How Ibogaine Treatment Is Helping People Permanently Conquer Their Addictions
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From countless petty crimes, to family breakdown, bankruptcy, and a host of other problems, substance abuse exacts a terrible toll on society. Yet the majority of people are unaware of a therapy that has actually cured many different kinds of addicts. Ibogaine treatment has enabled many substance abusers to achieve rapid and dramatic improvements in their condition. It's no wonder that it's seen as an out and out miracle cure by many of them.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive substance derived from the root of the Iboga shrub from west Africa. It is regarded as a sacred plant by tribespeople in Gabon and is used in religious rituals. It is often ingested in large quantities for these purposes with the intention of creating intense visionary experiences. The root is also chewed for its stimulant effects.
The plant first began to become known in the West during the 1960's when the counter-culture movement was in full swing (although it had been researched before then). It has recently become known as an underground cure for heroin and other addictions. Addicts often report being able to jettison their condition with amazing speed.
Addicts find that having taken the plant extract, their cravings for addictive substances drop off suddenly to almost nothing. They also find that they experience very little in the way of side-effects. The tremors, aching, vomiting and other distressing detox symptoms they would normally suffer are markedly lacking.
This reduction in cravings is thought to be due to the plant's effects on certain receptor cells in the brain. When the plant is ingested, it is metabolized by the body into a substance called noribogaine. This appears to act by blocking these receptors and thus the addict's craving. Noribogaine has a very long half-life and seems to account for cravings remaining diminished for weeks after ingestion.
Quite apart from being an unwanted side-effect, the plant's hallucinogenic effects are in fact key to its healing properties. These typically last for around 5 hours and can be a transformative, if challenging, experience. Users report undergoing an intense 'trip' that can become a massive catalyst for their healing. It has been likened by some to a near-death experience where one is able to review one's life and process negative experiences and draw valuable insight from them.
Users report long-forgotten memories coming into their consciousness, and that they take an instructive form. They are able to derive lessons from these visions and come to terms with the causes that underpin their addiction. Many report a sense of clarity about the negative feelings and thought patterns that have caused them to become addicts in the first place. They are able to see them objectively and achieve a sense of resolution.
Dr Deborah Mash of Miami university is perhaps the best known researcher into ibogaine treatment. She has been studying it since the 1990's and has conducted trials with over 200 addicts. Although the results have been extraordinary, she and her team have been unable to secure funding from mainstream sources. She has however secured private funding and has established a center on the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive substance derived from the root of the Iboga shrub from west Africa. It is regarded as a sacred plant by tribespeople in Gabon and is used in religious rituals. It is often ingested in large quantities for these purposes with the intention of creating intense visionary experiences. The root is also chewed for its stimulant effects.
The plant first began to become known in the West during the 1960's when the counter-culture movement was in full swing (although it had been researched before then). It has recently become known as an underground cure for heroin and other addictions. Addicts often report being able to jettison their condition with amazing speed.
Addicts find that having taken the plant extract, their cravings for addictive substances drop off suddenly to almost nothing. They also find that they experience very little in the way of side-effects. The tremors, aching, vomiting and other distressing detox symptoms they would normally suffer are markedly lacking.
This reduction in cravings is thought to be due to the plant's effects on certain receptor cells in the brain. When the plant is ingested, it is metabolized by the body into a substance called noribogaine. This appears to act by blocking these receptors and thus the addict's craving. Noribogaine has a very long half-life and seems to account for cravings remaining diminished for weeks after ingestion.
Quite apart from being an unwanted side-effect, the plant's hallucinogenic effects are in fact key to its healing properties. These typically last for around 5 hours and can be a transformative, if challenging, experience. Users report undergoing an intense 'trip' that can become a massive catalyst for their healing. It has been likened by some to a near-death experience where one is able to review one's life and process negative experiences and draw valuable insight from them.
Users report long-forgotten memories coming into their consciousness, and that they take an instructive form. They are able to derive lessons from these visions and come to terms with the causes that underpin their addiction. Many report a sense of clarity about the negative feelings and thought patterns that have caused them to become addicts in the first place. They are able to see them objectively and achieve a sense of resolution.
Dr Deborah Mash of Miami university is perhaps the best known researcher into ibogaine treatment. She has been studying it since the 1990's and has conducted trials with over 200 addicts. Although the results have been extraordinary, she and her team have been unable to secure funding from mainstream sources. She has however secured private funding and has established a center on the island of St Kitts in the Caribbean.
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