Ibogaine - Hope Rehab Thailand

Disclaimer: We do not offer Ibogaine treatment at Hope Rehab Thailand. The aim of this post is to provide information. We do not endorse ibogaine as a treatment.

Ibogaine Addiction Treatment

The majority of those who join our community will have tried other paths before coming to Hope. There are now many options for those of us who are looking for addiction treatment; we believe that this is mostly a good thing as there is not one approach that appears to work for everyone. One of the avenues that some of our clients have explored is ibogaine treatment.

Ibogaine is said to be useful for treating various drug addictions such as:

What is Ibogaine?

Ibogaine is a psychoactive drug. This means that it works by temporarily altering the way the brain works to cause a shift in perception. It is a hallucinogenic in high doses, and also has stimulant properties in lower doses. Ibogaine is a natural substance that comes from the iboga plant that grows in Western Africa. It has traditionally been used by the Bwitti tribe as part of their religious ceremonies.

How Does Ibogaine Treatment Work?

It is claimed that ibogaine helps reduce symptoms of craving and withdrawals (click here to check out our post on how to manage cravings and triggers) by altering the receptors in the brain where recreational drugs interact. The idea is that it can work as an ‘addiction interrupter’ by blocking these receptors. One of the barriers to quitting drugs is fear of withdrawals, so the hope is that by making cravings easier to manage, it will ultimately make it easier for people to commit to long-term recovery.

Another way that ibogaine is said to be helpful when it comes to treating addiction is that it may triggers insights into behavior. By changing the person’s perception, it can allow them to see things in new and potentially useful ways.

History of Using Psychoactive Drugs to Treat Addiction

The concept of using hallucinogeinc-type drugs to treat addiction has been around since at least the 1950s. One of the founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous (Bill W.) even suggested that LSD might be used to help members quit alcohol (click here to find out more about Alcholics Anonymous in Thailand). The idea that was that this psychoactive agent could trigger a spiritual shift that would then allow people to connect with a higher power.

There were numerous studies conducted during the 60s that suggested that certain psychoactive agents could be helpful in the treatment of addiction, but this research mostly came to a halt when substances like LSD were banned. There has been renewed interest in the power of psycoactive drugs to treat addiction in recent years.

Does Ibogaine Treatment Work?

There are people who have found ibogaine treatment to be useful in overcoming drug addiction, but it certainly does not appear to work for everyone. There are also potential dangers associated with it that anyone considering it needs to take into account. It is believed that at least 8 people have died due to heart arrythmias associated with ibogaine treatment.

The Need for Long-Term Addiction Treatment

Ibogaine may help people initially quit their addiction, but in our experience, it is usually not enough to ensure long-term recovery. This is why we will get clients come to us at Hope Rehab Thailand who have undergone ibogaine treatment but still need help building a life free from drugs. Overcoming cravings, and getting a new perspective on life is hugely important, but long-term recovering usually requires that our life undergoes a complete overhaul – something that is best accomplished in a rehab setting.