Nature's Cure: Know Thyself?

On November 6, 2008 a citizen journalist, Sheryl Walters, posted an observant and passionate article about how iboga, the west African shrub whose root contains the indole alkaloid ibogaine hydrochloride, is a holistic, all-natural treatment for drug addiction. She uses the word cure, but I would not make that claim based on my own personal knowledge of addicts who relapse and need further treatment. It is uncanny, however, how a single dose of ibogaine in a pill form can interrupt the cravings for drugs for a period from a few days to a few years, with most relapsing in a few months (3-6, on average).

Howard Lotsof, social workers Rommell Washington and Barbara Judd, and Ken Alper, MD, have observed that relapse is dependent on whether the addict returns to their former addict environment or moves away to start anew.

As Ms. Walters writes:
"Ibogaine is a psychedelic, dream creating drug. The person taking Ibogaine lies down and experiences incredible visions that are relevant to their life. It seems to go straight into the unconscious mind, bringing incredible insights into one’s nature. Every person’s experience is totally different. For some it is as if they are watching a movie of their life, for others it is as if they are being reorganized like a filing cabinet, and for others, the visions may have no recognisable meaning at the time it is being taken."

In discussing the psychotherapeutic aspects of the ibogaine experience, she notes:
"In fact, Ibogaine is not only being used for drug addicts, but also for people who want to sort out a whole range of issues that burden them."

And so I hear, many non-addicts are undergoing ibogaine treatment to help them understand themselves, their own personalities, and to unravel the roots of their present day behaviors.

I'd read quite a few posts from these people, non-addicts on a journey of self awareness. As Ms. Judd wryly observed in the ENDABUSE REPORT VIDEO posted on this blog, years of psychotherapy can occur internally within a couple of days. If you were self aware and wanted to figure out why you are so unhappy, neurotic, with tendencies for anti-social or self-inflicted wounds, I would think that ibogaine may be an efficacious and expedient way to cut through all the bull crap and get yourself right down to the core of your being and the root of your problems in a calm, unemotional, detached re-experiencing of key psyche forming events from your past.

It's not a cheap, easy ride. It can cost from $2K to $20K depending on who, what, where, and when. It isn't covered by Medicare or American health insurance companies. It's a ticket to adventure, external and internal, with the possibility of powerful catharsis and personal epiphany. But don't jump into it. There are risks. And rewards. Be sure to do your homework, dot your "i's" and cross your T's. Take all the required medical tests and make sure you're healthy enough for the ordeal. Get healthy, exercise, eat properly, and be well rested, well read, informed, and hip.

It's worth the trip.

For all of you who wish to indulge in Ms. Walters' excellent article, click here.

Ibogaine Message Board Chatter

From the forum on Opiophile.org are 2-1/2 pages of threads titled "Ibogaine Treatment?" It's an intense ongoing conversation about the facts and myths surrounding this controversial and still little understood addiction treatment modality.

What struck me about the posts is both the fear/misinformation and near evangelistic fervor of opponents and proponents, with comments like:

I'm actually looking forward to spring, albeit still just a tad bit apprehensive

But i have spoken to a very nice fellow here, who went through it with the same doctor that's gonna treat me, and after about 15 years of heroin+methadne use, this guy has been clean for almost a year now since the treatment. Also looks a good few years younger than he did (judging by his pics) before the treatment.
Anyway, that meeting with the aforementioned bloke only reinforced my determination to go through with it.

Versus skepticism like this:

If it's too good to sound true, it usually is. We all wish Underride luck, and can't wait to hear how it goes for him, but the fact remains, that Ibogaine is completely unproven, has no scientific data behind it, and the method and mechanism behind it, why it would help, is completely unexplained. I feel better about him doing it, if there's a licenced doctor behind it, that's for sure...

The scary thing about untrue statements made on the web and elsewhere is that many regard them as true, much as people assume newspapers and magazines to be true and carefully researched. This is so far from the truth, especially regarding the web, which is the wild west of information overload, with crazy untrue rumors that spread like the bubonic plague (take all the websites claiming Barack Obama is a Muslim terrorist).

To refute the aforementioned excerpt, there are hundreds of scientific papers that have been published on ibogaine in highly respected scientific journals, both on animal and human clinical experiments. Just look at the list of links on this blog for just a smattering. If I have time I will add to the list; but there are also links to pages with dozens of other scientific papers and research.

Of course, the best, most respected newspapers (like the New York Times) carefully vet their reportage -- a lot better, for example, than McCain's campaign did with Sarah "Troopergate" Palin and the First Dude.

There is also a lot of discussion on this board on why such an important treatment hasn't gotten more scientific acceptance. The back and forth is both frustrating and indicative of a level of ignorance and propaganda that's hard to take or understand.

Despite all my personal biases, forums like this one are healthy outlets for people to communicate with one another, much as this blog is my own attempt to share timely and newsworthy stories about ibogaine. Believe me. I'm not doing this for money or fame. I simply have a concern about getting accurate, helpful information to a very small audience of people.

I do recommend you check out the forum and make your own judgment.