NOTES FOR IBOGAINE TREATMENT PROVIDERS
Hattie Wells
The eye altering alters all – William Blake
The following pages contain ideas, notes
and reflections gathered over a period of a year during which I offered my
services as both an ibogaine treatment provider and supplier of ibogaine
hydrochloride.
INTRODUCTION
I am not a medical
practitioner and have no formal training in allopathic medicine. I am trained
(through experience) in assisting people in altered states of consciousness. I
have participated in a number of rituals using psychoactive substances
throughout the world both as an active participant and a sitter. I have worked
with people with schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. I am currently training in holotropic breathwork and
transpersonal psychology and had started my training whilst providing ibogaine
treatments. I am proficient in CPR having been instructed by the British Red
Cross. I have direct experience with drug habituation have been caught in
cycles of addiction with cocaine, alcohol and anorexia. I consider all these
details relevant when examining the procedure and protocol I used during the
years 2001 and 2002.
THE IBOGAINE TREATMENT PROCEDURE
This begun with an
initial introduction and consultation usually lasting at least two hours.
During this period I would introduce myself and explain my reasons and
motivations for doing this work and then explore exactly what the subject knew
about ibogaine and why they wanted to experience it. We would discuss
thoroughly the risks and benefits of the treatment and I made sure that the
subject was aware of the possible dangers involved. We would discuss the
subjects drug habit (if present) and the reasons for wanting to quit and the
previous attempts made (if any). If previous attempts had been made we would
explore the possible reasons as to why they hadn't produced the desired
results. The idea of this visit was really to inform the subject fully of the
pros and cons of ibogaine and to get to know each other, establish a
relationship and decide whether this was the best course of action for both the
subject and myself. For example there was one man with whom both of us knew we
would never really hit it off. As a result he didn't want to work with me, nor
me with him. I tried to listen to my gut instincts about working with certain
people.
If the outcome of
the initial meeting resulted in the subject wanting to proceed I would ask for
a full blood work up and liver function test as well as an ECG. This I strongly
recommend to any other treatment provider and in future would not treat anyone
who couldn't provide reports from both these tests. For the ECG often people
need to elaborate a story as to why they need one. The tests are expensive and
if on the National health in the UK you have to provide a reason for the test.
I suggested telling the doctor or ER that you were having pains in your heart,
had tingling sensations in your hands and arms and were generally feeling
tired, short of breath and scared. This always resulted in a test. Obviously if
subjects had doctors who were aware of their habits these tests were relatively
easy to achieve. In cases where there was a high level of secrecy surrounding
the habit the tests required some elaboration of details. Generally this was
not a problem except that on a few occasions especially in the early days
people would arrive without the reports. They had often driven hours and I
didn't have the heart to turn them away. I would now insist on seeing the
reports before the day the experience was scheduled to take place.
Once I felt that
an informed decision had been made and the reports of the liver function and
ECG were OK we would schedule a session.
INCLUSION CRITERIA
·
Subject
participation must be voluntary and informed.
·
Subject must
sign an informed consent indicating the risks and benefits of ibogaine.
·
Subject must
have done some research and investigation into ibogaine and thought about it
for some time.
·
A
comprehensive medical history of the subject submitted either by their GP (if
possible) or taken by the treatment provider.
·
Subject must
obtain an EKG and report.
·
Subject must
have a liver function test and blood work up and provide the report.
·
Subject must
sign a form stating that they have not taken any narcotics, cocaine,
amphetamines or alcohol for the last 12 hours before arriving and that they
have nothing on them.
·
Subject must
provide a next of kin in case of emergency.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
·
Significantly
impaired liver function
·
Any signs of
abnormalities on the ECG or any previous heart problems.
·
Severe mental
health problems such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. I don't necessarily
think that it would cause adverse reactions with a bipolar disorder but I
personally didn't want to bear the responsibility.
·
Anyone who
was HIV or HEP C symptomatic.
·
Anyone on
medication for their mental health e.g. antipsychotic medication (except
antidepressants).
·
Anyone on any
long term medication for which there was no data about the interaction with
ibogaine or psychoactive compounds.
