Recent trials revealed that the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms has been proven to relieve treatment-resistant depression symptoms. There is a great deal of promise that psychedelics act as therapeutics and the healing power of ibogaine treatment offers a deep therapeutic breakthrough for many with addiction issues.
Addiction Recovery
Alvaro De Ferranti is a recovering crack cocaine addict who set up an ibogaine treatment centre in rural Portugal, Tabula Rasa Retreat. Ibogaine is a oneirogen substance which comes from the Tabernanthe Iboga shrub and puts the user into a dream like state. A single ibogaine treatment can be compared to several years of traditional psychotherapy.
Seven years ago, Alvaro De Ferranti was a highly functioning addict, who ran three successful London based interiors and architectural businesses but also spent his nights sitting in his potting shed in London, aptly named ’The Sugar Hut’, getting high on crack cocaine (and spending 50k plus per annum on his habit). His first experiences of substance misuse began at a very young age breaking into the first aid cabinet swigging from medicine bottles. Aged 13 he started meddling with substances and using drugs at school, he dabbled with crack, revisiting his drug of choice at 30 when he became well and truly hooked, smoked weed consistently from the age of 14 until his late 20’s, drank alcohol from 13, regularly binging until the age of 40 and had a phase of smoking heroin in his late teens.
At one point in his addiction, he felt like his heart might explode and that he was having a heart attack. He’d hit rock bottom, his body was breaking down, his marriage was on a fine thread and his businesses weren’t getting the attention they needed, Alvaro knew he’d be dead if he carried on.
Today Alvaro is in recovery, and he puts it down to his experience with ibogaine, a oneirogen substance, which puts the user into a dream like state, this was not a pleasant experience but a life saver for Alvaro. Such was the transformation for Alvaro, that in 2018, he opened the Tabula Rasa (Latin: ‘clean slate’) Retreat in rural Portugal which he runs with his wife and co-Founder Jade, who is a qualified EFT and ABNLP/NLP practitioner. Tabula Rasa Retreat offers a resort style setting in 9 hectares of nature providing comfort and safety. All clients undergo rigorous medical and psychological screening before, during and post treatment and are medically monitored by ACLS trained staff throughout the process.
Ibogaine Explained
Ibogaine is best known in the West as an addiction-interrupting medicine, with efficacy against heroin, other short acting opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol. However, the origins of ibogaine lie in the Bwiti tradition in Gabon, where the bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub from which ibogaine is extracted is used as part of an initiation ceremony. Iboga is also used in this tradition to address various physical and emotional problems. In other words, in its traditional context, iboga is a psycho-spiritual tool, which supported peace and harmony within the community.
As ibogaine become increasingly popular, more and more people are drawn to its benefits for healing journeys. Ibogaine allows for a transformative journey into the soul, offering healing and understanding. Ibogaine can allow suppressed emotional content to be released into consciousness for resolution. It is commonly found that people are more peaceful and have inner stillness, allowing them to better enjoy their life after ibogaine treatment. People often report feeling more confident, happier, and more connected to their soul and heart – as if they have returned to a calm and safe place inside themselves.
A single ibogaine treatment can be compared to several years of traditional psychotherapy. Ibogaine can facilitate a deep therapeutic breakthrough. A ceremony with ibogaine is an effective way to detoxify the body and mind and refresh the central nervous system. Ibogaine has helped many people to overcome the psychological blocks and improved their quality of life. Ibogaine can be effective at treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It helps to heal self-destructive patterns of thinking and behaving. In layman’s terms, ibogaine rapidly and painlessly interrupts addictions, relieves withdrawal symptoms, and brings patients back to their pre-addictive’s state, also known as a novice state.
Alvaro and his team at Tabula Rasa Retreat have treated more than 230 clients from across the globe including the UK, USA, Scandinavia, Ukraine, Russia, Iceland, Spain, France, Israel, the Far East, and Australia. Clients include young addicts whose families have pulled them off the streets, CEOs/business owners, oligarchs, people in the creative industries, not just addicts but also people with mental health issues, such as PTSD, ADHD, Bi-Polar, anxiety, eating disorders, and more recently anhedonia.
The renowned addiction expert, speaker author Dr. Gabor Maté has referred clients to the programme as have many pioneers in the field of ibogaine, addiction and mental health.
Social media links:
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tabula-Rasa-Retreat/1433167920316861
- https://twitter.com/TabulaRasaR
- https://www.pinterest.co.uk/tabularasar/
- https://www.instagram.com/tabularasaretreat/
Author Bio
Alvaro De Ferranti is CEO & co-founder of Tabula Rasa Retreat. The 52-year-old, was born in London and set up the treatment centre in Portugal 2018. Alvaro and his team have treated more than 230 clients from across the globe including the UK, USA, Scandinavia, Ukraine, Russia, Iceland, Spain, France, Israel, the Far East, and Australia