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Iboga Blog
rehab
27th January 2021
The Addiction Treatment Industry: A Closer Look
The addiction treatment industry is full of committed professionals doing their best to help addicts escape from the nightmare of addiction. We would like to preface this post expressing our gratitude, love, and support for all of those remarkable individuals devoting their lives to the struggle against addiction. But as in any industry, there are a number of problematic trends, profit-motivated businesses, and self-serving individuals and institutions that are preying on the afflicted, and lining their pockets as their clients suffer. Today we’ll be taking a look at the major problems we see in the drug rehab industry.
The Costs
This problem is particularly pronounced in America, but it exists around the world. This recent Vox study explored the astronomical costs of treatment, telling the stories of families taken to the brink of financial ruin by their attempts to save a loved one. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in the US in 2018 concluded that approximately 314,000 Americans wanted and needed treatment in 2018, but were unable to afford it because they weren’t covered by insurance. Another study found that drug treatment services were over 10x more likely to be excluded from insurance plans than other medical services and that the disparity was growing larger.
Insurance companies have also done a poor job of selecting treatment providers within the rehab industry, often pushing clients to cheaper centers in Florida rather than more expensive facilities closer to home. An influential article published by the New Yorker last fall details the “Florida Shuffle”, a phenomenon where addicts are funneled into sober homes who profit from insurance payouts while offering minimal services beyond 12 Step meetings and urine tests. In fact, many of the treatment centers and sober homes in America were charging insurance companies up to $20,000 per month for the urinalysis of a single patient, while offering sub-standard care.
The New Yorker article tells of one such center, Good Decisions, operated by Kenneth Bailynson, who bought the Green Terrace Condominium complex and opened a urinalysis lab. As the New Yorker writes:
The Palm Beach Post reported that Bailynson turned Green Terrace into “an armed camp, where guards with guns made sure addicts did not leave.” At his detention hearing, Jim Hayes, the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, described Good Decisions as a “piss farm,” in business “only to harvest residents’ urine.”
Facilities like these often attempted to lure patients in with smartphones, gift cards, and free rent. Many of the sober homes and treatment centers in the existing rehab industry have condoned drug use on their premises, and confined patients against their will. As John Lehman of the Recovery Outcomes Institute noted, South Florida became “the relapse, rather than the recovery, capital of the world.
Enduring Questions
Because relapse is so common, facilities are subject to so little regulation, and the fact that we still have an incomplete understanding of the neurological processes that underlie addiction, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what treatments, or elements of treatment programs, work. As one analyst told Vox, There are 4,000 quality control measures for Medicare and Medicaid services in America. “There are none for addiction - zero.”
Shatterproof, an American organization dedicated to establishing national standards of care for addiction treatment is looking to change this reality. They’ve teamed up with many large insurers to try to “identify, reward, and promote” treatment providers who scrupulously follow the scientific evidence and provide a high standard of care. While cynics might speculate that this is the result of insurance companies losing lawsuits against the families of those victimized by the Florida Shuffle and insurance coverage that discriminates against the addicted (the case Wit vs. United Behavioral Health found the company guilty of wrongly rejecting 50,000 claims, and other lawsuits abound), the move toward national and even international standards is largely positive.
But the fact remains that studies of treatment outcomes are largely conducted by the facilities themselves. They generally rely on self-reporting from past clients, with no verification of claims of sobriety. And the treatment centers are incentivized to select data points, or even falsify data, in order to appear more attractive to potential clients. While Shatterproof aims to become similar to Yelp! and allow potential clients access to data from patients, insurance companies, and providers in order to accurately assess facilities, we’re a long way from having the information we need.
The Influence of Stigma
Because of the dangerous stigma which surrounds addiction, many promising treatments, and public health policies are neglected. Opioid replacement therapies, needle exchanges, safe injection sites, and promising alternative therapies like ayahuasca and ibogaine remain illegal in a host of jurisdictions. As the opioid crisis rages on, and more lives are lost to overdose every day, the stigma of addiction often prevents lawmakers from utilizing approaches that have been proven to save lives and experimenting with treatments that have the potential to win the war with addiction.
While the scientific evidence that addiction is a medical problem occurring in the brain has become overwhelming, people and governments in many countries around the world are stubbornly clinging to misguided moral notions that force us to battle addiction with one hand tied behind our backs. Can you imagine if potentially lifesaving cancer treatments were neglected, hospitals’ mortality rates went unrecorded, or those with hypertension were told that their inability to lower their blood pressure was a personal failing? Most of the problems we are experiencing in the rehab industry could be overcome if the public demanded that addiction be dealt with as a common health problem.
At Iboga Tree Healing House we are deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our patients. We will continue to advocate against the stigma of addiction, and for the strictest possible standards in patient safety and quality of treatment. If you feel that you need a treatment center that is devoted to the health and well-being of its clients, get in touch with us today!
21st January 2021 • Sticky Post
Rehab in France: Why French Addicts Are Seeking Addiction Treatment Abroad
France’s drug problem is bad, and it has been getting worse. There are epidemics of heroin use, a flood of cocaine from South America, and the constant importation of hashish from nearby Morocco. In 2019, President Emmanuel Macron admitted that the country was losing the fight against drugs in neighborhoods such as Marseille’s notorious 14th District and Paris’ “banlieues.” As the opioid crisis rages on, increasing numbers of French people have been experimenting with and becoming addicted to, the same opioid-based pain pills that have devastated communities across the United States. People in France are dying almost every day from opioid overdoses, and the problem seems likely to grow worse in the new decade.
The banlieues, social housing projects in the suburbs of major cities, are a huge cause of concern. They’re plagued by violence, rampant drug use, and radical Islam, but France’s drug problem goes far deeper than the slums of Paris and Marseille. In fact, the country has some of the highest rates of drug use in the E.U., together with some of the strictest laws concerning drug use. France has continually resisted calls to modernize its drug policies, even while acknowledging the shortcomings of the status quo. If you’re investigating rehab in France looking for solutions and a sense of hope, turning your gaze abroad may seem like the wisest approach.
Why Portugal?
Addiction treatment in France: why french addicts are looking abroad
Portugal was in the midst of an epidemic of heroin addiction (much like France in the 1980s) when they made the dramatic decision to embrace the principles of harm-reduction and decriminalize the consumption of all drugs. As one of the architects behind Portugal’s new approach explains it: “We realized we were squandering resources. It made much more sense for us to treat drug addicts as patients who needed help, not as criminals.” By removing the threats of prosecution and incarceration, Portugal has reduced the stigma surrounding addiction, and the number of addicts receiving treatment has increased by 60% since 1998. The results the country has achieved simply by treating addicts with dignity and viewing addiction as a health issue has caused countries such as Canada Switzerland and Germany to embrace harm-reduction. Portugal’s clear-headed, compassionate approach to treating addiction makes it an ideal destination for those attempting to overcome substance-abuse problems.
France has embraced some of the principles of harm-reduction, particularly by implementing needle exchanges and a pilot project for supervised injection sites. But the country still relies on opioid replacement therapy, usually involving buprenorphine, as a way to treat opioid addiction. While buprenorphine can stabilize the lifestyles of addicts and prevent HIV and overdoses, it leaves those seeking treatment dependent on a narcotic substance and does little to address the issues underlying addiction. If you’re looking to truly defeat your addiction, buprenorphine probably isn’t the best option.
