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Ibogaine and mental illness

wingnutlives

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
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I was wondering if anyone with severe mental illness has taken ibogaine, and what effect it had on their mental illness. What I have is extreme, crippling anxiety (thought loops about death and existence, paralyzing terror, that kind of thing) and sometimes mild psychosis and paranoia. Ibogaine is the only psychedelic I would even consider, because I think it may help me, but I still am afraid of it. My mind is so fragile right now.

I would like to hear personal experiences or anecdotes of other people's experiences with ibogaine, from people who have experienced the kind of mental illness that I am talking about.
 
I don't know much about ibogaine but it doesn't sound like a very good idea.. over the LONG trip it may just strengthen you're depressed state of mind.

Ever taken any SSRIs?
 
Psychedelics always help my anxiety go away. A lot of drugs really. To bad it's helping effect is never permanent. I wouldn't start with ibogaine as your first psychedelic experience.
 
It's hard to say. I've always had to proceed with caution when using LSD due to the depersonalization effects it's had on me, and mushrooms have historically blown me out of the water.

On the other hand, ibogaine was quite different. I was still me, but somehow I felt I had tapped into a universal plane that my soul knew was there all along, and the drug finally allowed me to experience it. Almost as if--and this is so cliche--I had come home.

Granted, I did not take a heroic dose, but it was a fairly good sized one (730 mg) and the experience was undeniably powerful--ibogaine for me was a stern but benevolent spirit.

It's quite possible that it could be effective for treating the kind of anxiety wingy is feeling. There's no way to know without trying--nothing ventured, nothing gained, keep the dosage at about 8-10mg/kg and it should go well without lasting too long.
 
^ Have you written a report or anything about the Iboga experience - coz I'm interested in it .
 
I have exactly what you just described. mdma COMPLETLY obliterates it. as far as ibogaine goes, i have some iboga but have yet to try it. i will pm you when i do :)
 
Yes, LSD and mushrooms have historically had negative effects on me - depersonalization, bad thought loops, panic... - It's really good to hear that Ibogaine is different.

Thisusername - please DO PM me when you try it! I would really like to know.

Thanks for the responses : )
 
Ibogaine may be useful for you. In fact, its well known ability to help with chemical dependency seems to be a result of a mechanism which resets habits in a general way. So in the case of addiction, the brain returns to a pre-addictive state, but this also appears to work on other habits, negative thought patterns, etc. In addition, the spiritual component gives the user a new perspective on their thoughts and actions, helping to identify the causes of problems. Finally, there seems to be a several week long afterglow, an anti-depressant effect, possibly produced by levels of nor-ibogaine still in the system, which provides a window of opportunity and the motivation to make changes to your life.

Having said all that, an ibogaine experience is unlikely to be enjoyable, you definitely need a sitter, as it will probably make you nauseous and uncoordinated (ie unable to get to the bathroom unassisted). And it can be dangerous for people with a pre-existing heart or liver condition, so ideally you would get those basic functions checked first. Obviously you should not take any other substance before or during the experience. Afterwards you probably won't want to.

Iboga in its traditional setting is considered a medicine, and not just for mental issues. The current usage for chemical dependency probably just scratches the surface of what this remarkable plant can do.

Although the experience is generally harrowing, I believe 'bad trips' in the traditional LSD/mushroom sense are less likely, and the chances of being traumatized following the experience are very low. But it should probably be avoided by those who are bipolar or have a specific disorder such as schizophrenia, just because not enough is known yet, so it's too risky to predict the outcome.

It terms of other options, I have found that very low dose psychedelics, particularly mushrooms, have a very pronounced mood-lift and afterglow, but that's more of a short term thing. Ketamine might also be effective in the right environment, but it has other dangers so is not ideal. As thisusername pointed out MDMA can completely fix those symptoms. This temporary relief could be useful in a therapeutic context (ie exploring issues with a therapist), but unlikely to provide lasting benefits if taken in an unstructured setting. (And possible physical risks from extended use of MDMA count against it.)
 
