Halting the Spiral of Addiction Ibogaine Treatment

It is uncomfortable to admit you have a problem. This can go from having an inadequacy at work to more serious problems like a habit you just can\’t shake. Sometimes these problems chain us, dragging us down, until we no longer remember what life was like before this particular issue.

The numbers surrounding substance use in the United States are staggering:

• Over 20 million Americans over the age of 12 have an addition (excluding tobacco).
• Over 90% of those with an addiction started drinking, smoking, or using illicit drugs before the age of 18.
• 2.6 million people living with addictions are addicted to both alcohol and illicit drugs.

You may know the signs that your drinking or use of drugs is a problem if you feel ashamed of your drinking or drug use, hide your alcohol or drugs from friends and family members, drink or use to avoid life, or become more and more isolated.

The consequence of addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs is also spelled forth in statistics:

• Over five million visits to the emergency room in 2011 were drug-related.
• In 2014, there were 30,000 motor vehicle deaths and 47,000 fatalities from drug overdose.
• 6.8 million people with an addiction have a mental illness.

Many of those living with an addiction wanting to break away from the chaos of an addiction filled life choose detox. Detox is primarily focused on the physical aspect of an addiction. In detox, someone\’s body is weaned off of alcohol or drugs using various pharmacological medications that allow the body to stabilize as the substance is removed from the system.

This process is used for patients ranging from opiate addiction to methamphetamine addiction. A drug treatment program requires this first step, as many think it\’s necessary to clean the body out before the mind can heal. Many are afraid of the detox portion of an addiction treatment program because of the environment: a mental hospital. But not all programs force this option.

An alternative option for many is a high level treatment program that specialize in making sure a patient has all the necessary comforts while undergoing what is a difficult process. And increasingly a drug called ibogaine is being used, though it\’s not available in the U.S.

Ibogaine can eliminate up to 98% of opiate withdrawal symptoms and provide serious reductions in cravings for stimulants and alcohol. It is classified as a psychedelic. It can also reduce Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms, which can occur in the early stages of being clean or sober.

There are many different options available for treatment, with ibogaine drug treatment getting more press and steam. An untold number of individuals die from alcohol or drug addiction every year, through overdoses or complications regarding mental illness or motor vehicles. In many cases, it comes down to a simple link: realizing that there is a problem and then calling a number.