Heroin abuse is a spreading affliction in the United States. It is one of the most addictive drugs available in the world, as at least one in four people that ever try it become addicted to the drug. It has an incredible ability to bind to opioid receptor cells in your brain and to keep pleasure chemicals (endorphins) rushing through your body whenever you take it. Due to the incredible combination of euphoria and the calm, physically depressed state that it causes, it has been all-too-easy for millions of Americans to get hooked.
Even worse, it is incredibly hard to quit once you realize how dangerous it actually is. Some statistics report that over 90% of those that seek treatment for heroin end up relapsing again within a year. These are terrible statistics as far as treatment is concerned. It’s no surprise that many addicts consider it’s pointless to even try seeking treatment. They feel that they will definitely be back on heroin sooner or later, so why try getting off in the first place?
The withdrawal symptoms alone are enough to turn anyone off of the idea. Coming down from a heroin addiction can mean going through cold sweats, shooting pain and even diarrhea, vomiting and involuntary spasms. Going through heroin withdrawal is like experiencing a living hell. This has led some addicts to go to incredible lengths to try to get off the drug.
Odd Drug Rituals
The Daily Beast has reported that some heroin addicts are turning to a different drug to try to get off of heroin. It is known as ibogaine. It’s a psychoactive drug from Africa, and shamans have used it to try to cure people of “evil spirits” for hundreds of years. The drug entered the United States sometime in the last century, and some experiments reported that it worked as a cure for morphine dependence.
Ibogaine has its own effects (namely, several days of hallucinations), but many addicts are now considering whether or not those effects are worth it if they can help eliminate heroin dependence. Many addicts are claiming that one use of the drug can completely eliminate the desire to ever use opioids again.
Despite these claims, US pharmaceutical companies have not been interested in researching the drug. Conspiracy theorists posit that this is due to an unwillingness to market or sell a drug that would actually cure you of something with only one use. Others point out that the US government doesn’t want to approve any hallucination-causing drug if they can help it.
Because the drug is not legal in the United States, anyone that wants to try it has to travel abroad. This has led addicts to actually participating in African or Costa Rican rituals that involve campfires, face paint and dancing (all in addition to taking ibogaine.) Some addicts swear by this treatment, but is there a better way to leave opioids behind?
Detoxing the Body Completely
The best methods of handling drug abuse do not involve taking more drugs. At Narconon Arrowhead, clients learn the real reason that they can never seem to give up using drugs. Even if it’s been days or months or years since you last used, your body will still be storing some quantity of the drug in your fatty tissues. These can activate again when you least expect it and cause you to start craving again.
Arrowhead helps you completely detoxify your body (without drugs) in order to eliminate these residues. Without them you can live a completely clean life and never go back to using any type of drug ever again.
Reference:
The Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/04/saving-grace-a-junkie-s-trip-to-freedom-through-ibogaine.html