Ibogaine?

[Milarepa]

I read an article in the most recent issue of Bust (http://bust.com/magazine/on-newsstands-now-dec/jan-2015.html) about ibogaine, a hallucinogen that is being used in many parts of the world to treat opiate addiction and also has some promising indications for PTSD (https://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=98976).

Has anyone heard of ibogaine or tried it? Any thoughts?

[Badmemories]

I did look this up at great length. It sounds like a LSD trip to me. O'leary in the beginning was using LDS for many healing things like alcoholism, drug addiction atc.  The problem with LSD was that it was too easy and cheap to make and that started the flower child movement.. I was at the tail end of that.

I did try LDS once... but I did not like that OUT of control feeling while on it..

Reading about the link and all the other links at that site... It could be promising.  The cost sounds outrageous! $2500. for one treatment is high. That is NOT even counting the plane trip to get there! I can pay for a lot of therapy with $2500.+ .

The thing that is promised is that it is almost instant. I have been to a lot of different treatment options, for many years and I do not think something is instant. Then the other thing to think about...YES the people were healed. What they don't say is the level of problems they had in their lives. That would certainly make a difference! For example the level of problems I have is major... Maybe they only had minor problems.

This is only My opinion of course... As we all realize on here, We are all on out own journeys, we have different paths to get to HEALING...somethings work for some and not others. It is not always easy to judge what is going to work for each of us as an individual. If You feel strongly enough that it might benefit You, and You have the finances to afford to go. Then do it. I'd love to hear IF it helped YOU! 

[alovelycreature]

In my opinion, but people use drugs to reduce negative feelings/emotions, which is really just dissociating. There are a lot of fad treatments that prey on people's intense need for relief. I do understand though that some people do need psychiatric drugs to help with serious mental illness.

Ibogaine is just like ecstasy and LSD. They are actually doing studies on veterans with PTSD and ecstasy. I would wait till there is empirical evidence that this helps symptoms and is available legally. However, drugs that take you "out of reality" don't really fix your problem they just mask it.

[Badmemories]

  alovelycreature

I agree, I don't want to mask anything.. I want to work through it...

Keep on keeping on!   

[Kizzie]

I agree LC, empirical evidence is called.  I have been keeping my eye on various government (of many different countries) sanctioned clinical trials at MAPS (http://www.maps.org/) involving a number of currently illegal drugs. My understanding is that the majority of the drugs MAPS is testing don't mask pain  but instead are used to assist patients to access trauma as well as the caring, non-judgmental, respectful, relational side of their psyche (something  trauma patients often have difficulty accessing). The meds are used to help access, process trauma and integrate it into the psyche, and are administered in a therapeutic setting over a number of sessions. 

I'm cautious (waiting for the data), but hopeful that at some point in my lifetime I would have this option if it becomes legal. 

[alovelycreature]

Thanks for sharing Kizzie. Was reading the Maps site. MDMA testing seems promising on the website! Hopefully it's not too good to be true. Seems like the effects last in the long term. Quite amazing!

[Milarepa]

Since I wrote this post, I've discovered a less expensive option that is helping me a lot. I live in Washington State where marijuana is legal and I found an edible with just the right amount of pure Sativa (25mg). Sativa is a strain of marijuana that, to Kizzie's point, helps to "access trauma as well as the caring, non-judgmental, respectful, relational side of their psyche."

I've had some really successful, enlightening trips on this drug. I like it because it doesn't numb me out or leave me with an emotional hangover the next day. Your mileage may vary, but if you're interested in using a mild psychedelic to explore your trauma, this might be a good option.

WARNING: If you've had past marijuana experiences that made you anxious or paranoid, you might want to forgo this approach or mix some Indica into the experience to help moderate anxiety.

[Kizzie]

Tks for the info Milarepa, very interesting!

I'm curious what it felt like to see/feel the trauma but then to be able to tap into that helpful side of your psyche.  Did you find that the enlightenment you experienced lasted beyond the day you used or did it wear off?  And related to that, do feel better able to tap into the healthier parts of your psyche when you are not using?  And last but definitely not least, do you feel like you are processing the trauma? 

I was mostly interested in the pain relief and relaxation of Indica but your post has me thinking that perhaps I should also look for blends with some low amounts of Sativa so that I can gently open up to my trauma and engage the healthier, protective and caring parts of my  self.   

[Milarepa]

I'm curious what it felt like to see/feel the trauma but then to be able to tap into that helpful side of your psyche.  Did you find that the enlightenment you experienced lasted beyond the day you used or did it wear off?  And related to that, do feel better able to tap into the healthier parts of your psyche when you are not using?  And last but definitely not least, do you feel like you are processing the trauma? 

I actually didn't engage much with the trauma directly at all. It was more about re-wiring my maladaptive survival mechanisms and developing more awareness of when I'm in an EF. I find that I'm more insightful for the day or so after the trip, and then my state of consciousness returns to normal; but that I'm able to integrate the insights in a new way.

I wouldn't use it as a standalone approach, but in combination with other therapies, I think it could be quite useful.

[Saluki]

Hi there, opening this thread back up because I've some experience of iboga. I knew someone who tried it for heroin addiction (due to childhood trauma including CSA) and it didn't work. Very high expectations, very unexpected results with a lot of pressure to give iboga a good press subsequently. I tried microdosing iboga and just one very small recommended dose absolutely floored me. It causes something similar to sleep paralysis (I can't remember the word, sorry) . I was trapped in my body whilst awake, feeling very, very nauseous, vomited a lot beforehand, couldn't function AT ALL. I also heard through said friend of an ibogaine treatment professional facing prison because of a patient dying during treatment. It's not something to be taken lightly and I would not recommend it unless you are very well educated on it and absolutely sure you want to try it.
You are promised an experience where you are able to relive your trauma from the viewpoint of a spectator in order to gain empathy, detachment and release. Reality can be very different and can lead to death during treatment, death by overdose afterwards by not realising how little of substance you actually need now (supposed cure for heroin addiction is not a miracle cure: those who have succeeded generally agree and there was a lot, a lot of pressure to say it was a miracle cure around 2012,13,14). I'm not saying it doesn't ever work or can't help, but it would need to be done in a very controlled clinical environment with exceptionally good aftercare, and proper bloodwork/blood pressure must be done first to determine whether it's suitable as some people aren't able to take it.

[Saluki]

I forgot to mention: friend did not have any reliving trauma from a different perspective experience at all, just random, completely irrelevant dreams.