When I arrived at Harambe, I was at the end… I had lost about 30 kilos in a couple of months, slept 2-3 hours maximum per day, worked 14h and had been taking 5-10 gr. of coke a day – every day – since exactly one year. I was hooked. In addition to that, I had a swollen cheek from a loose tooth which was giving me additional pain.
It is not that I had not tried to interrupt this viscous cycle by my own: I regularly consulted a doctor, I spent many weeks in a very expensive rehab program, just to start using again the first day I came out… At that point, I basically knew all the theory they told you in these clinics, but anytime I got angry, sad or frustrated I started taken it again. My nose had started to bleed on a daily basis and was hurting so much, that I had to take strong pain killers to manage the day without too much pain. I was going to lose my job (and nose) if I was to continue this way, and probably my mind and health as well. I thought I had tried everything which would keep me away for good from the powder; nothing worked out for long. Nothing was durable.
I was very lucky though. I spoke to a friend of mine, medical doctor, who was kind and wise enough to mention that Iboga/iboga could be a way to stop or at least interrupt my high-dose dependency. I told myself: if some chemical substance was responsible for making me dependent, why couldn’t it be another substance – like iboga – that could induce the opposite. After searching in the internet, I found Harambe. After speaking to Cathy on the telephone, I was certain that I would give it a try. I had tried rehab in Clinical environments in the past – without success –, so why not try something different – like Harambe – this time? – my success rate in trying to quit could only increase.
Upon arrival at Harambe I was impressed and reassured when realizing how serious Harambe was about medical check-ups to see if I was an adequate candidate for an iboga treatment. The second day after arrival I was advised to obtain some additional tests from a clinic that I had forgotten to bring along. After obtaining these tests from the clinic showing I was fit to take iboga, I was ready to start this for me new experience.
After the obligatory test dose, which I tolerated well, I was finally given the full flood dose. Half an hour later I laid down on the bed. I started hearing some noises similar to a motor of a big ship or boat, but that was everything. I am not sure if I slept or was awake during the next hours as I did not see any visuals or experienced anything spiritual…. I remained mostly in bed for the next 24 hours. I was neither afraid nor euphoric, I felt “normal”, calmly waiting to see if anything was going to happen. I had no cravings for the substance at all, I felt totally secure and in “good hands” while trying to use the time I was here to fully concentrate on myself. The pain in my nose was gone, for good. No pain killers since then! My cheek was not swollen anymore and my tooth without pain, which I attribute directly to the effects of the iboga as well. After the trip I was slightly disoriented for 1-2 days, but feeling good and so was my mood. I was not tired at all (which normally is the case after stopping coke), my confidence was growing that I was doing the right thing as I didn’t spend any thoughts on the substance, I had been using for almost a year. The ONLY side effect I found unpleasant after the iboga was to not be able to easily fall asleep for a couple of days.
The good mood and confidence I had obtained through/from the iboga remained for some time even after returning home. The iboga gave me enough strength of mind to re-settle my life, resist to any situation in which I normally would have called my dealer. I started working only a few days after returning home from my trip to Harambe. Even today, 6 months after my iboga experience, the substance which once dominated my life, remains totally uninteresting for me. I few weeks after my iboga trip I started micro-dosing, as I wanted to remain on the safe side. It works and I am today more confident that ever that I will not relapse.
I warmly thank Cathy and Bilal for their caring, important and especially effective support in helping me to return to a normal, good life. I am fully of gratitude for their work in EFFECTIVELY helping others and can only recommend Harambe!
Alexander, Netherlands
The best decision I ever made!
The Harambe Center welcomed me with open arms from the very beginning. Despite all my questions and concerns, they handled everything with compassion, knowledge and care, not only for me, but also for my family.
The center came highly recommended by a friend, but I truly understood its power only once I experienced it myself. They didn’t just provide treatment, they offered a home, a sanctuary, and a life-changing journey.
My ibogaine experience was more profound and healing than I ever could have imagined.
Catherine and Bilal, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are true masters at offering people a second chance at life. I am forever grateful.
With love,
Sara
I came to Harambe this summer as a last resort to get help with my opioid addiction. Kathy and Bilal were so welcoming, generous, and immediately gave a serious impression. Even their two children were incredibly welcoming and super nice, making me feel “at home” right away.
However, my experience of the treatment turned out a bit different, because I had not been truthful about having quit opioids before the treatment. In the period leading up to it, I had been taking high doses of the stomach medicine loperamide hydrochloride, which in such doses can lead to serious heart rhythm disturbances. I stopped taking this medication only a few days before my Iboga treatment, but since it has an extremely long half-life in higher doses, it was still in my system when I started the ibogaine treatment.
Before starting the treatment, both Kathy and Bilal asked me several times if I had taken any medications beforehand, and I denied it (in other words, I lied to them) – something I am deeply ashamed of today, as it could have cost me my life.