Regarding the
exclusion criteria noted above, I tried to stick to this but was on occasion
flexible and took people on who I knew had HEP C and whose livers were not
functioning optimally. Most people that I treated were not in good health. Most
had been heroin users for 5 year plus and had heavy habits. Several had HEP C
and I wouldn't exclude people on this basis. However if they had Hep C and any
other health problems such as a stomach ulcer or mental health problems I would
probably exclude. Anyone with any heart problems was excluded. Depression and
diagnosed mental health problems didn't pose a problem with me unless it was
schizophrenia or severe bi-polar. Nearly everyone I treated had depression and
several had manic depression alongside agoraphobia or other compulsive
disorders. I don't personally agree with modern mental health diagnoses or
treatment and think sedation is almost criminal in many cases. Generally mental
health disturbances provide an opportunity from which to grow and heal from. They
are more of a spiritual or emotional crisis, where experiences no longer fit
comfortably into the daily mindset. In these case I believe ibogaine can
actually be extremely helpful.
I think it
warrants discussion that of the five people treated who had Hep C though not
symptomatic no problems were encountered. If anything they perhaps suffered a
little more physically from nausea than others but nothing else. The most
extreme problem I encountered with anyone was a 35 year old heroin addict who
had both Hep C and a stomach ulcer. He vomited blood for several hours (see
discussion below).
TREATMENT
LOCATION
The treatment
program took place in the tranquil surroundings of The Farm, West Sussex where
I lived. There I had a soundproofed studio (previously a recording studio)
separate from the main house, surrounded by beautiful countryside. The studio
was undisturbed at all times and completely private. Prior consultations took
place either in a separate office (again privacy guaranteed) or in the subjects
home. I treated two people in their own homes. I definitely think that the
results achieved were enhanced when done outside of their own homes. The
opportunity to have 3 days divorced from ones normal daily life was much
appreciated by most people treated. They knew they wouldn't be disturbed and
could relinquish control over the situation and any responsibilities that may
bother people in their own homes.
INGESTING
IBOGAINE
I provided
ibogaine hydrochloride because I personally felt that dosages could be that
much more accurate with the hydrochloride. I had seen the results of lab tests
of the indra extract and wasn't satisfied that there was a uniform substance.
Both lab results I saw showed different levels of ibogaine contained in the
extract. I wanted to know exactly what I was giving people so chose the
hydrochloride. From witnessing people take both it also seems the HCL is
somewhat gentler physically.
Dosages ranged
from 15-20mg/kg of body weight for people wishing to detox and interrupt an
addiction. 10-12mg/kg was given to people using ibogaine for self-exploratory
or spiritual reasons. In the latter case this dose always achieved the desired
results. The only time it didn't seem to really provide the desired experience
was in the case of a female who was given 12mg/kg for self-exploratory
purposes. She had an intense experience for about 3 hours and then literally
got up within 7 hours and claimed to have felt nothing after the 3 hours. She
slept that night normally having ingested at about noon. I gave her a booster raising the total
dose to 15mg/kg after approximately 3 hours and she didn't feel the booster at
all. However what she had experienced in the first 3 hours I believe led her to
shut down the experience. She relived the trauma of being raped by her father
as a baby. After that perhaps she didn't want to see anything else. It is after
experiences like this that people really have to be supported emotionally and
for there to be someone to talk things through with.
In the dose range
for addiction interruption I found that 17mg/kg - 19mg/kg worked most
effectively. The higher the dose generally the most effective. However as many
subjects had a poor liver I didn't want to exceed that range and even stuck to
the 17mg/kg as there was no medical support at hand.
Subjects were
given ginger tea with honey 30 minutes before ingesting the capsules of HCL to
help with the nausea. They hadn't consumed any drugs for 12 hours prior to the
ibogaine and had been advised not to eat anything other than fruit on the day
of the experience. However many people said they couldn't hold off and had
eaten eggs/full breakfast etc in the morning. They were generally sicker
although I am not entirely sure how much food affects the experience. So long
as they had had nothing for four hours I would proceed. I suggested that upon
taking the ibogaine people said out loud or to themselves their intent for the experience
and to focus on this (5-15 minute meditation)
Whilst waiting for
the effects to come on (anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours) we would talk and
then as soon as the effects started to be felt silence would proceed unless
they wanted to engage. The room was quiet and lit by candlelight only. I
remained in the room for the duration of the experience leaving only to eat
(quickly) and go to the bathroom. If I needed a significant break I would ask
someone I lived with to sit in the room for a while. I stayed in the room for
the first 16 hours vigilantly. After that depending on the progress I would
leave for longer periods at a time. I would however recommend that someone is
present at all times for the first 36 hours and would work in shifts if I
started treatments again. The subject in my opinion should be monitored and
cared for constantly. I worked alone to keep the costs down for people but
wouldn't do this again. I had the support of the community where I was living
and there were people at hand to help and support but this was not sufficient
to actually be working in regular shifts. The work as a result exhausted me
after some months.