There are some publicly funded options for rehab in France, and there are also privately run residential treatment facilities in nearby Switzerland. These centers have the benefit of being close to home, but for those without substantial bank accounts, the cost of effective treatment in a comfortable setting can be staggering. Luxury private facilities have rates in the region can be as high as 77,000 USD per week! And if you’re looking for a publicly funded rehab in France, you need to be prepared for wait times spanning weeks, or even months, before being placed in an overcrowded and under-funded treatment facility. The shortage of treatment beds and affordable facilities has pushed many addicts to the brink of despair.
In theory, seeking rehab in France will not put you at risk of stigma for being an addict in a society that views drug use very harshly. But if you’re living in a small community, word might still spread. If you’re looking to be treated with dignity and respect, experience compassionate care, and maintain your privacy, going abroad might be your best option. Drug addiction is still viewed harshly in many French communities, particularly rural areas, and studies finding that addiction carries more stigma than mental illness. In many small towns, the addicted are still seen as criminals who have succumbed to a “moral failing” rather than sick people in need of medical treatment. If you’d prefer to be treated as a person, rather than a junkie, as you begin your recovery journey, you might want to consider seeking treatment in Portugal!
What Are The Benefits Of Treatment Abroad?
1) Environment
Leaving an environment full of familiar stressors and temptations can have a beneficial effect in treatment, and Portugal is a great place to recover from the traumas related to addiction. It’s a picturesque country with a lovely Mediterranean climate. It’s dotted with quaint villages, ancient ruins, majestic castles, and miles of beautiful coastline. And there are few regions better suited to recovering your health than Portugal’s sun-drenched Alentejo region. A land of rolling hills and vast plains, the Alentejo offers visitors the opportunity to recover their health and connections to the natural world by riding horses, watching birds, stargazing, hiking and cycling. Many French visitors are especially appreciative of the temperate climate, peaceful lifestyle, and delicious regional fare, all while feeling at home with a climate, culture, and society that is familiar enough to feel welcoming. All this, while enjoying a rehab facility that rivals a luxurious resort or hotel for a fraction of the cost of rehab in France. You’ll disconnect from a toxic environment and share amazing new experiences with people from all around the world!
2) Privacy
While increasing numbers of people are coming to the understanding that addiction is a medical issue, there is still a significant social and professional stigma that comes with seeking treatment for substance abuse. If you head to Portugal, it’s easy to tell friends, family members, and colleagues that you’re off on a much-needed vacation and avoid awkward conversations and prying questions. There’s also no risk that someone will spot you emerging from a clinic or support group meeting and start whispering.
3) Promising Treatments Unavailable At Home
We’ve written a lot about the undeniable power of ayahuasca and ibogaine to combat the addictive properties of opioids and other drugs and to open the addicted mind to the idea of a positive transformation into sobriety. Because Portugal has decriminalized all drugs, promising treatments that cannot be obtained in a safe medical setting in France (where the substance is completely illegal) can be accessed here with the supervision of health-care professionals.
4) Easy Intake
When you’ve reached rock bottom, a treatment center that can quickly start the process of detox and recovery can be a life-saver. The prospect of waiting months for the in-patient treatment you need can be a heart-breaking, motivation-sapping roadblock. Options for rehab in France are often underfunded, one of the main reasons why the majority of French addicts are pushed into less intensive outpatient treatment programs and buprenorphine maintenance. Treatment centers abroad can immediately start the intake process, allowing you to strike back at your addiction when you’re feeling hopeful and motivated. This can make all the difference in the world!
Iboga Tree Healing House
At Iboga Tree Healing House, we have a unique ability to accommodate clients from around the world with our welcoming, open-minded, and international staff. You’d be hard-pressed to find a rehab more committed to the safety of their clients than Iboga Tree Healing House. We’re also deeply committed to maintaining a supportive and non-judgmental environment for facilitating recovery and personal growth.
In addition to offering iboga treatment, we also provide a wide array of holistic treatments, including breathwork, kundalini yoga, equine-assisted therapy, kambo, and more. All of these practices are extremely beneficial for re-energizing both body and spirit to pursue recovery. In combination with our ten-hectares of outdoor space, large terraces, and outdoor swimming pool, we let nature remind our clients to be grateful and receptive for new horizons and second chances. We have many testimonials from people around the globe who’ve benefited immeasurably from experiencing our treatments in beautiful, sunny Portugal. If you’d like to experience treatment abroad, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
20th January 2021
Alternative Addiction Treatment: Why Governments are Embracing Change At Last
As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage communities, end lives, and subject individuals and families to the horrors of addiction, a tipping point has been reached. Everyone knows somebody who has been prescribed a powerful, prescription painkiller and struggled with dependence. This health crisis, coupled with changing social attitudes that de-stigmatize addicts and addiction, has sparked a move to push the afflicted away from criminal justice systems and toward health care and treatment. As we begin to examine addiction without the blinders of moral censure and the criminalization of those in its grasp, citizens and their governments are exploring bold new alternative addiction treatment options that have shown great promise in healing the addicted. Let’s examine the factors behind this trend, and what it means going forward.
Big Pharma
For years large, profitable, and seemingly respectable pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma, McKesson, and Amerisource Bergen aggressively and misleadingly marketed addictive painkillers in spite of mounting evidence that the drugs were being abused. Communities were flooded with drugs such as OxyContin, and the effects were devastating. As legislators and the public realized the magnitude of the crisis, lawsuits mounted, PR firms scrambled, and treatment facilities were overwhelmed. One effect of the opioid crisis was a loss of trust in both drug manufacturers and the medical establishment, which elected to throw dangerous substances at the symptoms of pain, rather than addressing its root causes. This has led public health officials and addicts to move away from profitable, traditional treatments such as methadone, which create dependence and examine the problem of addiction with fresh eyes.
Neuroscience Breakthroughs
Over the past thirty years, our understanding of the nature of addiction has been fundamentally altered by technologies that give us access to the functioning of the addicted brain. We can now observe the neurological processes and genetic predispositions that feed addiction and create treatments that effectively put this information to use. We’ve learned that changes occur in the addicted brain which dramatically affect how addicts view reward and motivation, regulate emotion, and maintain (or fail to maintain) executive control.
As one researcher wrote of the changes that occur: “Most prominent are the disruptions of an individual's ability to prioritize behaviors that result in long-term benefit over those that provide short-term rewards and the increasing difficulty exerting control over these behaviors even when associated with catastrophic consequences.” Understanding the mental changes that addicts undergo is fundamental to creating alternative addiction treatment models that will rewire the brain, and allow those suffering from substance abuse disorders to return to themselves.
The Truth About Trauma
We’ve long known that trauma and addiction go hand in hand. As the physician and philosopher Gabor Mate has been preaching for years, addiction is often a response to pain and childhood trauma. Researchers at Harvard University have come to realize that Mate’s theories on the nature of addiction were worth exploring. Kerry J. Ressler, chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School has been researching both the psychological and neurological effects of trauma and has found that an overwhelming majority of addicts have been traumatized. He claims his research proves that addiction is “a biological disease. We all have innate drives toward food, sex, and other novelties, but when you begin to abuse drugs, these drives become hijacked so that the normal drives are not nearly as rewarding anymore.”
