Ibogaine is a psychedelic substance manufactured from a shrub that grows on the African continent. Certain medical scientists are currently studying the drug to discover if it offers benefits when used to control the withdrawal symptoms and cravings experienced by those enrolled in narcotic rehabilitation programs. Also known as iboga, the medication is believed to interrupt the addict’s destructive behavioral patterns and subdue many of the side effects associated with the detoxification process.
Some individuals are of the opinion that iboga can reset an addict’s neuroreceptors, and thus reprogram his or her mind to its pre-addicted state. This is why certain researchers believe that the drug will eliminate the patient’s cravings for the opiate or narcotic that he or she was abusing. However, although it may not come as a surprise to most individuals, such treatment is somewhat controversial, particularly among conventional health care practitioners.
The cynicism surrounding the therapy is due to the fact that the research completed on the drug was overseen mainly by fans of the cure rather than a third-party from which an unbiased opinion would have been given. However, numerous patients have claimed that the use of the substance was beneficial to them when conventional therapies were of little help.
The entire focus of the treatment is on the patient’s mental state, and the goal is to use the psychedelic properties of ibogaine to mentally take the person to a time prior to when his or her addiction began. It is believed that when a person achieves this state of mind, it is possible for him or her to evaluate the issues and problems that most likely resulted in the addiction.
In addition, proponents of the substance claim that iboga is also highly beneficial in lessening the number and severity of the withdrawal symptoms that most patients experience when going through the detoxification process. This has yet to be proven scientifically, and information obtained from those who underwent such treatment has been somewhat contradictory. Certain clients state that the drug was helpful concerning the severity of their withdrawal symptoms and how long they lasted, while others reported little or no benefit from the substance.
A certain percentage of controversy surrounding the use of ibogaine likely stems from the fact that it contains psychedelic and hallucinogenic properties. Numerous professionals in the conventional medical community state that using a psychedelic drug to treat narcotic addiction is simply exchanging one problem for another. This is because similar to opiates and narcotics, iboga is also associated with potential for addiction.
This is why medical professionals in various countries throughout the world agree that there is a need for additional research before the drug should be approved for therapeutic use. Furthermore, due to the hallucinogenic and psychedelic properties the substance contains, it is classified as a controlled medication in many nations.
Because the medicine is highly potent and has a profound effect on each patient’s body and mind, it should only be administered by a qualified person. No one should ever try to obtain the drug and self medicate. Instead, he or she should speak to a professional at an ibogaine treatment center. It is also important for those who enroll at such a center to pursue follow-up treatment or counseling after their iboga therapy is complete.
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