Do you know, or have you known, someone with an addiction? We joke that we are addicted to chocolate or Netflix, but the truth is that drug addiction takes over a person’s life before taking it. Over 47,000 people died from a drug overdose in 2014 alone. It is estimated 20 million people over the age of 12 are living with an addiction, which negatively effects their friends and family as well. Methamphetamine addiction, cocaine addiction, these are street drugs that people watch play out on T.V. dramas. There is another drug to worry about though, and it is much more difficult to kick.

Drug treatment varies depending on the addiction. At times the “cure” could be as addictive as the drug it is meant to replace, which is a valid concern when seeking help. But help must be sought out. So what should you do if you find out a loved one is addicted? In the case of an opiate addiction, there is hope for an easier recovery in the form of ibogaine therapy.

Ibogaine therapy is actually a bit controversial. It is not that the ibogaine drug treatment is as addictive, as say, a methadone addiction. The concern is the origin of ibogaine, which is synthesized from a shrub in Gabon, Africa. The drug is classified as a Schedule I drug in the U.S. so it is not approved for medical dispersal without additional clinical trials. This is a shame, because ibogaine therapy offers some wonderful results for those battling opiate addiction.

Many drug addicts fear withdrawals. The pain, the nausea, sweating and disorientation is not an experience many would like to undertake, even with the reward being a drug-free existence. The problem is two-fold: the actual physical withdrawal, and the much more difficult lifestyle withdrawal.

An addict must also make extensive changes to the way they live their life. They may need to change their friends, their living arrangements, or actually go so far as to move to a new city. Seem extreme? So is dying from a bad habit.

Let’s return to ibogaine therapy and how it can help an opiate addict. The muscle cramps, nausea, sweats, vomiting, and anxiety that sets in as the body begins to detox are greatly diminished. The transition to a healed body and mind is made easier. The patient can focus on rebuilding their life, without the drug that diminished it.

The issue that arises of course is this: how can opiate addict receive ibogaine therapy if the U.S. government won’t allow its use? Easy, but perhaps not convenient: the therapy is offered outside of the U.S., in areas such as Canada and Mexico. The trick is to find an in-patient drug clinic in one of these areas.