Can Ibogaine Treatment Cure Depression?

By now, you have likely heard of iboga for addiction treatment, but do you know that iboga can help with a number of other issues that many face as well? 

Depression is a condition that is extremely common today. In fact, almost 10% of American adults ages 18 and over will suffer from depression each year. Depression can manifest itself in many ways and it can really affect one’s quality of life in very overwhelming ways. 

Often, anxiety goes hand in hand with depression. In fact, even more Americans struggle with anxiety than depression; over 40 million adults, or 19% of the population, have an anxiety disorder.

Depression Treatment is Crucial

Either one of these conditions on its own can be debilitating. People who suffer from both simultaneously face even greater challenges. It’s crucial that individuals who struggle with depression and anxiety seek treatment to find some relief.

More and more people are turning to iboga for addiction in recent years and are changing their lives for the better. Soon, iboga for depression and anxiety will become more widely available and people who struggle with these conditions will begin to be able to make great strides toward happier lives with its help. 

Ibogaine depression treatment is the wave of the future and will soon be changing lives on a very large scale.

Read on to learn more about iboga treatment for depression and how it will soon help you and others. It’s already changing lives as is, but a greater reach lies ahead in the near future.

Ibogaine Treatment for Depression and Anxiety

Not long ago, a study was published in the journal Nature that demonstrated the ways that ibogaine treatment for depression and anxiety can and will help people with these conditions now and in the future. 

Many doctors and scientists who have worked with iboga in the past have long felt that this plant medicine can help people with problems like anxiety and depression. However, there was one major issue: iboga has psychedelic properties, and should therefore only be taken under a doctor’s direct, face-to-face supervision.

While a supervised iboga experience could certainly help someone suffering from anxiety and depression, this sort of treatment is out of reach for many. It can be quite expensive and it is time-consuming, too. Patients seeking this type of treatment must travel to a facility where it is offered, and a single doctor can only supervise a few patients at any one time.

If only there were another way for people in need to consume iboga and experience its benefits. Fortunately, this study found that this may, in fact, be possible. 

A Change in Structure

In this study, researchers dove deep into the molecular structure of iboga to learn more about it. Through trial and error, they were able to isolate different aspects of the plant. In doing so, they were able to remove the pieces of the puzzle that cause hallucinations in those who consume it, while keeping the anti-addictive and antidepressant properties intact.

Then, they gave the new, altered substance to rodents, including some that were raised to binge on alcohol. They found that after consuming the drug, these rodents voluntarily reduced their alcohol consumption.

This is a great sign. It showed the researchers that it will likely be possible to use ibogaine for depression and anxiety treatment as well as addiction treatment without requiring patients to endure the hallucinogenic aspects of the plant. 

These patients will be able to experience the benefits of ibogaine depression therapy for depression and anxiety treatment without these additional side effects, thereby allowing their doctors to prescribe an ibogaine protocol for depression that does not require supervision by a doctor. Like other medications for depression and anxiety, patients will be able to take iboga for depression or anxiety at home as they would with any other anti-depressant or anti-anxiety drug.

Iboga for Depression

The way that iboga treatment for depression and anxiety works is twofold. Anxiety and depression are complex issues. On one hand, these issues can arise due to chemical imbalances in the brain, but on the other hand, they can be the result of trauma that has not been processed in a healthy way. For most people who struggle with these conditions, their anxiety and depression are the result of a little of both. 

How does ibogaine relieve depression? Well, fortunately, iboga can be effective in treating anxiety and depression by working on both aspects of these conditions. On one hand, this plant seems to help relieve some of the underlying, chemical symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as the triggers for addiction, as shown in the example study with the rodents above.

However, iboga can also help people to explore and work through the trauma they have experienced in their lives. Thus far, this has mostly been achieved through the related psychedelic, hallucinogenic experiences that people have on ibogaine in a medically supervised environment.

Will Altered Iboga Have the Same Effects?

This begs the question: can iboga treat depression and anxiety completely without the hallucinogenic aspect? Is that piece of the puzzle necessary for comprehensive success? Can altered iboga achieve the same results as the pure plant medicine that has been used to treat addiction, anxiety, and depression thus far?

The answers to these questions have not yet been answered. Only time and more applications with more patients will tell. 

In the realm of iboga, there is still so much to learn. We are only beginning to understand this powerful plant medicine. It’s clear that iboga can and will help people now and in the future — we just need to determine the best methods of delivery to ensure that it can reach and help the most people in the safest and most effective possible ways. Fortunately, many scientists and researchers are hard at work on this right now. The possibilities are endless and the future is bright.

Resources:

• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics
• https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders#:~:text=Over%2040%20million%20adults%20in,develop%20symptoms%20before%20age%2021.
• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/12/09/944572325/progress-toward-a-safer-psychedelic-drug-to-treat-depression-and-addiction#:~:text=cravings%20in%20addiction.-,Scientists%20now%20are%20working%20on%20a%20version%20of%20the%20extract,or%20hallucinations%20as%20side%20effects.&text=A%20chemically%20tweaked%20version%20of,or%20other%20dangerous%20side%20effects.