Dr. Ressler’s research explored the links between addiction, trauma, the amygdala, and the orbitofrontal cortex, areas of the brain which regulate goal-oriented behavior and emotional regulation. He found that increased levels of a neuroplasticity protein, called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), drive goal-oriented behavior. In contrast, stress or developmental trauma may lead to atrophy of the OFC neurotrophin systems, which in turn can lead to increased habitual behavior, such as drug-seeking.
It’s clear that reversing these changes in the brain’s functioning will be an important factor in developing alternative addiction treatment models and ultimately defeating addiction in the years to come.
Evolving Understanding
Changes in our understanding of addiction have gone hand in hand with society’s changing attitudes towards drugs. In many Western countries, Harm Reduction has supplanted the war on drugs, cannabis and psilocybin are increasingly being decriminalized, and forward-thinking societies have come to understand that treatment rather than prison is the appropriate response to excessive drug use.
Meanwhile, the potential of utilizing psychoactive substances medicinally has gone mainstream. Using marijuana and CBD to offset the effects of chemotherapy and glaucoma was just the tip of the iceberg. Best-selling authors like Michael Pollan and Tim Ferriss have realized that substances like ibogaine, ayahuasca, and psilocybin, all traditionally used as medicines around the world, have the potential to effectively treat a host of psychiatric ailments ranging from depression and anxiety to addiction. And even celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow are going on talk shows to discuss the incredible potential of psychedelics as medicine.
Scientific studies are confirming that psychedelics can aid the brain in creating neuroplasticity and manufacturing new neurons. Iboga has also been proven to restore dopamine receptors in the brain to a pre-addicted state, as well as dramatically lessening the symptoms of withdrawal for those in recovery. Other studies on ayahuasca and psilocybin in treating alcohol and drug addiction have shown that these substances have a beneficial effect on the neural pathways that influence habit, reward, and pleasure.
Change is Coming
As 2021 dawns, we expect all of the trends mentioned above to push governments and regulators towards action. As we’ve seen with the legalization of cannabis and same-sex marriage, changing social attitudes can prompt legislators to move quickly. As overdose death tolls mount and addiction continues to tear families and communities apart, we urge governments around the world to act quickly to adopt alternative addiction treatment approaches. Millions of lives are at stake, and every promising alternative addiction treatment option needs to be explored. If you or someone you know is ready to try an alternative treatment that we know saves lives, reach out to Iboga Tree Healing House today!
12th January 2021 • Sticky Post
Phones in Addiction Treatment: Why Rehabs Set Limits
It didn’t take us long, as individuals and as a society, to become incredibly dependent on our smartphones. From checking the weather and communicating with everyone we know, to watching TV, and even buying Christmas presents, smartphones have become central to modern life. We keenly feel their absence the second the battery dies. We reach for them as soon as we wake up in the morning. Yet most drug treatment centers either ban or severely limit their use (at Iboga Tree Healing House we allow clients to use phones in treatment for one hour every Saturday), much to the irritation, discomfort, and displeasure of their patients and guests. Let’s dive into the reasons why you shouldn’t be staring at that iPhone screen while in treatment, and why using your phone in rehab is a bad idea...
Maximizing Focus
The time you have while in a residential treatment facility is crucially important. You have a limited number of hours to work on the very serious issues that have brought you here. If you’re like the overwhelming majority of our clients, you have very serious issues to work on in order to emerge intact from the nightmare of substance abuse and addiction.
This means that your focus shouldn’t be on social media accounts, YouTube videos, or work email on phones in treatment. You need to devote yourself to rebuilding the physical and mental health that has suffered from your addiction. That requires you to be present, not distracted, as you deal with yourself and others. Whether you’re tasked with an hour of yoga, a detailed personal inventory, or a period of quiet reflection, if you’re not completely committed to the process of recovery, you’ll dramatically lower your chances for success.
If a rehab forbids an object or behavior, there’s likely a good reason behind the decision. Feel free to ask about it, but remember that you’re dealing with experienced professionals who are working hard to help you succeed. Your daily routine is mapped out with thought and care to maximize the benefits each therapy can provide. Whether you’re exercising, practicing mindfulness, sitting in a 12 Step meeting, or undergoing one-on-one therapy, your focus needs to be 100% on the task at hand, and distractions like using phones in treatment will make treatment much less effective.
Building Connection
As mentioned above, we allow our clients one hour each week to use their phones to catch up with the people they care about. Many treatment centers offer a land-line for clients to chat with and receive support from, friends and family. Support from your family is an incredible tool for beating addiction, and one that we wholeheartedly encourage our clients to take advantage of.
But for incoming patients, phones in treatment can have a number of negative effects. The first and most obvious is the temptation to call an old dealer, or a friend from when you were using, and ask them to bring you drugs. Obviously, this wasn’t your plan coming in, but triggers, cravings, and temptations can be too powerful to resist. Newly clean addicts are in an incredibly fragile state, and anything from bad news to a social media post could set off a negative reaction, which could put other clients at risk as well. In order to keep everyone under their care safe, it’s wise to eliminate any risk of substances being smuggled in, or someone else luring you out of rehab.
In addiction treatment, you have an opportunity to reflect on the nature of all of your relationships. If you’ve been living with addiction, we’d be willing to bet that a fair number of them are far from positive and healthy. Taking the time to reflect on who among your friends, family, and acquaintances deserves to be a part of your new life, and who is best left behind for the sake of your health, happiness, and safety is something you have the opportunity to do in treatment. Maintaining constant contact with everyone from your addicted life can be harmful to your well-being.
Mental Health
As you look to rebuild your physical and mental health in treatment, becoming less dependent on your phone is a great step to take. Studies have shown that excessive cell phone use is linked to a number of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and insomnia. And the symptoms caused by cell phone addiction are especially pronounced in young people, according to a study on 20-24-year-olds conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Other studies have proven that excessive use of cell phones and social media sites increases the stress levels of their users, which also compromises their immune systems.
Treatment is also a time to break down your walls and build meaningful, sober connections with the people around you. It’s much easier to create relationships when you’re fully present and engaged with everything going on around you. Researchers at the University of Essex in the UK conducted multiple experiments on human interactions and concluded that the “results demonstrate that the presence of mobile phones can interfere with human relationships, an effect that is most clear when individuals are discussing personally meaningful topics.”
Let's Get Real
Your treatment center has thought long and hard about how you can best use the limited time available to you to best rebuild your physical and mental strength. Wasting time playing on a cell phone may be a pleasant way to kill an hour, but it’s not going to give you the tools and inner-strength needed to take on your addiction. Instead of directing your attention outward, take this time to focus on the changes that are occurring, and need to occur within yourself. Mindfulness practice, cultivating hobbies and interests, and tackling past traumas are worthwhile goals for this time. Playing Candy Crush and looking at your ex’s Instagram, not so much.
6th January 2021 • Sticky Post
High-Functioning Addicts: Why Professionals Succumb to Addiction
When we think about addiction, we generally tend to picture someone who has reached “rock bottom.” Society’s image of the addict is generally a person whose affliction has taken everything away from them. Broken families, financial ruin, powerlessness, and homelessness are often the default image our minds conjure up when addiction and addicts are under discussion. But in reality, addicts exist in all walks of life, and their circumstances can be radically different from those we’ve mentioned. Our reflexive reaction to the word “addiction” is a result of the severe stigma that surrounds this health problem and is often a barrier to treatment for those who need it most. For "high-functioning addicts", the refusal to admit the severity of the problem can often exacerbate it. That’s why we’re taking a look at the unique challenges high-functioning, successful professionals with addictions face when they need help.
