We recently connected with @kymariina who was gracious enough share her story and in-depth knowledge on responsible raving - Enjoy!
Hey all!
My name is Kylie, and I’ve been in the rave scene since about 2009. Throughout my years of raving, I’ve gained a ton of knowledge on health/mental health and how to take care of yourself.
I had a bad occurrence happen a couple of years ago from a substance I took that wasn’t tested and this experience basically changed my life. (ALWAYS TEST YOU STUFF! There are testing kits you can purchase on dancesafe.org and the shipping is discrete).
What started out as a terrible experience was the catalyst for a lot of the change and good that I decided to input into my life. I became very well aware of mental health and the importance of having a balance when it comes to taking care of yourself and also having fun. For those that are frequent users of MDMA, I highly suggest you put a limit on what events/days you take it. I was recently told by a therapist that MDMA can actually permanently burn out serotonin receptors if taken way too much. The good thing is though, that this can be prevented if we use drugs in moderation.
You don’t have to roll at every show, you know? Enjoy the music for what it is!
A product I was introduced to and recommend is called Raverall (make sure you follow directions on how to use it properly. Never take 5-htp the day of a rave because you can create an imbalance and one of the bad effects is serotonin syndrome, which can be fatal). You can purchase it on amazon. Basically, it helps to boost your adrenals and serotonin a few days before you rave.
So, what are your adrenals? Your adrenal glands are the glands located above your kidneys, and these basically are the glands that regulate almost every single other function in the body. When they aren’t working properly, you won’t rest easy, you get wired-but-tired feelings, can’t sleep throughout the night, etc.
Stress can induce adrenal fatigue, and using substances like MDMA, along with the added stress of every day life, can burn out your adrenals. So, if they aren’t working properly, you can imagine the boatload of other issues that it can bring on- depression, anxiety, and worse. And if you aren’t taking care of them and are also using substances frequently, can you imagine the damage it’s doing to your brain and body? 👀
It is said that each of us technically has three brains: our hearts, our stomachs, and of course our actual brains. I call the stomach the second brain because it actually produces most of your serotonin! It’s important to take care of your stomach. A few tips I can suggest are to drink Kombucha. Probiotics are in Kombucha and they are essential for maintaining a healthy balance in your stomach for good and bad bacteria. Kombucha also helps produce serotonin, and I’ve found it to be a pretty nice substitute for days in which I want to drink something alcoholic, but decide to make a healthier choice instead. Also, another herb that is incredibly good for you, helps you sleep better, and helps build up your adrenals is Ashwagandha.
It is estimated that 80-85% of people who suffer from depression actually just have flattened adrenals! There are tons of articles online that can help you further your knowledge on what Ashwagandha and Adrenal Fatigue are and how they work and what can help you etc. Another side note on stomach health is yeast overgrowth, which can lead to not producing enough serotonin. The product I suggest for this is Candex.
As I stated before, a life of moderation is key. Your body wants to do good for you, so it’s important to also do good for it. It’s okay to be sober at an event, or to not go balls-to-the-wall. Always look out for yourself and for others. Remember the foundation of raving and the importance of what it means to truly stand for Peace Love Unity and Respect for others AND for ourselves. We gotta keep it alive. And keep ourselves healthy.
I hope this helps someone. Thanks guys!
If you want to join my Facebook group, it’s: A Health Education Movement.
Cheers,
@kymariina
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