Ibogaine Treatment: An Alternative Approach to Ending Addiction

Finding the right addiction treatment is vital when it comes to finding lasting freedom. And, just as different as each addiction is, approaches to treating addiction can differ greatly as well. Not every person addicted to drugs or alcohol is going to find the freedom they’re looking for in one specific treatment, which is why it’s imperative that they know all options available.

One such option that many people aren’t aware of takes a completely different approach to the many traditional types of addiction treatments available…and this treatment is found in a plant native to Africa called ibogaine. Ibogaine is one of the most powerful psychedelic substances known and happens to be one of the most powerful addiction treatments that can be found. The potential of ibogaine to treat substance abuse is unprecedented and is something that should be considered by any addict looking for treatment that works.

Derived from Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub that grows in abundance in the Gabon and Congo regions of West Central Africa, ibogaine has been used for thousands of years. It is fundamental amongst the Bwiti tribe of Africa, where it is used as a powerful spiritual conduit that provides deep mental and emotional healing. Also used in rites of passage ceremonies, it is a plant that is sacred and held in extremely high regard.

A Powerful Drug Treatment

Ibogaine is also held sacred amongst those who have seen the power it contains to help people overcome even the strongest of addictions. Addictions, like those to heroin, that can be so difficult to quit that many end up overdosing multiple times, and each time could be the last. While ibogaine works particularly well for opiate addiction, it’s also shown to be extremely effective in treating addictions of all kinds.

The healing power ibogaine contains to treat addiction was discovered quite accidentally. In 1962, when 19 year-old heroin addict Howard Lostof was looking to explore new substances, a chemist friend pulled a small vial out of a drug-filled freezer and told him he thought he’d be interested in trying it. When Lostoff asked what it was, his friend informed him that it was an African hallucinogen that would last 36 hours.

Lostof agreed and proceeded to take the ibogaine. At the end of this two-day journey all Lostof could think was that he was extremely exhausted and would never do the drug again. He proceeded outside to take a walk when he realized that he wasn’t experiencing any narcotic withdrawal. Looking around him he then realized something profound. According to Lostof, “I looked at this large tree in front of me and I looked at the clouds in the sky and I realized for the first time in my life I wasn’t frightened and perceived that my whole life had been full of fear.”

Why Does Ibogaine Work?

How exactly though does a strong psychedelic help put an end to addiction? While some people would speculate that taking a “drug” to end a drug addiction is somewhat of a catch-22, psychedelics were widely used for their healing benefits for years before deemed illegal by the DEA. Ibogaine is no exception, and when used in conjunction with psychotherapy after treatment has ended, has shown to be unprecedented for helping addicts recover for good.

Ibogaine is usually administered when withdrawal symptoms are at their worst. From beginning to end, ibogaine most often lasts for 8-12 hours. It can prove to be one of the most visionary stimulating hallucinatory experiences one will ever experience.

From the first couple hours when ibogaine begins to connect to the brain to the final hours spent in quiet contemplation, ibogaine has shown to be a journey where the addicted mind, body, and spirit are set free. Studies on ibogaine that have been conducted show that drug and opiate cravings are eliminated during the ibogaine experience. This is a huge advantage for heroin users who face some of the worst withdrawals an addict will ever experience.

During ibogaine treatment, memories are uncovered and addicts are offered a way to better understand their addiction. Getting this far inside the subconscious mind and traveling through this psychedelic visual journey introduces the addict to a place they can truly begin to heal.

Those who have successfully completed ibogaine addiction treatment find that it opens the door out of the darkness and allows them to find clarity in a future that no longer looms in despair, but is rather lit bright with promise.