Ibogaine: The Origins of the Promising New Treatment
If you’ve been following the latest trends in addiction treatments, you may have heard of ibogaine for opiate addiction. Ibogaine has also been explored as one of many alternative
therapies for depression. Ibogaine has shown promise as a treatment due to the large number of patients who have completed opioid detoxification without relapsing for several months after taking ibogaine. There are also many testimonials of patients who have obtained a new lease on life after quitting their addictions through ibogaine treatment.
Where did this new treatment come from and how does it work on a medical level? Ibogaine is a substance commonly derived from the bark of a West African shrub known as iboga. The long history of iboga in Western society dates back to the 19th century when French and Belgian explorers recorded its use in African religious ceremonies during their travels. In the same century, people began studying iboga for its medicinal benefits. What we know today is ibogaine was sold as a medicine in France as early as 1930. Today, ibogaine is illegal in countries such as the United States, France, and Italy, but interested parties can undergo ibogaine treatments at an ibogaine treatment center in Mexico, New Zealand, and Costa Rica.