As a person suffering from depression and anxiety for many years, I decided to give the iboga treatment a try after all other conventional medications and talking therapies had failed to offer any relief from my symptoms and was not disappointed by it.
First of all, I would like to thank Cathy and Bilal for their great hospitality. Their home is a very welcoming, friendly and family orientated environment which helped me settle in instantly. The food was exceptional and very organic. I had no idea food could taste so good, which was a nice change from all the processed garbage we eat here in the UK. It got to the point I genuinely looked forward to meal times because it was so good!
My depression and anxiety had affected virtually every area in my life from my relationships with other people to my working life. To say I couldn’t connect with other people would have been an understatement. my relationships in general were non-existent and my sense of self was completely diminished to the point of what felt like extreme depersonalisation.
I pursued iboga as a last resort after all other treatments has failed to alleviate my symptoms and what followed was exactly what I had been searching for. The Iboga trip itself and the preparation work involved is very tough however, the benefits are more than worth it. To put things bluntly my trip lasted roughly 24 hours followed by what they call the “grey day” which lasted about 36 hours.
Following the Iboga trip itself I can honestly say my life has done a huge U-turn in all areas that were affected. The first thing I noticed was my sense of self had completely changed. I got up, walked around and couldn’t help but notice everything had changed for the better.
My sense of depersonalisation was gone completely, I could actually feel it when I looked around that things were different. After walking around outside for a bit I began to notice my depression and anxiety were now under my control. I now had the space I needed in my head to control my thoughts and feelings the way I had craved for years. Even the way I experienced my own body was better. my movements and energy just felt more natural. I also had really bad acid reflux and can honestly say the iboga took care of that too. As crazy as it sounds even my appearance had changed, I actually looked healthier and had more of a glow about me. Seriously.
Two weeks on and now that I’m back home things are continuing to improve the way I had hoped they would, following the Iboga experience. The first thing I noticed was my social anxiety had improved drastically. being amongst other people was infinitely easier and has helped improve my relationships with everyone from my family and friends to my work colleagues and even women. I was chronically shy around women and the Iboga has helped me break out of my shyness and actually talk to women with ease. One of the biggest things I have taken from this is the clarity and stillness of mind that I have achieved to the extent that everything from decision making to eye contact is significantly easier. I’m eating considerably more food since the acid reflux has been taken care of by the Iboga which I did not expect to at all. As a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and submission wrestling I need a lot of calories to keep my energy up and remain competitive.
To summarise I am extremely grateful for both Bilal and Cathy’s service as I am now enjoying a quality of life that just was not possible through other forms of treatment. If you’re in the same boat as me where other treatments have failed and are considering pursuing iboga then do it. The truth is everyone no matter what their situation is can benefit from iboga. To a certain extent I actually feel sorry for people who haven’t done the Iboga experience as it’s the most liberating and freeing thing you can do for your mind.
If my symptoms were ever to return, I would not hesitate to call Bilal and Cathy and book another session and would gladly go through the tough aspects of the experience again. To quote Bilal “iboga is a miracle cure and at the same time it’s not”. what this means is that yes it will help to obliterate your symptoms however, it is up to yourself to maintain a positive outlook on life and stay away from old habits and negative thought processes otherwise you will be back to square one eventually. Me personally I have taken up meditation and practice gratitude on a daily basis to help maintain the clarity of thought I had been chasing for so long. I still have a lot of work to do in regards to keeping on top of things but can honestly say I’m in a much better place both mentally and emotionally than before I began treatment.
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.
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