THOUGHTS ABOUT SET
AND SETTING
In my opinion a
quiet, tranquil and private environment is optimal for any experience in which
one enters into an altered state. Many people state how much they appreciated
coming out of the experience into the countryside, being able to sit on the
grass surrounded by trees in privacy with no cars, traffic or general public
around. The soundproofed room was also optimal although I don't think entirely
necessary. Some people claim not to hear anything except the noise in their
head so it wouldn't have mattered had there been more noise.
Comfort however is
essential as the subject will be lying down for a number of hours and so will
experience muscle aches and cramps at various points in the procedure. This can
be ameliorated by a comfortable bed and bedding. Ideally I would suggest a
TEMPUR mattress.
The question of
music is an interesting one. I always told people that if they felt like it all
they had to do was ask. No-one asked. When offered only one person accepted.
However when I had one subject who didn't come down from the trip for 6 days I
used music to help bring her back as I am aware that this is what occurs in the
Bwiti (see Giorgio Samorini's work). The music certainly helped ease the
tension of the situation. I asked her opinion when she returned and she could
not remember the music or indeed that there had been any! So to conclude comfort
is essential but anything else, music, smells etc are a personal choice and in
my experience most chose not to have them.
DURATION AND
TYPICAL STAGES OF THE IBOGAINE EXPERIENCE
Duration lasted anything from 12hrs to 6
days although the latter was extremely unusual. Generally people would
hallucinate for up to 12 hours and then enter stage 2, which was characterised
by introspective reflection. Not much communication would take place but restlessness
would begin to be apparent after the 12th hour (except for those who
were hit really hard). Stage 2 could last up to 24 hours plus and then would
move into a desire for sleep and discomfort in the body. At this point I would
offer valiums to help the subject sleep if they were distressed by the
discomfort and inability to sleep. After waking from the sleep (however short
that may have been) they usually
moved into stage 3 characterised by optimism and an experience of reset. They
were aware they were clean and were happy about it at this point. With some
people physical discomfort lasted some days in which case they would stay
longer at the farm. I would say 5 out of the 18 people treated suffered
extremely physically. Getting sick at the 12 hour point and then retching for
the next 12 hours or so. Followed by a weakness and nausea that could continue
for another 12 hours (24 in total). Any longer than that and I would assume
that withdrawal was taking place. This happened more frequently with women than
men (see discussion on women). This is something I have never been entirely
clear on and may warrant discussion in the manual. If someone is very sick 12
hours into the experience what can one do and does it indicate withdrawal
symptoms (the nausea was usually accompanied by sweats and cramps and leg
twitching). Can we administer anti nauseates at this stage and will they help?
This is not something I experimented with. The problem with the vomiting was
that it was often dry retching as there was obviously nothing to bring up. This
can tear the oesophageal lining, which I believe can be dangerous. I would definitely
want some information on how to alleviate this or prevent it from happening. I
treated one woman who had an experience for about 8 hours, 4 of which included
hallucinating. She then however went into severe withdrawal for the next five
days (during which I stayed with her). I concluded from this and from my other
experiences with women that women needed as much if not more ibogaine than men,
something contrary to what I had read. I had always been led to believe that
women should have a slightly lower dose (DR Mash advised this) but as a result
I found that ibogaine didn't work as efficiently for women as for men, (SEE
DISCUSSION BELOW).
In the final stage of the treatment
counselling occurred. I would sit and talk with the subject about their
experience and about any issues that had arisen. I found people to be much more
open post ibogaine and much more willing to engage especially if the experience
had been strong for them. Occasionally people would be in a very negative space
and want to leave possibly to score. If this was the case I would encourage
them to stay another night and take advantage of the facilities at hand - fresh
organic food, walks, massage, floatation tank, ozone tank. This was definitely beneficial
as each time this happened people really thanked me for encouraging them to
stay as they had just needed more time. Most people stayed with me for 3 days.
Some 4 days and only one 7 days.
