Learn About Ibogaine Treatment in Mexico
Learn what to look for when going for ibogaine treatment in Mexico, and make sure the center is experienced and trusted as an ibogaine rehab center. Addiction takes over people’s lives, making them prisoners of their drug of choice. Taking back the control drugs has over life isn’t easy, as we’ve seen with relapse rates of 40% to 60% after treatment at addiction rehab centers. The good news is there’s another option for people suffering from drug and/or alcohol addiction – ibogaine treatment a holistic approach for addiction recovery.
About Ibogaine – Power from a Plant
Ibogaine or iboga is a natural psychoactive substance that interrupts addiction. This substance is derived from many plant sources, specifically from the Apocynaceae family (iboga).
Iboga has been used for centuries in rituals and for healing in West Africa for hundreds of years. Watch the below video for an example of iboga being used in a Traditional Bwiti Ritual.
The healing properties of iboga have helped users calm the mind, body, and spirit. In addition to helping with addiction, it can have powerful effects on depression, anxiety, and even Parkinson’s disease. This is because low doses of ibogaine stimulate the body, which increases energy and decreases fatigue. Large doses cause users to enter a dream-like state while remaining awake or experience intense mental imagery with closed eyes. Some users are even able to uncover repressed memories due to the neurogenic effects of the substance.
Claudio Naranjo, a Chilean psychologist, was the first to explain the emotional side of the ibogaine experience. He reported that people were able to view difficult experiences in an objective way when using ibogaine, which facilitated the closure of emotional conflicts.
How Addiction Works
People become addicted to drugs and/or alcohol for many reasons:
- Escape from reality
- Physical dependence to avoid pain
- Prevent withdrawals from high doses of prescription painkillers
- Recreational use
When people use drugs, it affects the brain’s “reward circuit,” which causes a flood of euphoria because of a boost in dopamine. This euphoria (or boost of dopamine) is actually what starts the addiction because the brain craves the same experience. Signals from the brain’s “reward circuit” prompts a person to seek the substance that initially led to that response, and uses again. The cycle continues until it is broken.
If the cycle is not broken, the body and brain become accustomed to the drug that elicits the original response (dopamine increase). This is when it begins to not produce the same effects as it did the first time the drug was used, so the person must increase the amount to achieve the original effects. This is called tolerance, and as the person increases the dose or the amount of alcohol consumed, the more they will need in time to keep their body and brain satisfied.
When a person fights back against the cravings, the body and brain punish the person by causing withdrawal symptoms. This can make the person feel very sick, as the body starts to process not having the drug in its system anymore. If the person suffering from addiction doesn’t introduce the drug again, the body will move past the withdrawals and begin functioning normally without the drug.
The physiological responses to decreasing or eliminating a drug and/or alcohol in the body aren’t the only effects, there are mental and emotional ones as well. An addict learns to live life using and/or drinking, and taking that part of their life away can be frightening. Drugs and/or alcohol are a coping mechanism in life, and not having them means having to find new ways to cope with life’s challenges.
Why Traditional Addiction Treatment Doesn’t Work
Traditional addiction treatment doesn’t work because people are not solving the root of the problem; The physiological, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of the person who is addicted. When any of these parts are ignored, they are left to fester and grow into urges to use again. This is one of the reasons relapse is so common despite completed addiction recovery programs.
In addition to not solving the root of the problem that may have led to the addiction, there are chemical responses from using drugs for a long time that can affect recovery. People must still endure the body wanting to experience the dopamine boost. They also have to learn how to live a life without drugs while physiologically craving their drug of choice. Those two obstacles are also what cause people to relapse shortly after they leave traditional addiction treatment.
How Ibogaine Works
Ibogaine is a basic chemical known as indole alkaloid. Carbon rings make up the chemical structure, which gives it unique properties. For instance, one carbon ring’s structure mimics the effects of serotonin, which is a naturally occurring substance in the brain regulating mood and energy. Some people suffer from chemical imbalances in the brain, especially with serotonin and dopamine, which is what can cause them mental and emotional difficulties throughout their life.
Since ibogaine affects the “feel good” chemicals of the brain, users end up experiencing intense highs and relief. As that happens, the properties of the substance attach to dopamine receptors to produce long-lasting effects on how the brain responds to drugs and/or alcohol by blocking transporter molecules that can lead to the positive experienced during drug/alcohol use.
In simpler terms, ibogaine keeps people from feeling the negative effects of the withdrawal process. It also clears out the drug and/or alcohol out of the body, so it can quickly start functioning without dependency on those chemicals. Finally, it cleans out the mental, emotional and spirit of people, so when they walk away from the experience, they aren’t carrying negativity along with them that could potentially make them want to use drugs and/or alcohol to cope.
