Types of Programs Offered at Ambio
Ibogaine treatments at Ambio can vary depending on the program you are enrolled in.
Ambio Program Types
- Group Programs
- Individualized programs.
Group Programs
Ambio’s group programs require people to refrain from alcohol and drugs, as well as certain types of medications, for a minimum period of time prior to coming. People arrive and go through the entire course of the 5-day program together as a cohort.
Individualized Programs
Ambio’s individualized programs serve all functions. Whether you are coming for drug detoxification, or have another medical condition that requires an extra level of care, individual programs happen at your own pace, on your own schedule.
There may be other people on-site with us, but we will approach the entire treatment from beginning to end according to your needs.
These programs can also vary in length from 5 days to over 21 days.
The Stages of an Ibogaine Treatment
Pre-treatment
From booking to your arrival at the clinic, you will be equipped with the basic information needed to best prepare yourself for treatment, and work to develop an understanding of where you will be going afterwards.
Please note: Unless otherwise discussed with our medical team, you will have to refrain from using alcohol, stimulants, and certain other medications for a period of time prior to treatment.
It is important that you are thorough and complete with your application so we can provide appropriate instructions.
We offer one-on-one coaching sessions with trained and experienced coaches both before and after your stay. These can be invaluable in preparing.
Considerations
- Get clear on your intentions. Why are you doing this, and what do you hope to get out of it? It is, at it’s core, a psychotherapeutic process.
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Begin to make any healthy changes you can. Important amongst these can be: cutting out sugar, reducing caffeine intake, eating whole food meals, exercising, meditating, practicing breathing exercises, and journaling.
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Have an idea of the changes that you’re going to want to put in place afterwards. If possible, start slow, but make it easy for yourself.
Intake & Stabilization
When you arrive at the clinic you will undergo medical intake and a series of tests, which include a blood panel and electrocardiogram. The medical team will help to arrange any medications that you are prescribed, particularly if you are going through our detox program.
You can discuss the details of this with one of our intake coordinators.
Stabilization Includes:
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Getting some rest
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Winding down and settling in
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Arranging medications as required
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General strength and physical function sufficient to take ibogaine
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Psychological preparation for the treatment
Ibogaine Treatment
On the day of your treatment you will fast during the afternoon, and certain medications from the stabilization period will be stopped by midday or sooner.
We demonstrate useful breathwork practices, incorporate bodywork, and provide meditative time to prepare.
We administer ibogaine flood dosages at night. These begin with a test dose, as well as several subsequent dosages during the first few hours. This makes the onset of the experience more manageable and allows the team to observe your reaction to the ibogaine.
Ibogaine’s Effects
Ibogaine’s oneirogenic (dream-generating) effects were described by Dr. Kenneth Alper as passing through three distinct phases:
Acute Effects
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Many people notice a relief of opioid withdrawal relatively soon, between 30 minutes and two hours after taking an initial test dose.
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Ibogaine’s acute effects generally take up to two hours to come on, and last between 4-8 hours. During this phase many people experience alterations in cognitive processes, alterations in perspective or visual perception that can include open or closed eye visuals, or kinesthetic or audio experiences. Although this is not always the case, sometimes these experiences can take on elements of significant personal or transpersonal meaning.
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These effects can be quite different from other psychedelic compounds. Although some people find these effects can be quite intense, there is generally not a strong emotional reaction to the experience.
Evaluative
- Once the acute effects wear off most people notice a reduction in visual alterations. What remains can be light visual tracers and a feeling of reduced coordination. However, the dominant effect that follows is usually an evaluative phase that involves a lot of cognitive processing.
- Sometimes people think about the experience, perhaps to memories from their life, perhaps about people or situations, and sometimes about their place in the world or in the future. This phase can last as long as another 8 to 20 hours depending on dose and individual metabolism.
Residual Stimulation
- The after-effects can include changes in perspective and sensitivity to sensations such as light, sound, temperature, or other physical sensations. Generally, during this phase people continue to rest physically.
- These residual effects can last 24-72 hours more, during which time people generally notice a return of their energy.
Long-Term Effects
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Some of ibogaine’s effects can play out over weeks, months or years that follow. Some people notice these to a greater extent than others because they generally have less to do with the physiological effects of taking ibogaine, and more to do with integrating the experience that has happened, or adjusting to living without drug dependence, etc.
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These changes can range from physical recovery to things like returning to a stable sleep schedule, time for physical energy and motivation to recover, or lasting reductions in cravings for drugs.
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It can also include changes in perspective that influence other areas of life such as important relationships, life decisions, or subtler changes to worldview and personal identity.
“Gray Day”
The day after a flood dose of ibogaine people generally need a lot of rest and relaxation. We affectionately refer to this as the “gray day.”
Some people feel a huge amount of relief, a sense of calmness, a general sense of well-being, and a sensitivity to the environment. For others, this day can be challenging, including some lingering withdrawals, exhaustion from the lack of sleep.
In a lot of cases there is some mixture of the two. Spending the day in reflection, getting bodywork, soaking in hot water or a steam room, or otherwise taking good care of yourself are recommended, if you feel inclined to leave the bed at all.
Post Treatment
After a good night of sleep, people generally start to feel their energy return. This can happen in stages over the next few days.
Sleep
Sometimes during this period people feel that they sleep less, but also need a bit less sleep. For people who have had sleep issues prior, it is important to make efforts to try to get onto a regular schedule, which may be easier than usual, but may also take a few days.
[Ambio uses an all-natural, non-pharmaceutical sleep cocktail, which we make available on our online shop. Dr. Andrew Huberman also has some very useful sleep resources.)
Support Groups
Ambio offers a number of different support groups for both you and a family member or loved one. These are offered on a regular basis, and information will be provided to you upon completion of the program.
It can be very beneficial to stay connected with people who have been through a similar process, and it can be equally beneficial for your loved one to hear from others and gain perspective on the changes underway.
Diet, Meditation, & Exercise
It is not uncommon for it to take 7-10 days for your energy to fully return after an ibogaine treatment. No one is suggesting that the process is easy, but the general feedback we receive is that it is well worth it in the long run.
One of the most important benefits of ibogaine is its ability to stimulate neuroplasticity, or the ability for the brain and body to change from one state to another. People have called this period after ibogaine a “neurological second childhood.”
Nolan Williams at Stanford University referred to a “Benjamin Buttoning of the Brain” that turned back the biological age on the brains of special operators with traumatic brain injuries by an average of 1.4 years. This reparative and transformational process can take time to unfold.
Neuroplasticity is something we experience abundantly when we are young and growing, but decreasingly so as we age. Those who are most interested in increasing neuroplasticity are typically elderly people.
In research that has been conducted the trifecta of DIET, MEDITATION, and EXERCISE are, apart from ibogaine, the most efficient way to support neuroplasticity.
Implementing healthy changes in these three areas can be highly beneficial in extending the post-treatment benefits that you experience.
Your Path to Well-Being and Recovery
Ibogaine treatment offers a transformative pathway to addiction recovery, mental health enhancement, and even healing from traumatic brain injuries.
If you would like to learn more about whether an ibogaine treatment is right for you, please get in touch with our staff or visit our Personal Change page for more information.