Great to hear from you. I apologize for not getting back to you. I've just been distracted-in a good way- feeling much better, being suddenly more active than ever before. Below I'll summarize briefly post-ibogaine recovery:
I can say with certainty that between 3-4 weeks was all it took- at least in my case of suboxone/morphine- to feel 98% better which means sleeping normally 6-8 hrs, dysphoria and mild depression dissipate replaced by a general sense of well-being, optimism, and a desire to enter into life: relationships, work, creativity, fun, etc. Between 5-6 weeks 100%- stomach functioning normally, tolerating all foods and even caffeine; and in the gym 3x a week: weights, cardio- fine; and a return of higher mental function: being able to read for long periods of time, hold my attention, etc. I will say hoping not to risk your concern that substances- marijuana and alcohol- have little effect at all, lack the pleasure they once associated, and are more or less undesirable. There continues to be- since the Ibogaine experience itself- NO desire for opiates in any form. Furthermore, the "fantasies" of the heroin-user lifestyle have no attractive power and are seen to be puerile, uninteresting, and false- as are all drug abusers, especially heroin/opiate addicts One of the most amazing and consistent effects post-ibogaine has been a complete lack of anxiety this entire time. Anxiety was always a feature of my past attempts at recovery from opiate addiction, and often the factor in relapse. But since Ibogaine there has been no anxiety- and although there was some discomfort for several weeks following I never "suffered" nor associated the discomfort with opiate withdrawal. Whatever the discomfort associated with this method of detox I did not associate it with opiate withdrawal- even the insomnia was qualitatively different and- given a week or so, very tolerable. My advice to anyone going through post-ibogaine discomfort would be to see it not as a lingering withdrawal nor even an effect of the noribogaine- but as a necessary process of re-learning how to use one's body after a long absence- like a baby learning how to walk and control their bodily functions. This metaphor of the baby may be too extreme but is somewhat appropriate as ibogaine research suggests that Ibogaine induces a prolonged REM state comparable only to the great amount of time infant's spend in an REM state- this peculiar state allows for the rapid building of the infant brain- and the re-building of the addicted brain during ibogaine detox. Another metaphor would be learning how to drive stick-shift after a lifetime of driving automatic cars. It takes a few weeks to calibrate and learn this new vehicle, but once mastered one drives faster and better than any automatic.
Anyway, sorry to be long winded there.
Thank you again Irene for everything. I sincerely wish you the best, and hope to talk soon.
- M A
Hola,
I wanted to contact you and express my gratitude for all of the love and compassion that you showed me while I was at the clinic. You are an amazing women and I feel very appreciative to have had the chance to meet you. I will most certianly someday come back to visit you and Alberto. I wish you all the best and endless joy.
Feel free to contact me if you have any computer questions you can email me or call me @ (206) 353 9722. Saludos
Beau
The Editor's Corner
I have observed that, amongst my fellow, successful Advanced Health Transitions graduates, there is a sense of being privileged to participate in a crusade: that of bringing this extraordinary vehicle of deliverance to other suffering addicts. So, we have taken to calling ourselves "iboganauts," in the best tradition of heroic voyages, and in reference to our own journey of discovery.
I mention the term "successful" in order to honestly admit that Ibogaine is not a magic bullet. It will not somehow free an addict from making the necessary commitment to change, and exerting the personal effort required to make their recovery work. There have been clients who took Ibogaine and still relapsed, because they weren't yet ready to surrender their old way of life.
We mustn't underestimate the strength of our opponent: the disease of addiction is cunning, baffling and powerful. It is powerful enough to destroy us, cunning enough to make us the agent of our own destruction and baffling enough to keep us unaware and in denial. The spreading tendrils of this cancer reach throughout our entire being and attack us on every level. Addiction is much more than an escalating physical dependency. It is also a paradoxical inflation of the ego and, simultaneously, a gradual corrosion of the ego structure; a stealthy subversion of all psychological processes: perception, thought and memory; a progressive morbidity of emotional sensibilities; and the inexorable degradation of the spirit. In my experience, any treatment that fails to address these problems renders only temporary relief.
The period of early recovery is the most dangerous, when the addict is exposed to life without a chemical buffer for the first time in quite a while. The new, recovery-oriented behaviors are just forming, while the old, unhealthy but well-established patterns of thought and behavior beckon with the lure of familiarity and the illusion of security. Ibogaine goes far to bridge over this crucial period. Beginning with the extraordinarily effective detoxification, the Ibogaine experience offers the possibilities of psychological insight, emotional revitalization and spiritual awakening, if one is open to change. Because its metabolite, or intermediate form, wears off slowly, it maintains the addict in a receptive state long enough for them to firmly establish their new way of living and thinking, thus enhancing the chances to survive the difficult early period of recovery.
Yes, we iboganauts feel honored to be blessed with the opportunity to participate in bringing this marvelous new tool for the treatment of addiction to the relief of our fellow sufferers. It is a chance to perform service to others, a concept at the core of recovery, and to give back to a society from which we selfishly took for so long. More than that, we have the rewarding task of becoming living examples of the higher consciousness that the Ibogaine experience has guided us to find.
Thank you, Dr. Mash; thank you, Mama Iboga; thank you, O Supreme Spirit.
A.A. NEW YORK.
Dear Dr. Sola & Marcela,
I want to sincerely thank you for all of your hospitality, support, and advice throughout my treatment. I really loved everything about my trip to Villa Serena .
I cannot express into words how much this Ibogaine treatment has inspired me to "wake up" and enjoy life! There is just so much I want to do and too many places I want to visit---Ibogaine was my jumpstart!! I owe you a HUGH Thank you!!!
I'll keep you posted on myprogress next week via email. Im looking into to support/recovery programs and have also started pilates classes. So far I have been able to go out with my friends during the day and night and not had the desire to drink...it's time for me to experience this side now--and it's actually fun!
Hope all is going with my entire "Mexican Family" Give them a "hello for me" I bet you're getting very anxious for your vacation. Don't forget to ice your leg!!
Sincerely,
Lauren Griffith
Mexican doctors join growing ranks of ibogaine treatment providers at Iboga Conference, New York 2006
(left to right) Dr. Alberto Sola, Howard Lotsof, Patrick Kroupa and Dr. Adolfo Martinez
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