It’s a question we’ve received on numerous phone calls and web chats: ‘can I buy ibogaine from your facility?’
We decided to clear things up in a short article about not only why we strongly recommend people don’t buy it (to be clear, no, we do not sell ibogaine), but also why the idea of self-administering is a bad idea.
After a decade and a half safely administering ibogaine to individuals suffering from a host of neurological challenges, we can share a few key reasons why shopping for ibogaine isn’t the right path to take if the goal is lasting change through a
1. Effective ibogaine treatment is not about ‘tripping’
Looking to have an ibogaine ‘trip’? You might be misinformed on where the true power of ibogaine lies. But…this is an understandable issue. Ibogaine is commonly classified as a ‘psychedelic’, which, for many, pulls it into the ongoing movement popularizing such substances like psilocybin, ayahuasca, DMT and others. This is one of the reasons why people often assume that it is to be used in a casual setting, recreationally, or simply to bring about a ‘life-changing’ experience.
While, certainly, we see lives changed through the treatment every day, very little of our process resembles anything close to a recreational trip. Some of the psychedelics used above are extremely common in friendly and social settings, and often known more as party drugs that as therapeutic substances.
The opposite is true for ibogaine; it has essentially zero recreational use, and has come into public awareness as a powerful and naturally occurring addiction treatment, one that can reduce withdrawal symptoms, and give a fresh perspective on people’s lives.
But, in our experience, very little of these positive benefits are likely to come from an at-home session without the proper guidelines and accompanying treatment programs in place.
2. Not all ibogaine is created equal
Ibogaine is an unregulated substance, and as such, it can come from any provider, and skepticism about its purity and origin is always a good policy. Keep in mind, Ibogaine hydrochloride per se is the purified psychoactive substance within the iboga root, which means, in order to acquire it, a careful extraction process must be undertaken (so as to reach 99.8% purity). Put another way, this isn’t simply something you grab from the local ibogaine dealer.
With purity comes measurable doses, and the ability to take a scientific approach to administering the ibogaine. This is why ensuring the quality and concentration of the ibogaine is absolutely crucial, and so is making sure it is only taken in a scientific and clinic context, with the presence of a deeply experienced practitioner who knows his or her supply well, and is able to administer the exact dose for the individual’s needs.
3. Getting results requires experience and a truly dedicated practitioner
A mentioned in our previous post on three main things to help you decide on an ibogaine treatment center, it’s essential to be sure that an ibogaine treatment facility does not employ a one-size-fits-all approach. With experience treating hundreds and hundreds of individuals, in our case, we have been able to develop protocols for hundreds of variations, personal scenarios, and health considerations. here is just an example of our proprietary understanding that we employ:
This approach is usually the antithesis of the methods and doses used in scenarios where an individual or group are choosing to self-administer ibogaine or ‘trip’ on the substance. In situations like these, ibogaine is attempted to be used as a standalone ‘fix’ (which it certainly is not), and the results match that unrealistic expectation: the person trips on usually much too high a dose, and the underlying traumas or causes of the anxiety, addiction, etc are simply not addressed through a careful treatment plan.
Rather, the individuals end up worse or altered, without benefiting from the feeling of true freedom and awareness that we want to see after a session involving ibogaine.
Conclusion
We could go on about the concept of taking a ‘do it yourself’ approach to ibogaine, but the summary is that shopping for ibogaine, especially when it’s in an earnest attempt to treat a serious problem the individual is suffering from, is simply more likely to lead to wasted time and energy, wasted money, and even possibly side effects.
There are certainly myriad benefits of investing the money & time to go to a facility with a track record of success. One must calculate the long terms costs of a failed self-administration, and the uncertainty of trying to acquire something like ibogaine online, where one might encounter a Wild West of standards…and the results to match.
Get in touch with us through the chat widget on this page, or head over to our contact page and send us a note. We’d be happy to learn about your personal goals when considering ibogaine, and help anyone make the right choice about their particular needs.