Denial
For many professionals, their identity as an individual is subsumed by their career. Your job may necessitate keeping your personal opinions, feelings, and fears to yourself. And these long-held habits can be a huge barrier to admitting to yourself or those around you that you have a problem and need help with solving it. For people in high-stress jobs who are used to facing significant challenges and dealing with heavy responsibilities, admitting that you’re powerless in the face of addiction is often the most difficult step to take.
Stress
In today’s society, it’s easy to become a workaholic. Smartphones and breakthroughs in communications technology can make it seem like you never really have time off. Many professionals begin to misuse substances as a way to de-stress, often self-medicating in order to fall asleep or blow off steam. But as an addiction develops, the tension of attempting to manage an unmanageable condition while also navigating difficult and exhausting situations at work can lead you into a downward spiral where both causes of stress feed off of each other.
Fear of Professional Disgrace
Doctors, lawyers, and those in the finance industry all have wide circles of acquaintance, and all of their jobs are built on maintaining the trust of their clients. When individuals working in these areas develop problems with substance abuse, they begin to live in fear of discovery, and a sense of living in isolation with a secret generally becomes pronounced. Even mentioning words like “treatment” and “addiction” to colleagues, clients, or supervisors could come with serious professional consequences. As a result, many high-functioning people working in prestigious jobs tend to suffer in silence until their situation becomes critical. In spite of their ample resources, professionals, like the vast majority of those suffering from substance abuse disorders, are highly unlikely to receive the treatment they need.
No Time For Self-Care
People in demanding industries and professions often have a lot of difficulty taking the time that their bodies and minds need to stay healthy. When you’re looking to break free from dependence on a substance, you’ll need time to allow yourself to heal and develop the strategies and skills needed to make recovery last. It’s crucial to remember that if you are a high-functioning person in need of physical, psychological, or spiritual care to deal with a substance use disorder, delaying treatment is almost certain to exacerbate the problem. There are options out there that can work for you, regardless of how busy your schedule is.
Burnout
Demanding schedules, the difficulties of managing other people, tension-filled situations, and a sense of fatigue all lead many high-powered people to burn-out in their careers. And vulnerability to substance abuse is one of the symptoms of this condition. If you’re suffering from burnout (common symptoms are exhaustion, a compromised immune system, depression, insomnia, and a sense of isolation) you may want to factor that in when evaluating your treatment options. It’s important to ask yourself whether substance misuse is the problem or merely a symptom. You may be in need of a facility that has experience and expertise in treating both conditions.
Find Solutions That Work For You!
One of the options you should consider is an Executive Rehab Center. These facilities are designed for high-functioning addicts and alcoholics to receive the treatment they need in a setting that allows them to experience a minimum of disruption in their professional lives. Many facilities offer amenities like conference rooms, access to computers, travel support, and firm commitments to maintaining privacy which is often vitally important to clients. They’ll be willing to work your commitments and professional needs into a custom treatment plan that allows you to stay in good standing at work while dealing with your issues. These treatment centers also generally offer a more luxurious experience than you would encounter at a run of the mill treatment center, often including swimming pools, exercise facilities, and catered meals as well as a more flexible schedule. They also tend to offer comprehensive out-patient services that could offer the support you need.
Many highly successful people with addiction issues opt to receive treatment abroad. One of the main reasons for this is the guarantee of privacy. You run little risk of running into someone you know from your professional life and are all but guaranteed to keep your personal life private. You also can tell your colleagues, clients, and supervisors that you’re taking a much-needed vacation, rather than dealing with a personal issue. In many instances, taking a break from the stresses which have led you into dependence on a substance will have a hugely beneficial effect on your attitude in treatment and the outcomes you achieve. Furthermore, you may gain access to some treatments, such as ibogaine therapy or NAD+, which may not be available in your home country.
High-functioning addicts face unique obstacles in treating their addiction issues, but they also have access to a broad range of facilities and services based on their financial resources, comprehensive insurance plans, and personal connections. If you’re looking for a way to end your addiction, we’d recommend spending the time to look at all of the treatment options that are available and reflecting on your individual needs. If you have any questions about our methods, services, or treatments, feel free to get in touch today!
8th December 2020
Addiction Treatment in Australia: Why Australians are Looking Abroad for Options
Australia has a serious drug problem that keeps growing worse. As the opioid crisis rages on, rapidly increasing numbers of Australians have been experimenting with, and becoming addicted to, the same opioid-based pain pills that have devastated communities across the United States. Australia’s death rates from opioid related overdoses have doubled over the past decade, and many experts fear that the problem is growing exponentially worse. Coroners around the country, faced with thousands of deaths, are uniting to call on the government to impose stricter regulations on deadly “medicines” such as OxyContin and Fentanyl. In fact, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners dubbed the problem a “national emergency” over two years ago, but it's then-President Dr. Bastian Seidel now wonders if anyone was listening.
Legal opioid use has quadrupled between 1990 and 2014 according to University of Sydney researchers, and one hospital even hired an extra pharmacist to deal exclusively with ballooning prescriptions for opioid-based pain pills. Opioid-related deaths have jumped from 439 in 2006 to1,119 in 2016, with most of the fatalities resulting from legal painkillers rather than illegal narcotics like heroin. More than 3 million Australians, one-eighth of the country’s population, are now getting at least one opioid prescription per year according to the latest data. The problem is particularly troubling in Tasmania, where 2.7 pill packs are sold each year per each resident, while in some regions there are more government-subsidized prescriptions for opioids than there are people.
Almost all of the statistics we can find about drug use and Australia's addicts are frightening. And the country’s opioid crisis is a ticking time bomb that could push thousands of Australians into illicit drug use as the country moves to restrict the supply of legal opioids. Meanwhile, the country has struggled to keep pace with funding for public treatment facilities, with news outlets reporting that up to 500,000 citizens can’t access the treatment they desperately need. The number of Australia's addicts using public rehab facilities has increased substantially in recent years, with 130,000 people taking advantage of public facilities in 2018. Meanwhile, funding has remained flat, raising wait times and leaving existing centers overflowing with clients. If you’re one of Australia's addicts and you're looking for solutions and a sense of hope, turning your gaze abroad may be the wisest approach.
Why Portugal?
Addiction Treatment in Australia
Portugal was in the midst of an epidemic of heroin addiction when they made the dramatic decision to embrace the principles of harm-reduction and decriminalize the consumption of all drugs. As one of the architects behind Portugal’s new approach explains it: “We realized we were squandering resources. It made much more sense for us to treat drug addicts as patients who needed help, not as criminals.” By removing the threats of prosecution and incarceration, Portugal has reduced the stigma surrounding addiction, and the number of addicts receiving treatment has increased by 60% since 1998. The results the country has achieved simply by treating addicts with dignity and viewing addiction as a health issue has caused countries such as France, Switzerland, and Germany to embrace harm-reduction. Portugal’s clear-headed, compassionate approach to treating addiction makes it an ideal destination for those attempting to overcome substance-abuse problems.