The combination of ibogaine and loperamide hydrochloride caused me to suffer from severe heart rhythm disturbances. This was quickly noticed by Kathy, Bilal, and the nurse who was monitoring my ECG at their home at the start of the treatment. Thanks to their quick observation of my serious condition, they decided to stop the treatment, even though at that moment I didn’t want them to. Because they recognized the severity of the situation and acted fast, I was able to get to the hospital and eventually ended up in the intensive care unit due to multiple episodes of torsades de pointes, a life-threatening arrhythmia caused by the dangerous stomach medicine I had taken before the iboga treatment, combined with my dishonesty about it.
Despite all this, they treated me with kindness and warmth, and I have them – and the nurse they work with – to thank for being alive today and for the fact that my children still have their mother. Even though I did not receive the full dose of the treatment, I believe I still got what I needed. To this day, I have not had a relapse, and soon it will be two months since I began the treatment with them. I owe them so much, and I believe that after what happened, a new and better chapter of my life is about to begin.
But I also want to share my story as a warning to others: never be dishonest about what medications you have taken before treatment, because it can have very serious consequences. Ibogaine is a powerful, potent medicine, and I truly believe in its miracles and its ability to initiate change for people with opioid addiction. At the same time, I am fully aware that this is only the beginning, and that you must continue to consciously work on yourself and your behavior every day.
For a long time, I struggled with an addiction to psycho-stimulants, and it was very difficult for me to overcome it. I tried therapy as well, but without success. Eventually, I started searching for information on my own, and that’s how I came across ibogaine as a tool in the fight against addiction, as well as Kathy and Bilal, who welcomed me with open arms and guided me through the entire process.
They are truly wonderful and kind people, and the conversations I had with Bilal while we were sitting alone were incredibly helpful in understanding myself and how this all really works. You can truly rely on him – just remember to listen to what he says, because he genuinely knows what he’s talking about.
So come with an open mind, good intentions, and, most importantly, a sincere desire to change – and you will definitely succeed. I wholeheartedly recommend them, and once again, I send my warmest greetings and deepest thanks to Kathy, Bilal, and their amazing children for everything I experienced here.
First of all thank you so much Cathy and Bilal, this experience has truly brought me from a dark looping mess to a light smiling future in such a short time.
I’ve been to detox clinics before and the problem i found was, its ok to detox in a clinical setting but then stepping out into the real world again is a big struggle, as real life hits you immediately, the noise and stress come rushing back and it can be a bit over whelming. What Catherine and Bilal provide is a private family environment with lots of friendly interaction with there whole family including Jama, a very friendly dog and their 2 wonderful children.
I booked in for 5 days. The treatment was more intense than expected but both Cathy and Bilal were with me the whole time for guidance and reassurance. With a registered nurse also monitoring me the whole way.
Truly like nothing I have ever experienced.
This short treatment has cleared my head and my heart and given me the space and time to assess the causes of my looping negative thoughts that created my bad habits and also shown me some tools to deal with future triggers that might trick me back into old habits.
From the moment Bilal pick me up to the moment he dropped me off, I felt welcomed with lots of stories and laughter even when I didn’t feel like it.
I highly recommend anyone might be struggling to check them out as I can sincerely say this has diverted me from a dark path into the light and I know I have made some very cool new friends.
Thank you guys
Leon
One day after the treatment, I feel more blissful than I have in years. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for the medicine, and it’s nothing like you hear online, but it’s more than worth it all the way through. The stay was great and the hosts were amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience overall, even if I was a bit nervous in the beginning. I can’t recommend this place enough and I can’t wait to come back
It is incredibly dificult to comprehend what Kathy, Bilo, their amazing family and iboga have done for me. The beauty of working with Bilo and Kathy is not only that they are ‘just amazing people’ but that their approach to administration Is bespoke and holistic, they curate a very safe environment which is imperative when undergoing such a powerful treatment.
It is tremendously labour intensive work Kathy and bli do and the amount of care and attention they place on your well-being is munificent, they are real humanitarians, the conversations I had with bilo about B B king, roasted peanuts and the pueblos Jovenes (surprisingly therapeutic), how present and attentive Kathy was to my relaying of my traumas, it all meant so much to me , so thank you for that.
One must consider when undergoing this treatment whom it is they are being looked after by, as someone who as a result of being treated appalling in the past by those who were supposed to be looking after me I find the company of others, especially strangers unnerving- I have never felt so comfortable amongst unfamiliar faces.
I realise now, that before taking iboga there were parts of me that didn’t want to change, to heal, I was able to understand why that was, come to terms with it and now the thought of healing evokes excitement and hope opposed to angst and fear.
Although iboga in and of itself is incredibly healing what makes the medicine so special are its precursory effects, Iboga allows you to not only prosses your trauma but serves as an avenue for hope and an impetus for change.
Understanding that change comes from within and that we are capable of change is no easy task and to go one step further and act on that belief when in a place of severe hardship is almost futile, Iboga altered my entire sense of self – which, prior to taking iboga was very negative, that is no longer the case.
I urge anyone who is struggling in their lives with trauma and addiction to undergo this magnificent treatment, I am absolutely stunned by the e.icacy of iboga.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Our services are intended solely for personal development. We do not offer medical treatments. We encourage all guests to consult with healthcare professionals before participating.
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