1 year clean — my ibogaine journey from start to now

One year ago today I checked in to a clinic in Mexico. I want to mark this anniversary by sharing the full arc of what happened. **Background:** 6 years of heroin use, starting with prescription opioids after a back injury. I had tried Suboxone, methadone maintenance, two inpatient programs, and countless cold turkey attempts. Nothing held longer than 90 days. **The decision:** I found this community in late 2023 and spent 3 months reading before I was ready. The research made sense to me — ibogaine doesn't just suppress cravings, it seems to address the neurological patterns underneath. **Preparation (2 months):** - Tapered methadone from 45mg to 18mg over 8 weeks - Full cardiac workup — EKG, echocardiogram, bloodwork - Weekly therapy to set intentions and build integration plan - Told my wife for the first time about the full extent of my use **The treatment:** The flood dose was 36 hours of the most intense experience of my life. I don't have words for it that would make sense to someone who hasn't been through it. I saw my addiction as an entity separate from me. I understood things about my childhood I had buried. It wasn't pleasant — but it was necessary. **The year after:** - Months 1-3: Fragile but clean. Weekly therapy was non-negotiable. - Months 4-6: Cravings returned mildly. Did a booster session at month 5. - Months 7-12: Progressive stability. Returned to work full-time at month 4, promoted at month 10. **Where I am now:** Clean for one year. Present in my marriage and my kids' lives in a way I haven't been in years. Still in therapy bi-weekly. Still in this community. The ibogaine opened a door. The year of work is how I walked through it. Happy to answer questions.