GENERAL
COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS
WOMEN
As I have
mentioned previously, from my experience of treating women with ibogaine it seems that women are generally not affected as strongly
by ibogaine as men. There was definitely a difference in reaction to the
substance by the genders. Gender response to psychoactive substances has been
something I have been interested in for years so I paid special attention to
this. I began noticing a pattern. Generally ibogaine did not hit women as hard,
they tripped less and generally were up and walking and talking much quicker
than men. In fact in the majority of female subjects I treated they also
claimed to be experiencing withdrawal symptoms and thereby complaining that the
ibogaine wasn't working. These results indicate perhaps a faster metabolism and
a quick conversion of ibogaine into noribogaine thereby reducing the oneiric
phase. I treated six women and twelve men so unfortunately do not have even
numbers of both genders to compare. However out of the six women only one had a
strong experience and she was unusual anyway as she didn't emerge from the
treatment room for six days and was incoherent and clearly hallucinating for 5
days. I gave her the strongest
dose I had given a female - 19mg/kg. Prior to that I hadn't exceeded 17mg/kg
with women. She had just stepped off a long haul flight, had slept for a few
hours and then took the ibogaine so jet lag may have had something to do with
the duration. Unfortunately I have lost touch with this woman and am unable to
get more information on how she is now and what she has experienced since. The
other women treated were definitely not as affected as men were by ibogaine.
The dose differentiation between the genders was never more than about 2mg/kg
which I wouldn't have imagined to have such a dramatic impact thereby leading
me to conclude that it is something to do with the way women metabolise the
substance.
I
strongly think that this limited data warrants more research. I do not think
this data is unusual as someone else has informed me that this is common and that
in the clinic in which they have worked this is the case for about 70% of women
-"that they trip less and act up more". I have been told by someone
working with ibogaine that women
almost always appear to respond to ibogaine doses of 600-800mg very poorly.
That they are not quiet or mellow or "in" the experience but rather that
they run around, often yell and shout and require a number of people to calm
them down .One theory posited is that most women are somewhere between medium
and fast metabolisers and so convert almost everything to nor-ibogaine. This is
mediated by oestrogen and liver function; not directly by body fat levels. Another
possibility is perhaps the dynamic of a female treatment provider treating
females. It would be interesting to see if male treatment providers had
experienced this or if they possibly had better effects with women suggesting
something in the gender dynamic of therapist/client. I don't think this idea is
as solid but it would certainly warrant further investigation.
SAFETY - MY EXCLUSION/INCLUSION REQUIREMENTS
I
think that all treatment providers should discuss in considerable detail the
possible dangers and risks involved with ingesting ibogaine. I do know of a
treatment provider who does not do this as he considers it the subjects
responsibility to investigate the substance. In my opinion however, the
treatment provider must take responsibility for informing the subject as they
are probably in a position to know more about ibogaine and the risks involved.
By focusing on the risks you are also more likely to obtain the truth from the
subject about their health if they know that it could be a matter of life or
death.
I
think that an ECG, a liver function test and blood work up are essential
pre-requisites. When I started treatments I was more relaxed about this and
administered ibogaine to people whom had not obtained the ECG. It wasn't until
I had a couple of worrying situations that I made this essential inclusion criterion.
If something were to go wrong and I hadn't obtained these reports I would
personally never forgive myself.
After all, people coming to do a treatment trust the provider and are
paying the money because it is safer than doing it at home on their own or so
they believe. As a treatment provider you have credibility and experience in
the eyes of the clients. Therefore the position bears responsibility and should
attempt to minimise the risks as much as possible. Eliminating the possibility
of prior health complications will certainly decrease the risks.
I would also now consider a
comprehensive medical history a pre-requisite. Even if a subject gets a clear
ECG they may have had previous heart problems. This can be a danger and so a
present medical work up is not necessarily enough. The case of the woman in
Amsterdam dying recently shows this. She had apparently been given the all
clear by her doctor on the condition of her heart and had even done ibogaine
once before. However she had had open-heart surgery years previously. This in
itself could have led to her death. One can never be sure but at least if you
know the medical history of somebody you can make an informed decision as to
whether you want to treat them.
The
problem with this is obtaining the medical history as many people will lie about
their health in a state of desperation. For this reason alone I would in future
want to be working with a doctor who could request the medical history of the
client from their GP. Failing that he could probably obtain an adequate history
himself and could do a full physical work up. Obviously this is not always
practical and the majority of ibogaine providers are doing it without medical
assistance and providing a great service. However, potential sitters for
ibogaine sessions should be aware of the responsibility and dangers involved
and try to obtain as much information about the health of the client as
possible. If anything happens and you haven't obtained this information how
would you feel? At least if you have obtained all the information you can be
satisfied that you tried your best.
I also
think it is important that the provider can perform CPR as there have been
several cases where this has been needed (although not in my personal
experience).
