SSRIs work by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin into the cells that release it, thus allowing more serotonin to remain in the space between neurons. This increased amount of serotonin can help improve mood, reduce anxiety, and promote feelings of well-being.

It can take several weeks of regular use for SSRIs to start having a noticeable effect, and the dose may need to be adjusted by a healthcare professional to ensure optimal benefits. Some common side effects of SSRIs include nausea, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping, but these typically resolve on their own over time.

These usually work by selectively blocking the re-absorption of serotonin once it is used, thereby letting it continue to have an effect on your mood for a longer period of time. If the SSRI was not there, the serotonin can be absorbed too quickly and your mood can shift immediately to a lower emotional state on the totem pole.

Lastly, most (if not all) prescription drugs have side effects as well as possible negative interactions with other drugs. Those are the crazy list of negative side effects you hear at the end of the pharma drug commercial when the dog and family are all smiling and laughing together.

Some more quick blabberings about the life balance and how we can re-orient things to possibly help further episodes.

You obviously, are not just you. You're made up of billions of micro-organisms that just so happened to work together in a harmonious cycle of balance to create a human being. The recent discoveries in the past few years in gut-microbiome biology all point to this delicate balance of our actions and the need for us to be mindful of it. Too much of anything can be a recipe for distaster.

Regardless of whatever your faith is, be it Christianity, Buddhism, Catholism, Muslim, etc, Imagine for one moment, you are a hunter gatherer living off the land. You are constantly moving, hunting down prey, foraging for berries, protecting your loved ones, learning the ways of community and selflessness.

You understand every animal's meaning for existence. You are connected to Mother Earth and in balance with the circle of life.

But what else is in balance here?

• Physical Activity - Your body is constantly moving and being stressed. You are exerting necessary energy to capture prey or forage for berries.
• Diet - You're constantly fluctuating, eating lean fibrous things and then large amounts of protein. You didn't have pineapples and fruit juice being flown in on a 747 from a tropical island. You also starved (fasted) for days when food waas scarce.
• Social Life - you're in constant contact physically and socially with others as a means to survive. You depend on one another to hunt, share, and protect each other.
• Spiritually - You see yourself living with the flow of Mother Earth's cycle of life and death.

How is this different from what we currently are doing with our lives. Well, it seems a large majority of our physical and mental ailments is based off how far removed we are from the main circuitry that has been engrained into our DNA. (Keeping in mind as well, the fact that human beings live much longer now than our ancestors. We'll focus on the main points found at younger ages.)

Here's an unpopular opinion. Smoking is not inherently bad in itself. Too much smoking for years is very bad. Candy isn't inherently bad, too much candy in a sedentary lifestyle is very bad. (Candy is actually great for mid-day boosts on a nasty elevation hike. Even me, the keto obssessed guy, started packing haribo gummies for backpacking terrain). Everything can be enjoyed as long as there is balance and not overindulgence. Even the bible references the need to constantly be in communion with the divine individual (Christ), to follow his ways and to not worship other idols. This communion can be the path to righteousness through constnatly becoming a better person, and these false idols can be even inanimate: sugar, drugs, alcohol, sex, social media, television. They're all dopaminergic and can all pull us into unconscious semi-religious rituals.

Now, onto the actions!

Flexibility. Since we do not have to hunt down prey or forage for food, our bodies are locking up more. We're sitting at desks, sitting on couches, sitting in cars and not surprisingly getting back pains from tight hamstrings, weak leg muscles, loss of range of motion. Most American's can't squat down and have their butts touch the back of their heels. This is due to many things as stated above but also the implementation of the porcelain throne (toilet). Previously we used to squat to goto the bathroom and this should not be forgotten. Limiting movement creates restriction of movement. What was previously a mandatory part of life for a hunter/gatherer, is now never experienced.

Exercise has been shown to have a significant impact on dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain., but you can't really exercise unless you make sure you're still flexible. Don't injure yourself and make sure to setup stretching routines, specifically after your exercise or on off days (not before). If you stretch your muscles to their taught positions it's like a rubber band and will not be able to hold a stronger impulse. Ie, you can snap it.

QRF Examples:

• 10-25 air squats with 3 minute rests. Repeat 3 times. here's a video reference
• Implement evening stretching routine. 
• Walk around neighborhood with backpack full of heavy books or weights if you have them. If you're looking to buy stuff I like the goruck packs.
• Do 25 pushups after lunch to keep the blood flowing
• Opt for a date night at the rock climbing gym rather than takeout and netflix
•  
• If you're looking for a full routine I'm a big fan of this guy

Diet is also important in depression therapy and should not be overlooked. Specific nutrients that are important for managing depression include omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamin D, and magnesium. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, nuts, and seeds, are essential for brain function and can help reduce inflammation in the brain, which has been linked to depression. B vitamins, found in whole grains, leafy greens, and fortified cereals, play a role in neurotransmitter function and can help regulate mood. Vitamin D, found in fatty fish and fortified dairy products, is important for regulating mood and can help alleviate symptoms of depression. Magnesium, found in dark chocolate, nuts, and legumes, is essential for nerve and brain function and can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

In addition to these specific nutrients, it's important to maintain a balanced intake of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. These minerals play a crucial role in nerve and muscle function, and imbalances can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and mood swings. I personally think the electrolytes is a much more important factors than most other macronutrients and have seen best results with the active actions of keeping these in check.

I experimented with a few different styles of diets ranging from vegan to paleo or hflc, to more intensive elimination diets like carnivore and even lions (red meat carnivore only) for months at a time. Obviously standard american diet is the worst for mental health, but I had some very weird results. This is against popular opinion, but, Full on red-meat carnivore with himalayan salt by far gave me the best results both physically and mentally. My mood completely baselined and I felt very positive. I couldn't get mad. I don't recommend it and do not follow this diet anymore but I do recommend to at minimum look into it. It's easier to do than you may think. Mcdonalds 1/4 hamburger patties are $1.25 near me and possibly cheaper near you.

QRF Examples:

• Keep some unflavored Pedialyte bottles ready to restore eletrolytes. (PLEASE DO THIS)
• Have honey sticks and some clif bars around to help regulate blood sugar
• Goto the asian market (Korean and Japanese have these) and get a fried mackeral. They're great and provide a ton of good nutrients
• Dehydrate your own beef jerky. Just Himalayan salt on thinly sliced round is a great jerky. Electrolytes and protein instantly and shelf stable. Just make sure to cut with the grain!
• Trail mix from trader joes and scoop some to snack on during the day.
• Recommend to look into lions diet.

Before we go, I have one task for you. Get a piece of paper and write down at least 4 things you can think of from this list or in your head for a preliminary QRF. Keep the list handy when times get tough so you remember the actions you promised you would take to fight this demon. Head to the grocery store and buy some things necessary for you to accomplish these things. Like a water bottle with a measurements on it (Nalgene's are great!), Pedialyte.

Now in conclusion, depression may seem like it’ll last a lifetime but it wont. There are many ways to cope with depression . Our mental health plays a vital role in our lives and is a multivariate system that you can approach from all sorts of angles. Depression is real. It can happen to anyone. Depression can be a very painful experience but please keep in mind that the suffering you are feeling now, will not last. You are not alone in your battle. If you start to feel like you are about to be dragged down, please don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

One of my favorite Jiu Jitsu instructors always ends class with a saying, that stuck with me during an especially hard time. I'll leave it here in hopes it will be a quick reminder on a rainy day

"Always remember, you're loved, you're worthy, and you matter"

Thank you for listening to me ramble and thank you for actively deciding to live another day. Remember, you're not alone my friend. Fight the fuck on.