Australia has been reluctantly embraced some of the principles of harm-reduction. But the country still spends 66% of its drug-related budget on police enforcement, and a middling 2.1% on harm reduction measures. And the country still arrests drug users and small-time dealers at alarming rates: the country had 154,000 drug-related arrests in 2017, with 88% of defendants charged with simple possession.
Australia offers some publicly funded drug treatment options to Australia's addicts looking to reclaim their lives, and there are also privately run residential treatment facilities. These centers have the benefit of being close to home, but for Australians without substantial bank accounts, the cost of effective treatment in a comfortable setting can be staggering. Luxury private facilities have rates rising as high as $70,000 per month! And if you’re looking for a publicly funded facility, you need to be prepared for wait times spanning weeks, or even months before being placed in an overcrowded and under-funded treatment facility. The shortage of treatment beds and affordable facilities has pushed many addicts to the brink of despair.
In theory, seeking treatment in these centers will not put you at risk of increased attention from the police or the stigma of being an addict in a society that views drug use very harshly, but if you’re living in a small community, word might still spread. If you’re looking to be treated with dignity and respect, experience compassionate treatment, and maintain your privacy, going abroad might be your best option. Drug addiction is still viewed harshly in many Australian communities, with studies finding that addiction carries more stigma than mental illness. In many small towns, Australia's addicts are still seen as criminals who have succumbed to a “moral failing” rather than sick people in need of medical treatment. If you’d prefer to be treated as a person, rather than a junkie, as you begin your recovery journey, you might want to consider seeking treatment in Portugal!
1) Environment
Leaving an environment full of familiar stressors and temptations can have a beneficial effect in treatment, and Portugal is a great place to recover from the traumas related to addiction. It’s a picturesque country with a lovely Mediterranean climate. It’s dotted with quaint villages, ancient ruins, majestic castles, and miles of beautiful coastline. And there are few regions better suited to recovering your health than Portugal’s sun-drenched Alentejo region. A land of rolling hills and vast plains, the Alentejo offers visitors the opportunity to recover their health and connections to the natural world by riding horses, watching birds, stargazing, hiking and cycling. Many Australian visitors are especially appreciative of the temperate climate, peaceful lifestyle, and delicious regional fare, and escaping the punishing heat of Australian summers can be extremely beneficial to your mood and receptiveness to treatment. All this, while enjoying a rehab facility that rivals a luxurious resort or hotel for a fraction of the cost of treatment back home. You’ll disconnect from a toxic environment and share amazing new experiences with people from all around the world!
2) Privacy
While increasing numbers of people are coming to the understanding that addiction is a medical issue, there is still a significant social and professional stigma that comes with seeking treatment for substance abuse. If you head to Portugal, it’s easy to tell friends, family members, and colleagues that you’re off on a much-needed vacation and avoid awkward conversations and prying questions. There’s also no risk that someone will spot you emerging from a clinic or support group meeting and start whispering.
3) Promising Treatments Unavailable At Home
We’ve written a lot about the undeniable power of ayahuasca and iboga to combat the addictive properties of opioids and other drugs and to open the addicted mind to the idea of a positive transformation into sobriety. Because Portugal has decriminalized all drugs, promising treatments that cannot be obtained in a safe medical setting in Australia can be accessed here with the supervision of health-care professionals. If you think a treatment that uses a psychoactive substance is your best option, we’d recommend getting away from Australia, where this promising treatment is currently illegal, which makes it impossible to find responsible treatment providers.
4) Easy Intake
When you’ve reached rock bottom, a treatment center that can quickly start the process of detox and recovery can be a life-saver. The prospect of waiting months for the in-patient treatment you need can be a heart-breaking, motivation-sapping roadblock. Australia’s drug treatment programs are underfunded, one of the main reasons why the majority of Australian addicts are pushed into less intensive outpatient treatment programs. Treatment centers abroad can immediately start the intake process, allowing you to strike back at your addiction when you’re feeling hopeful and motivated. This can make all the difference in the world!
Iboga Tree Healing House
At Iboga Tree Healing House we have a unique ability to accommodate clients from around the world with our welcoming, open-minded, and international staff. You’d be hard-pressed to find a treatment center more committed to the safety of their clients than Iboga Tree Healing House. We’re also deeply committed to maintaining a supportive and non-judgemental environment for facilitating recovery and personal growth.
In addition to offering iboga treatment, we also provide a wide array of holistic treatments, including breathwork, kundalini yoga, equine-assisted therapy, kambo, and more. All of these practices are extremely beneficial for re-energizing both body and spirit to pursue recovery. In combination with our ten-hectares of outdoor space, large terraces, and outdoor swimming pool, we let nature remind our clients to be grateful and receptive to new horizons and second chances. We have many testimonials from people around the globe who’ve benefited immeasurably from experiencing our treatments in beautiful, sunny Portugal. If you're one of Australia's addicts and you’d like to experience treatment in Portugal, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
18th November 2020 • Sticky Post
Rehab in South Africa: Why South Africans Are Seeking Treatment Abroad
South Africa’s drug problems have grown exponentially worse in the last few years. As the opioid crisis rages on, rapidly increasing numbers of South Africans have been experimenting with, and becoming addicted to, Nyaope, a brutal street drug also known as Whoonga. The drug is a blend of opiates and HIV medications, and it’s frequently cut with rat poison and laundry detergent. This powerful drug adds the psychoactive side-effects of medications like efavirenz to the potency of heroin. Meanwhile, statistics show a growth in the rate of cocaine and methamphetamine use, and some officials believe that the country’s current drug problem could be even more damaging than the AIDS epidemic.
South Africa used to be a transit hub for heroin making its way to Europe, but over the last few years, the domestic market for heroin has grown at a disturbingly rapid rate. As Simone Haysom, the author of a recent report on drug use for ENACT, an E.U. backed NGO, reports, heroin use is “a major phenomenon — not just in big cities, but in small towns.” South Africa is particularly at risk for developing a severe addiction problem because of systemic inequality (it has one of the largest income disparities between rich and poor in the world), a prevailing sense of hopelessness (racial tension is a fact of life and the overwhelming majority of South Africans feel the country is moving in the wrong direction), and high rates of unemployment (one in three South Africans of employable age are without jobs).
While there are few reliable statistics about the rate of drug addiction in South Africa, those that exist are frightening. And the country has struggled to keep pace with funding for public treatment facilities. The number of South Africans using public rehab facilities has increased substantially in recent years, while funding has remained flat, raising wait times and leaving existing centers overflowing with clients. If you’re a drug addict in South Africa looking for solutions and a sense of hope, turning your gaze abroad may seem like the wisest approach.
Why Portugal?
Why Portugal?
Portugal was in the midst of an epidemic of heroin addiction when they made the dramatic decision to embrace the principles of harm-reduction and decriminalize the consumption of all drugs. As one of the architects behind Portugal’s new approach explains it: “We realized we were squandering resources. It made much more sense for us to treat drug addicts as patients who needed help, not as criminals.” By removing the threats of prosecution and incarceration, Portugal has reduced the stigma surrounding addiction, and the number of addicts receiving treatment has increased by 60% since 1998. The results the country has achieved simply by treating addicts with dignity and viewing addiction as a health issue has caused countries such as France, Switzerland, and Germany to embrace harm-reduction. Portugal’s clear-headed, compassionate approach to treating addiction makes it an ideal destination for those attempting to overcome substance-abuse problems.
South Africa has been extremely slow to adopt the principles of harm-reduction. While a failure in this area can be viewed as a mistake in some countries, in a country ravaged by HIV/AIDS, the government’s refusal to enact life-saving changes is nothing less than a tragedy. Even a policy as simple as adopting needle exchanges has been met with resistance. As one researcher notes: “outreach teams frequently encounter and have to answer to angry (wealthier, more powerful) citizens and police when providing health services.”
South Africa offers some publicly funded drug treatment options to addicts looking to reclaim their lives, and there are also privately run residential treatment facilities. These centers have the benefit of being close to home, but for South Africans without substantial bank accounts, the cost of effective treatment in a comfortable setting can be staggering. Luxury private facilities have rates rising as high as $26,000 US per month! And if you’re looking for a publicly funded facility, you need to be prepared for wait times spanning weeks, or even months before being placed in an overcrowded and under-funded treatment facility. The shortage of treatment beds and affordable facilities has pushed many addicts to the brink of despair.
In theory, seeking treatment in these centers will not put you at risk of increased attention from the police or the stigma of being an addict in a society that views drug use very harshly, but if you’re living in a small community, word might still spread. If you’re looking to be treated with dignity and respect, experience compassionate treatment, and maintain your privacy, going abroad might be your best option. Drug addiction is still viewed harshly in many South African communities, with studies finding that addiction carries more stigma than mental illness. In many small towns, the addicted are still seen as criminals who have succumbed to a “moral failing” rather than sick people in need of medical treatment. If you’d prefer to be treated as a person, rather than a junkie, as you begin your recovery journey, you might want to consider seeking treatment in Portugal!
What Are The Benefits Of Treatment Abroad?
1) Environment
Leaving an environment full of familiar stressors and temptations can have a beneficial effect in treatment. South Africa is a very violent society, and rates of homicide, armed robbery, and home invasions are far higher than in other western countries. The scars of apartheid and simmering racial tensions also add to the stress of daily life in South Africa. As a result, increased rates of South Africans suffer from PTSD and related psychological disorders, conditions which often are at the root of addiction. At Iboga Tree Healing House we offer specialized treatments and counseling for dealing with PTSD, including iboga therapy.
Portugal is a great place to recover from traumas related to addiction. It’s a picturesque country with a lovely Mediterranean climate. It’s dotted with quaint villages, ancient ruins, majestic castles, and miles of beautiful coastline. And there are few regions better suited to recovering your health than Portugal’s sun-drenched Alentejo region. A land of rolling hills and vast plains, the Alentejo offers visitors the opportunity to recover their health and connections to the natural world by riding horses, watching birds, stargazing, hiking, and cycling. Many South African visitors are especially appreciative of the temperate climate, peaceful lifestyle, and delicious regional fare, and escaping the punishing heat of South African summers can be extremely beneficial to your mood and receptiveness to treatment. All this, while enjoying a rehab facility that rivals a luxurious resort or hotel for a fraction of the cost of treatment back home. You’ll disconnect from a toxic environment and share amazing new experiences with people from all around the world!
2) Privacy
Iboga Safety: Know The Facts
While increasing numbers of people are coming to the understanding that addiction is a medical issue, there is still a significant social and professional stigma that comes with seeking treatment for substance abuse. If you head to Portugal, it’s easy to tell friends, family members, and colleagues that you’re off on a much-needed vacation and avoid awkward conversations and prying questions. There’s also no risk that someone will spot you emerging from a clinic or support group meeting and start whispering.
3) Promising Treatments Unavailable In South Africa
We’ve written a lot about the undeniable power of ayahuasca and ibogaine to combat the addictive properties of opioids and other drugs, and to open the addicted mind to the idea of a positive transformation into sobriety. Because Portugal has decriminalized all drugs, promising treatments that cannot be obtained in a safe medical setting in South Africa can be accessed here with the supervision of health-care professionals. If you think a treatment that uses a psychoactive substance is your best option, we’d recommend getting away from SA, where many psychoactive substances like ayahuasca and psilocybin are illegal, which makes it difficult to find responsible treatment providers.
4) Easy Intake
Easy Intake
When you’ve reached rock bottom, a treatment center that can quickly start the process of detox and recovery can be a life-saver. The prospect of waiting months for the in-patient treatment you need can be a heart-breaking, motivation-sapping roadblock. South Africa’s drug treatment programs are underfunded, one of the main reasons why the majority of South African addicts are pushed into less intensive outpatient treatment programs. Treatment centers abroad can immediately start the intake process, allowing you to strike back at your addiction when you’re feeling hopeful and motivated. This can make all the difference in the world!
Iboga Tree Healing house
Why South Africans Are Seeking Treatment Abroad
At Iboga Tree Healing House we have a unique ability to accommodate clients from around the world with our welcoming, open-minded, and international staff.. You’d be hard-pressed to find a treatment center more committed to the safety of their clients than Iboga Tree Healing House. We’re also deeply committed to maintaining a supportive and non-judgemental environment for facilitating recovery and personal growth.
In addition to offering iboga therapy, we also provide a wide array of holistic treatments, including breathwork, kundalini yoga, equine-assisted therapy, kambo, and more. All of these practices are extremely beneficial for re-energizing both body and spirit to pursue recovery. In combination with our ten-hectares of outdoor space, large terraces, and outdoor swimming pool, we let nature remind our clients to be grateful and receptive for new horizons and second chances. We have many testimonials from people around the globe who’ve benefited immeasurably from experiencing our treatments in beautiful, sunny Portugal. If you’d like to experience treatment abroad, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
13th November 2020 • Sticky Post
Harm Reduction in 2020
Harm Reduction can be defined essentially as a range of policies designed to minimize the impact of behaviors with negative social, physical, and psychological consequences. The term is generally used to refer to a number of public policies related to substance abuse and addiction. Policies that fall under the umbrella of harm reduction would include needle exchanges, safe injection sites, opioid replacement therapy, and the decriminalization of drugs of abuse.
Harm reduction gained traction as a strategy for dealing with drug abuse in the 1980s, as the AIDS epidemic was at its height. A coalition of academics, activists, and public officials looked to limit the spread of the disease, and decrease the human and financial burdens created by addiction. As the concept developed over the years advocates of harm reduction have pointed to programs like supervised injections, needle exchanges, alternative sentencing measures, and decriminalization as ways to create better outcomes for both addicts and taxpayers. The concept has come to include creative measures such as “Illegal” magazine, a Danish publication provided to addicts which allows them to earn money by selling the publication in the manner of “The Big Issue” rather than resorting to crime or sex work.
Perhaps the greatest coup the movement has scored was persuading the Portuguese government to wholeheartedly adopt the strategy in 2001. Portugal decriminalized all drugs and began to treat addiction and substance misuse as a health issue, a tectonic shift that ended a great deal of the stigma and dehumanization that too frequently surround issues of addiction. Over the past two decades, Portugal has seen dramatic drops in the spread of HIV, deaths from overdose, and drug-related crime. Yet few countries have adopted this successful approach. Let’s take a look at the state of harm reduction measures in 2020, and explore the question of why the Portuguese model hasn’t been more widely adopted.
