Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ibogaine Therapy

By Rosalind Landry


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.

Additionally, fans of the drug state that iboga also lessens the severity and number of withdrawal side effects experienced by most people during the detoxification process. There is no medical evidence to support this claim, however, and the opinions of various participants are somewhat contradictory. Some patients reported few or no benefits from the medication, while others stated that they believed the drug was quite helpful regarding the management of withdrawal symptoms.

Some of the controversy surrounding ibogaine's use, is most likely because the drug is a hallucinogenic, psychedelic substance. Many professionals in the traditional medical community believe that treating a narcotic addiction with a psychedelic drug is simply the exchange of one addiction or dependency for another. This is due to the fact that, similar to narcotics and opiates, iboga is associated with potential for abuse.

For this reason, in numerous locations around the world, medical professionals claim that the drug should not be used therapeutically until further research is conducted. In addition, in some countries the substance is categorized as a controlled medication because of its hallucinogenic and psychedelic compounds.

Because of the medicine's potency and its effect on one's mind and body, it must be administered by a qualified individual. Patients should never attempt to treat themselves without supervision or obtain the drug without seeking the advice of an ibogaine treatment center professional. Finally, care must be taken by those who pursue such treatment to enroll in counseling or a similar follow-up program after completing iboga therapy.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment