According to the Veteran's Administration, as many as 20% of the veterans who served during post-9/11 wars in Iraq or Afghanistan have post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those who experienced combat on an ongoing basis throughout their deployment are most susceptible to the affects of PTSD, which includes aggression, depression, detachment, disinterest, nightmares, insomnia, and social dysfunction. Due to these types of symptoms, many with PTSD abuse substances to attempt to self-medicate. Too many consider taking their own life. 

Fortunately, there may be an answer: ibogaine treatment. 

Ibogaine Treatment for PTSD

After suffering with PTSD for years from completing seven tours of duty in Afghanistan, a Navy Seal underwent ibogaine treatment for his PTSD with amazing results. His results astounded him so much that he started a nonprofit organization to fund ibogaine research for combat veterans. Ibogaine is a oneirophrenic, which means it causes a dream-like state while partially awake.

This state of being may help essentially rewire the memories that are triggered in PTSD to reduce the flashbacks and nightmares that are experienced. Because of this, ibogaine treatment is sometimes called "memory-resetting". Additionally, people with PTSD often experience difficulties with substance abuse, which results in a dual diagnosis that can also be helped by ibogaine treatment as it assists in detoxification during an inpatient treatment regimen. 

Contraindications and Possible Side Effects

While ibogaine treatment is safe for most people, there are a few mental health conditions that are contraindicative, such as psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia. The reason for this is due to the psychedelic nature of the ibogaine treatment and the hallucinogenic nature of those mental health disorders. 

It's important that people who undergo ibogaine treatment do so in an inpatient facility so the appropriate and safe dosage can be carefully determined. Also, ibogaine treatment needs to be supervised by a medical team in an inpatient setting as there are several possible side effects that may happen when ingesting ibogaine, including: 

• impaired coordination
• nausea and vomiting
• lower body temperature
• slowed heart rate

It's also important to note that patients should not be taking psychoactive medications for a brief period before undergoing ibogaine treatment. If you are taking psychoactive medication, you'll need to slowly step-down your prescription dosages with the guidance of your doctor or psychiatrist so you don't inadvertently make matters worse by stopping or reducing your medications to abruptly. Contact an ibogaine treatment center for more information regarding how long they prefer you to have no psychoactive medication in your system and schedule your treatment accordingly.