I
would also monitor breathing during the session as respiratory depression has
been an issue according to the literature and if someone had severe asthma
along with general poor health I would probably exclude him or her. I know of
people with asthma who have done ibogaine for self exploratory purposes and been
perfectly fine, however in the case of asthma with a severe addiction and heavy
crack/smack (smoking) use I would not want to risk it.
This
brings me onto the discussion of risks. There will always be risks as a
treatment provider as we are performing this service outside of medical
institutions and without medical training. Each treatment provides new material
from which to carry out research into the drugs action. We are mapping new
territory. For example if you stick rigidly to the exclusion criteria we may
never learn about the interaction of ibogaine with certain medications and
certain health conditions. But it’s a risk as a provider I was only able
to do for a certain amount of time.
Examples
of note are the treatment of an individual with insulin dependant diabetes. I
didn't want to treat the individual and he requested for almost a year before I
finally agreed. I didn't want to do the treatment because there was no
information on ibogaine and diabetes available to me. However the treatment was a success. I monitored his blood
sugar levels every half-hour to begin with for the first 2 hours and then every
hour following that. His blood sugar remained high throughout the experience
but not dangerously high and as he came down he was able to bring the sugar
levels down to a more comfortable level. He said afterwards that perhaps he
would have tried to get his levels down lower before starting again, as when he
ingested they were higher than normal.
On the
other hand I treated someone who I hadn't been aware had a stomach ulcer. I
hadn't been thorough enough in my medical questioning of the individual. I
don't know if I had known previously whether this would have stopped me
carrying out the treatment. However his experience was one of the worst I encountered.
He vomited blood for 5 hours between 1am and 6am. Initially negligible amounts
however the content increased and I became worried that something was going
wrong internally. This is obviously the first sign of haemorrhaging. I wanted
to take him to hospital but he really didn't want to go and seemed to think
that everything was fine. Our communication led me to believe that he probably
was OK as he was showing no signs of distress and all his vital signs were
normal - temp. blood pressure, pulse and breathing. I began to ask him at this
stage if he had a stomach ulcer or anything similar and he said that he
had. It was then that I realised
that I hadn't been thorough with my questioning. This man had Hep C and had
been dry retching for hours so it was most likely a small tear in the oesophageal
lining.
Here
we have two examples where risks were clearly taken, the case of the man with
diabetes knowingly and the case of the man with the stomach ulcer unknowingly.
One result was desirable and one not. On the whole I would say I would not
knowingly take risks and hence the added requirement of the full medical
history of the client. However sometimes in certain circumstances one will take
risks and I think as long as the client knows himself that it is a risk and he
is willing then it is a decision the treatment provider makes and has to live
with. As a provider the majority of our knowledge comes from experience and
sometimes we may be willing to cross into the unknown.
BAD
TRIPS
Taking
a psychoactive substance such as ibogaine can lead into relatively unexplored areas
of the mind. Generally this is not a problem with ibogaine as you maintain your
rational state of mind throughout and your ego. This prevents fear of losing oneself
or losing ones mind, a familiar fear on other psychoactives. However it is
worth noting that on one occasion I was with someone who had a deep dislike of
tripping. This can often be the case with addicts particularly with heavy
crack/cocaine users. As the experience started to unfold for him he became
visibly distressed. He kept asking me when it was going to end, that he
couldn't stand all the things flying around the room and that the noises in his
head were just too much to bear. This then progressed into feeling that he was
dying. This is the only time someone experienced this kind of fear but it is a
possibility that treatment providers should be aware of. If this should arise obviously it is of
paramount importance that the sitter remain calm and reassure the subject that
they are OK, that physically they are not dying. Perhaps ask them exactly why
they think they are and then rationalise that these physical symptoms can be
the effects of ibogaine. The body will feel strange but the experience will subside
and get easier and gentler with time. Hold their hand, give them physical touch
and stay close to them. One would also make sure that they are not in any
physical danger by checking al the vital signs. The most important thing to
stress is that the experience will pass and encourage them to relax into it
rather than fight it. It is the fighting that intensifies such emotions.
POST
IBOGAINE TREATMENT
The
question of what comes next, what happens after the ibogaine is perhaps the
second most important issue in the ibogaine story. All treatment providers will
stress the importance of post treatment therapy and yet how to actually achieve
the follow up care is a question that certainly still looms large in my mind.
Most people that came to me for ibogaine had been through all the government
funded drug addiction therapy and had left complete with their habit and
disillusioned by the entire concept of therapy. I would propose that this is
why they chose ibogaine. Ibogaine lets you do the work on your own. No-one is
telling you to do anything, the sitter is just a facilitator and a friendly ear
and shoulder to lean on for a short period of time. No commitment required here
other than a five day stint. This
is not to denigrate the commitment that they make in consuming ibogaine.