For your condition I would dissuade the usage of MDMA because of the crash. From what I have read, methylone may be a route since it has little to no crash. It also does not last that long, in comparison to ibogaine, with a relatively straight mind.

Apart from that, isn't ibogaine really difficult to acquire outside therapeutic setting? Maybe you should try that ad banner at the top of your screen.
 
Erebus- said:
...From what I have read, methylone may be a route since it has little to no crash. It also does not last that long, in comparison to ibogaine, with a relatively straight mind.

Apart from that, isn't ibogaine really difficult to acquire outside therapeutic setting? Maybe you should try that ad banner at the top of your screen.

Methylone is well known for producing cravings as it wears off and a cocaine-like crash. I would never take M1 instead of MDMA if your only real reason is to avoid a crash.

As far as ibogaine availability, its around about as much as most esoteric psychedelics. If you want it enough, you will definitely find it, but its not going to be something you get from the pot dealer, you know?
 
Yeah MDMA has already sent me into extreme anxiety, mild psychosis... I wouldn't touch the stuff again. It has no more positive effect on me. I don't think I would try methalone either, or anything related to mdma. I want to try ibogaine because it's supposed to be gentler than other therapeutic psychedelics.
 
wingnutlives said:
Yeah MDMA has already sent me into extreme anxiety, mild psychosis... I wouldn't touch the stuff again. It has no more positive effect on me. I don't think I would try methalone either, or anything related to mdma. I want to try ibogaine because it's supposed to be gentler than other therapeutic psychedelics.

Don't do it. If MDMA produced extreme anxiety that is a telltale sign that you should not be doing psychedelics in your current state of mind. Ibogaine is not special. I'm sorry.
 
Aopocetx said:
Don't do it. If MDMA produced extreme anxiety that is a telltale sign that you should not be doing psychedelics in your current state of mind. Ibogaine is not special. I'm sorry.

Have you done ibogaine or known someone who did? I really want to hear about more personal experiences before I make a decision one way or another.
 
well ever since my iboga/ibogaine exp last year my bi-polar, panic anxiety, and shizoeffective disorders have more or less vanished and my mind feels like ive had a factory reset.
 
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I have exactly what you just described. mdma COMPLETLY obliterates it. as far as ibogaine goes, i have some iboga but have yet to try it. i will pm you when i do :)

I'm actually going to agree on this, I used to be fairy anxious/nervous (minor comparing to what you're describing) but after experiencing a few decent nights out on MDMA the drug pretty much taught me that I really don't have to care, about anything.

My current situation has improved greatly since trying the drug job/relationship wise.
 
Sorry for necrosis bumping but everyone has failed to mention that taking a flood dose of ibogaine will metabolize into nor-ibogaine which is an SSRI that keeps working for about 6 months. This has the potential to help with afflictions such as anxiety and depression.
 
San Pedro cactus, which contains mescaline, can be very therapeutic for issues such as you describe.
The state of mind one is in on mescaline (given the dosage isn't too high) is very lucid and tranquil generally, and the experience trends towards therapeutic reflection and emotional healing.

This cactus has been used for thousands of years in south America as a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual medicine. :)

I'm sure Iboga could help, I simply suggest cactus as you mentioned disinterest in "tripping out" and I've heard iboga is quite a ride! Cactus can of course be otherworldly and overwhelming with strong doses, but I am confident that the therapeutic effects you seek would be accessible with this plant without taking a high dose.

Best of progressions!
:)
 
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I had what you described and did Iboga. You MUST have a sitter. The panic surfaced during the trip, and the sitter was absolutely necessary for the trip. The trip took a huge chunk out of my anxiety in general, but it was work, during and after the trip especially. I can't say I would recommend it. It could help, but HAVE A GOOD SITTER if you do it.
 
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