We can see mentalities to illicit drug use changing, as cities, states, and countries move towards decriminalization of certain drugs. Canada, South Africa, and an ever-growing list of American states have recently legalized cannabis, a shift that signals that attitudes towards illicit drug use, if not addiction, are changing in the "First World". Meanwhile, Canada, Australia, and 10 European countries are currently operating safe-injection sites for intravenous drug use. This seems like progress, but if you consider the fact that these sites are proven to save millions of dollars in health-care costs by preventing overdoses and the spread of HIV and hepatitis, it’s shocking that these facilities aren’t more widespread. A similar problem exists with needle exchange programs. Even with an indisputable array of evidence demonstrating that needle exchanges prevent the spread of diseases associated with intravenous drug use, according to Wikipedia, only 14 countries around the world provide this service, and in the USA there is a federal funding ban on these exchanges.
Portugal’s decision not to arrest or incarcerate anyone for drug possession allowed the country to provide more funding for health-care services instead of law enforcement. Decriminalization has saved the government millions of Euros and changed public conceptions of who the addicted are. According to The Guardian, people who used to be called “drogados”, a derisive term for addicts, are now referred to as “people who use drugs.” And this has happened in a country that used to employ the slogan “Drugs are Satan!”
Meanwhile, in countries like the United States, the UK, and Sweden, attitudes, and policies for dealing with the addicted remain mired in moral condemnation of drug users. 47% of the inmates in American federal prisons are incarcerated for drug offenses, while in the UK 15% of adults and over 20% of juveniles currently incarcerated are serving time for drug offenses.
Outdated policies based on moralistic views of drug users have made the toll taken by the global opioid epidemic even more horrific. People who began using prescription drugs for genuine pain are now being forced into the black-market to procure the substances they’d been encouraged to use by healthcare professionals, a process that leads to incarceration and even death. Meanwhile, promising treatments including psilocybin, ayahuasca, and ibogaine are languishing in the wings while the problems they could help solve rage on unabated.
Attitudes towards the addicted are changing, and that gives us hope for a brighter future. We just hope that governments can accelerate their adoption of this new paradigm.
Harm Reduction in the Developing World
Countries like Ghana and Colombia have been pushing to decriminalize drugs, and reform draconian laws which too often ruin the lives of young and poor people. In Ghana, someone caught with a single joint of marijuana was subject to 10 years of jail time. Many activists in the country feel that the popular reforms are being stalled by a police force and judiciary who fear the change would weaken their hold on power. Meanwhile, reports from Colombia show that the number of people in jail for drug offenses jumped by 250% following legal changes in 2009 which decriminalized possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana.
For intravenous drug users, the 2017 Lancet Global Health Report found that lower and middle-income countries (LMICs) experienced chronic under-funding for needle exchanges and other harm-reduction measures aimed at halting the spread of HIV. This is especially troubling because injection drug use is now far more prevalent in these countries than in the developed world.
In Asia, harm reduction seems even further away. The region leads the world in executions for drug offenses, and many of the continent’s largest countries, including Thailand, China, India, Korea, and Vietnam view drug trafficking as a capital offense. While harm reduction programs have appeared, the NCBI reports that they are generally small programs that reach few of the people in need.
Structural issues are a major barrier to significant harm reduction in Asia, as the social stigma surrounding drug use is far greater than in the West, and harsh penalties for simple possession keep many of those in need of treatment from accessing healthcare systems. In the Philippines, the situation is extremely grim for drug users, as President Duterte’s misguided drug war has taken the lives of an estimated 20,000 people who’ve been targeted for extrajudicial execution.
The Future
As firm believers in harm reduction who have watched firsthand as Portugal’s progressive, humanitarian policies transformed thousands of lives, we find reasons to be both saddened and encouraged by the global progress of harm reduction. At Iboga Tree Healing House we dream of a day when governments around the world adopt the fiscally prudent, deeply compassionate policies that fall under the umbrella of harm reduction. For the time being, we would recommend that addicts in regions with outmoded, repressive laws and policies regarding addiction venture abroad for treatment.
6th November 2020 • Sticky Post
Understanding Psilocybin Therapy
The use of psychedelics in treating all manner of mental illnesses has been a hot topic in recent years. Scientists at prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins, New York University, the University of New Mexico, and Imperial College in London have conducted small but rigorous and controlled studies which have shown the immense potential of psilocybin therapy in dealing with depression, anxiety, and addiction. These studies have led to numerous books exploring the history and medical potential of psychedelics to change and heal the mind, most notably best-selling American author Michael Pollan’s “How To Change Your Mind.”
As momentum has built, a number of jurisdictions have decriminalized the cultivation and possession of psilocybin (the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”), notably the major American cities of Oakland, California, and Denver, Colorado. 2020 will also see voters in Oregon and California decide on whether to legalize the substance throughout their states. Many psychologists, physicians, and people afflicted with mental illnesses are eager to take advantage of the benefits offered by this remarkable plant. As Mr. Pollan puts it:
a single psilocybin trip guided by trained professionals has the potential to relieve “existential distress” in cancer patients; break addictions to cigarettes, alcohol, and cocaine; and bring relief to people struggling with depression. Psychiatry’s current drugs for treating these disorders are limited in their effectiveness, often addictive, address only symptoms, and can come with serious side effects. Thus, the prospect of psychedelic medicine is raising hopes of a badly needed revolution in mental health care.
Psilocybin Treatment: The Process
Understanding Psilocybin Treatment
While there isn’t currently an established model for psilocybin treatment, most of the studies conducted thus far have patients use the substance in a controlled environment, supervised by a psychologist who guides them through the experience. The Imperial College study on depression offered patients a 25-milligram capsule of psilocybin, which is a substantial dose. They were placed in a room with a bed, surrounded with flowers and candles, and guided through traumas, significant past events, and formative memories.
A study at the University of New Mexico on psilocybin therapy for alcohol addiction offered participants four weeks of traditional psychotherapy, before giving them a dose of psilocybin in a quiet, comfortable room with male and female “co-therapists.” In this study, the therapists did little more than direct patients to “turn their attention inward” and go where their minds took them. This was followed by four more weeks of psychotherapy, another psilocybin session, and a final bout of traditional therapy.
As one participant noted, his experience wasn’t focused on his dependence on alcohol, but rather on the stresses, guilt, and happiness which his relationship with family members created. His recovery wasn’t motivated by a desire to avoid alcohol, but rather by the prospect of improving his relationships with loved ones. He reported being effortlessly abstinent for months afterward, before beginning to drink moderately once again but with “a conscientiousness he had never experienced with alcohol before.” Two years after the study his drinking remained under control, and he had repaired his marriage and relationships with his children.
Why is Psilocybin Treatment Effective?
Why is Psilocybin Treatment Effective?
While many countries are accelerating research into psilocybin therapy, no one is exactly sure why the treatment has proven to be so effective. Nonetheless, there are a number of compelling theories as to why it works. Serotonin is often cited as one possible key to the effects of psilocybin, as the substance causes “downregulation” of the serotonin system, which can result in reduced impulsivity and improved mood. But changes to serotonin typically last for just one week, so the longer-term benefits of the treatment must derive from a different source.