However they don't have to commit to a follow up program, there are no
requirements. This appeals to a certain type of person whom I would suggest is thoroughly
disillusioned with therapy! A number of people said to me that they benefited
more from the ibogaine than they had from 7/8 years in therapy. Whilst
discussing after care options there were often none that appealed to my
clients. Yet it is essential. From the results I have seen, the people that are
still clean over a year later are the people that signed up for therapy post
ibogaine.
Certainly
in the UK there are very few options that appeal to people I have talked to or
worked with. I would suggest that NA groups offer a great support structure and
have been extremely helpful to one man I treated who is currently clean 14
months later. However many people have an extremely negative reaction to NA and
many have said that they are places where you meet more people with more
problems and often you start a relationship in an NA group which becomes
co-dependent. Then one person falls back to using and "drags the other
with them". There are many stories of negative encounters in the groups.
Government funded treatment or therapy is usually group based and nearly
everyone I have spoken to has criticised these programs saying that the people
running the programs are often extremely young, have no experience of drug
addiction themselves and that often you are just not listened to in the group.
People have said that they have finally released extremely painful and personal
material in the group only to be ignored. This leads to re -traumatising the
individual.
Private
therapy is somewhat hit and miss. There are brilliant practitioners out there
but not many with any ibogaine experience (if any). Of these therapies I would agree
with Nick Sandberg that bodywork is extremely important. Addiction, certainly
in my case was about disconnecting from the physical reality and severing the
connection with my physical body/existence. Escaping in an anaesthetic world of
illusions. The thing that has most helped me has been bodywork, in the form of
acupuncture particularly auricular therapy, which is less invasive. This helped
a lot when I gave up cocaine. Breathwork has been the most important thing for
me for reconnecting with the traumas lodged in my body that had been ignored
and buried by cocaine alcohol or anorexia. The anorexia was an attempt to cut
myself off from my body as it stops/stunts physical development. Anorexia also
becomes sexual anorexia, as does heroin for many people. So sexual therapy is
often required. This can be extremely difficult for people to confront and talk
about and so breathwork is an easy way of letting the body/breath throw up the
traumas, bring them to the surface and in an open somewhat altered state of
mind this can be a good space in which to address them. It is worth noting that
about 70% of people I worked with were the victims of sexual abuse.
So for
people that are disillusioned by therapists and group counsellors various forms
of bodywork can be extremely effective - acupuncture, rolfing, breathwork
(rebirthing or Grofs), dance and movement therapy. Anything that reconnects you
with the trauma lodged deep in your body. If you have been addicted for years
the ibogaine may bring the reasons for the distress to the surface but that
won't necessarily release them - especially if they are lodged deep - which is why the previously mentioned
practices help.
I
would also suggest that a support group is extremely beneficial. Unfortunately
no matter how much I tried I couldn't get the people that I had seen to form an
ibogaine support group and I think this would really help. I have seen it help
on the ibogaine list. People able to talk to each other about their experiences
on line. Perhaps this is the only way to do it but it would be good for example
to have a group in the UK that met once a month to talk about things. I was
criticised by a friend of someone that died six months after doing an ibogaine treatment with me. The
man had been clean for six months and got to his 30th birthday and
OD'd on heroin. He had apparently always said that he didn't want to live past
this age. However his friend said that the guy had been finding life difficult
post treatment as he had no-one to talk to about what had been for him a
momentous and spiritual/life changing experience. As a result he couldn't
relate to his world anymore. I had maintained contact with him but he hadn't
told me about this. At the time I was treating other people and couldn't
monitor this guy closely. He then died. Whether or not he killed himself I will
never know but it made me think about the importance of follow up. This
experience can dramatically change peoples lives and without adequate support
this can be extremely difficult for people. This is definitely something I
would like to address and see other treatment providers address more as well. I
would suggest that a support group following treatment would be beneficial if
not essential as well as a course of at least twenty sessions of some form of
bodywork or counselling (or both ideally). A 24-hour ibogaine helpline would
also be a good idea.
To
conclude, no three day
recovery program in itself can correct years of substance abuse. It is
therefore essential to arrange follow up care. The ibogaine experience itself
leaves you open and enthusiastic about creating changes in your life. Post
treatment bodywork/counselling is essential, as it will help maintain this
positive transformation and facilitate a deeper understanding and release of
years of abuse.
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