How the Body Responds to Ibogaine
The body responds to ibogaine in a variety of ways:
- Ataxia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Light Sensitivity
- Sound Sensitivity
- Tremors
- Cardiac Effects
Ibogaine’s side effects are temporary and the intensity of them varies depending on the amount of work the substance must do to rid the mind, body, and soul of negativity.
Eliminating Withdrawal to Begin a Successful Recovery
A single dose of ibogaine can eliminate withdrawal symptoms when ending a drug’s use. Heroin, cocaine, and opioid users have reported they tried to quit their addiction before ibogaine, but the withdrawals were so bad they didn’t have a choice but to return to their drug of choice for relief. This is not experienced with ibogaine.
When ibogaine enters the body and brain, it halts pain sensors, so the user does not feel anything for as long as the drug is in the body. The effects of ibogaine can be long-lasting, which then helps users curb drug and/or alcohol cravings following treatment, as reported in this study.
The elimination of withdrawal symptoms is highly motivating for people who have tried to quit their addiction in the past. One of the many reasons people continue their addiction is to avoid withdrawal symptoms, especially those who are using drugs and/or alcohol just to maintain rather than to feel high.
Curbing Cravings for Continued Success
It’s the cravings that can send people who suffer from addiction back to their drug of choice. If it weren’t for those internal cravings (the brain seeking a dopamine rush), most people would be able to be successful with recovery. That’s what traditional addiction treatment lacks, but not with ibogaine treatment.
Ibogaine resets the body to its natural state, so the brain doesn’t seek dopamine after treatment. It’s as if dopamine was never increased externally before. In other words, the brain doesn’t seek what it doesn’t know, and ibogaine makes it forget the effects drugs had on it.
Ibogaine also opens people up to a whole new perspective about addiction, life, and even the afterlife. Many people walk away from the ibogaine experience more connected to their spirituality, which helps them understand that drugs were never something they needed to live life. They were what was keeping them from living life. This can be what keeps them from mentally or emotionally crave their drug of choice.
Ibogaine Cleanses the Mind, Body, and Soul
When people enter a hallucinogenic state, the body goes through deep cleansing. Physiologically, the body is releasing its dependency on chemicals they were using. The body processes out the chemicals, and start to function naturally, as it should always function. During this process, ibogaine also repairs damage long-term drug and alcohol use has caused in the body. This repair will help the body enter a natural state of functioning faster and remain there for as long as there isn’t a chemical introduced again.
The hallucinogenic state is the cleansing of the mind. During this time, people may see many images that may be from the past or present. By looking at the images in an altered state, many people wake up from their ibogaine experience with a different perspective. Situations may not seem as challenging as they once did before, or people may not see those situations as depressing. This motivates them to make changes that can significantly improve their quality of life without the use of drugs and/or alcohol.
Soul cleansing is another important part of the ibogaine experience. The soul is a deep, often uncared for part of the mind and body that many people don’t understand. It’s where a person’s true self lives. Ibogaine opens the soul, so people can look within themselves to see, feel, and care for it as they should have in the past. The soul is what carries them from the ibogaine experience with a renewed sense of self and perspective for better easier life without addiction.
Who Can Receive Ibogaine Treatment
Everyone can receive ibogaine, as long as they are medically clear from having any conditions that could pose a risk. This is why it’s important the ibogaine treatment center you choose is a reputable one that performs thorough medical examinations before starting the treatment. While ibogaine is safe to use, being aware of medical conditions can help ensure the experience goes smoothly and positively for everyone.
Most people who seek ibogaine do it because they are seeking a cure for something they are dealing with in life, such as addiction and depression, but it’s not just for curing ailments. It can be used to improve the quality of life. Since ibogaine has such powerful effects on the body, mind, and soul, it’s a great way to awaken the inner self to truly experience everything life has to offer.
Where to Seek Ibogaine Treatment for Addiction Recovery
Ibogaine is illegal in the United States. While researchers were trying to show its effectiveness in treating addiction to be able to open it up to Americans, they faced obstacles along the way from those who believe the substance is a health risk. This belief is not scientifically proven, and millions of people have used it successfully to cure their addictions, mental health disorders, and even medical conditions.
Fortunately, Ibogaine in Mexico is widely used and encouraged, even for people who are not suffering from an addiction. Since the substance is administered by professionals, Americans often visit Mexico for Ibogaine clinics like Holistic Sanctuary.
Why Ibogaine Treatment in Mexico Is Best
When patients decide to have ibogaine treatment, Mexico is the best place to do because it offers the accommodations necessary to have a safe and healthy experience. Ibogaine treatment centers in Mexico have teams of physicians, nurses, and aides that know how to administer, counsel, and support patients who are starting their path of recovery from addiction. It is the gold standard in ibogaine treatment.