Michael Bogenschutz, the lead investigator in the University of New Mexico alcohol trial, posits the view that exposure to psychedelics and oneirogenics can create a phenomenon that mirrors the long-tail effects of PTSD. As he puts it:
"there's a whole process that happens when a toxic memory is seared into the brain. The only physical effect is probably light hitting the eyes. It's the meaning made of that memory, and the brain and body's reaction to the meaning, that can cause lasting damage. So if there are experiences that are so toxic and so horrible that they can cause physical and psychological damage, it's not a crazy idea that there are some experiences that are so positive, so beneficial that they can have a healing effect."
Other researchers point to the concept of “ego death” that has long been associated with psychedelics. Robin Carhartt-Harris, a researcher at Imperial College, notes that psilocybin reduces activity in the brain’s “default mode network”, a collection of brain regions and neurotransmitters that are believed to construct an independent self and place it at the center of perceptions and experiences. Psychedelics help individuals to pay less attention to the self, breaking down walls and facilitating connections. Since many depressed and addicted people are plagued with a deep and abiding sense of isolation from others, this can feel like a dramatic escape from a mental prison. Many of the participants in these studies reported that psilocybin dramatically reduced their sense of alienation.
Another theory is that the therapy increases neuroplasticity, changing and reshaping neurons in the brain. This remodeling of cells is the basis of all learning, and substances like psilocybin and iboga have been proven to improve neuroplasticity. Addiction, anxiety, trauma, and depression can create negative changes in brain chemistry, as the mind learns to take pleasure or stress from external cues. Psilocybin seems to help restore the brain to a pre-addicted state.
Psilocybin Treatment: Safety Concerns
Psilocybin Treatment: Safety Concerns
While psilocybin therapy has shown immense promise to heal mental wounds, we would strongly recommend restricting its use to a clinical setting. There are physical and psychological risks that go hand in hand with the benefits of psychedelic therapies, and in many jurisdictions, you can be arrested and incarcerated for use or possession of these substances. Michael Pollan notes that in all societies that used psychedelic substances, ranging from the Amazon to ancient Greece, they were always used with “deliberateness and care.” He writes that these substances “were not taken alone but usually in a group under the direction of an elder or shaman familiar with the mental territory, and they were used only on certain occasions, surrounded by ritual and with a clear intention. There was nothing casual about it.” All would be wise to maintain this level of caution as they experiment with their immense potential.
To find out more about what psilocybin therapy can do for you, contact us now!
6th May 2020 • Sticky Post
Addiction Treatment During COVID-19: Is it Safe?
We are all currently struggling through the Covid-19 crisis together, but for those dealing with addiction, times are even harder. Those suffering from addiction and substance abuse are at greater risk to outside stressors, their health is likely already precarious, and in this time of profound uncertainty, the pressure on both individuals and the healthcare sector to provide care is at an all-time high. But addiction doesn’t stop in times like these, and the need for addiction treatment won’t lessen either. If you feel that the time has come to end your addiction, there are ways to get the help the addiction treatment you need. Let’s take a look at the ways Iboga Tree Healing House can help you find your path to health in the midst of the current "coronavirus" pandemic.
Inpatient Treatment Is Available!
At Iboga Tree Healing House, we are committed to keeping our doors open and refusing to give in to addiction. We have revised our intake protocols to keep our staff and clients safe, including respect for all national travel restrictions, a two week period of quarantine in Portugal prior to treatment, and 3 separate tests for the virus. We are committed to offering a refund to any potential client who tests positive for the virus, minus a 10% registration deposit.
You Are Safe With Us.
While many are understandably reluctant to leave their homes, let alone travel abroad for medical treatment, our staff has created a series of guidelines in concurrence with the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health in order to ensure your safety while accessing the most effective addiction treatment on the planet. We are also actively following and ready to implements any new guidelines or regulations issued by the CDC, the WHO, or any relevant national, state, or local regulatory bodies. A commitment to doing everything humanly possible to protect and improve the health of our clients is a foundational value at Iboga Tree Healing House, and we are focusing our efforts on doing all we can to provide safe treatment while the crisis rages.
We have always kept our facilities clean, and we have established new standards for both cleaning and sterilization to ensure that every surface, from doorknobs to computer keyboards, are disinfected throughout the day. Our entire staff has undergone medical training in order to deal with adverse events, monitor the health of our clients, and operate the necessary equipment. That training is now being put to use to screen for risks among incoming clients, and constantly monitor the health of those undergoing treatment. We have also temporarily suspended on-campus visits and events and shifted workers who aren’t absolutely needed for client care to work from home.
We will be vigilant in looking out for the symptoms of coronavirus: runny nose, dry cough, pressure in the chest, sore throat, fever, confusion, excessive blushing in the face and neck, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. If a client or staff member exhibits a fever of 100.4 or above, we will immediately isolate them and contact the local authorities to facilitate testing and treatment if necessary. Our emergency plans and procedures have already succeeded when tested before, and we stand ready to provide the safest, most effective treatment program possible during these uncertain times.
Online Is A Viable Option.
We understand that in spite of the precautions we are taking, many prospective clients will still struggle with the decision to seek treatment abroad. Therefore, we are ramping up our efforts to offer counseling and outpatient services, as well as pre- and after-care, online. Our Iboga Recovery Movement (IRM) meetings, which offer guidance and peer-support, have been increased to twice-weekly, and we will offer virtual family support meetings for all of our clients. All of our staff is ready to commit their time to helping you through the recovery process, whether you can come visit us or not. If you need to speak with us via phone, email, Zoom, Skype, or any other digital platform, let us know and we’ll do everything we can to be there with you.
Implications Of Covid-19 For Addiction And Mental Health
For those dealing with substance abuse issues, mental health issues, or dual diagnosis, this crisis is especially scary. For those dealing with addiction to opioids, the slowed breathing and lack of oxygen to the brain caused by these substances substantially increases the risk of complications to any respiratory ailment. Methamphetamine abuse has also been highlighted as a risk factor by the CDC because it often leads to pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary damage as it constricts blood vessels in the lungs. Furthermore, those addicted to any substance are far more likely than the general population to have compromised immune systems, lack of access to the health-care system, and to put themselves into environments where close contact with others puts them at a higher risk for infection. While pursuing treatment at a time like this does come with some risks, continuing to abuse substances is probably not a healthier alternative.
Lockdown, social distancing, self-isolating, loss of livelihood, and the constant assault of anxiety-inducing news reports are taking their toll on those previously in good mental health. Forbes magazine has reported that half of all Americans are reporting that the crisis has had a negative impact on their mental health. For those with pre-existing conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder, these negative effects can be even more severe, as routines and behaviors that maintain good mental-health become impossible. As CBS News has noted, significant global events and disasters can trigger very severe symptoms in the afflicted. Even during this pandemic, no one should be afraid to get the help they need.
We’re Here If You Need Us
Addiction, mental illness, and Covid-19 are all severe, potentially fatal, threats to your health. All of them need to be taken extremely seriously, and we don’t recommend taking action until you have explored the consequences and risks of those actions thoroughly. But if you are convinced that now is the time to end your addiction or deal with mental health issues, we are committed to providing you with the treatment you need. Whether you are looking for answers to your questions, online counselling, or in-patient treatment, we at Iboga Tree Healing House are committed to being here to serve you throughout this unprecedented global crisis. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
