In the treatment of depression, the medical world is obsessed with the daily pill. The prevailing assumption is that brain chemistry requires constant, artificial tampering—a daily dose of SSRIs or SNRIs to keep serotonin afloat. But biology often works in cycles, not straight lines.
At Ibogaine by David Dardashti, we are challenging the daily-pill paradigm. We are pioneering a new model of mental health maintenance: Ongoing Ibogaine Optimization.
This protocol is not about “fixing” a crisis; it is about sustaining wellness. It leverages the unique, long-lasting metabolite Noribogaine to create a year-round shield against depression. By visiting our facility for a smaller, less intense “tune-up” once every three months, patients can maintain high-functioning neurochemistry naturally, without the side effects or emotional blunting of daily pharmaceuticals.
Here is how our quarterly maintenance protocol works to keep the lights on in your brain year-round.
1. The “Booster” Concept: Accessing Benefits Without the Flood
Many people associate Ibogaine with a “heroic dose”—a heavy, intense, 24-hour psychedelic journey designed to interrupt severe addiction or trauma. While necessary for a hard reset, that intensity is not required for long-term maintenance.
Our quarterly depression protocol uses sub-flood dosing.
- The Mechanism: We administer a precise, smaller dose of Ibogaine. This dose is meticulously calculated—high enough to trigger the liver to produce Noribogaine but low enough that the patient remains grounded and functionally present.
- The Experience: Instead of a full visionary washout that requires days of recovery, the patient experiences a state of deep introspective clarity, heightened neuroplasticity, and physical relaxation. It is less of a “surgery” and more of a “calibration.”
- The Result: This smaller dose tops up the brain’s reservoir of Noribogaine. Because Noribogaine has an exceptionally long half-life (staying in the body for weeks or months), this single treatment acts as a biological antidepressant that lasts for roughly 90 days.
2. The Quarterly Reflection: Progress as a Metric
Depression often tricks us into thinking we are stagnant. It creates a tunnel vision that blinds us to our own growth.
The quarterly return to our facility serves a critical psychological function: Structured Reflection.
- The Checkpoint: Coming down to Mexico every three months creates a tangible timeline for your life. It forces you to pause and ask: “Who was I 90 days ago? Who am I today?”
- The Feedback Loop: During your stay, you do not just rest; you review. You sit with our staff to analyze the progress you have achieved over time. You see the data points of your own evolution—improved sleep, better relationships, higher productivity. This prevents the “drift” that often happens in everyday life, where good habits slowly erode unnoticed. You leave each session not just chemically refreshed, but psychologically re-oriented toward your goals for the next quarter.
3. Metabolic Cleansing and Biological Stabilization
Depression is not just in the mind; it is in the body. It is often linked to systemic inflammation, sluggish metabolism, and hormonal imbalances.
Ibogaine is a systemic interrupter. Even at maintenance doses, it acts as a Metabolic Cleansing Agent.
- Resetting the Receptor Baseline: Over months of stress, caffeine intake, processed food consumption, and environmental pollution, our dopamine and serotonin receptors can become “gunked up” or downregulated. The maintenance dose essentially scrubs these receptors, resensitizing them so they can receive natural neurotransmitters efficiently.
- Hormonal Regulation: The treatment helps stabilize the HPA axis (Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis), which controls the body’s stress response. By resetting this axis every three months, we prevent the chronic cortisol buildup that eats away at mental health and physical vitality.
- Detoxification: It provides a regular purge of oxidative stress markers, ensuring that the biological machine running your consciousness is clean and efficient.
4. Efficiency of Time: The “Long Weekend” Protocol
We understand that life is busy. You cannot take a month off work four times a year. The Ongoing Depression Protocol is designed for efficiency.
Because the dosage is lower and less physically taxing than a full flood dose, the recovery time is significantly faster.
- The Timeline: A typical maintenance stay is condensed to 3 to 4 days, compared to the 7-10 days required for a full detox.
- The Logistics: You can fly in on a Thursday and be back at your desk on Monday, feeling revitalized. This makes the treatment accessible for professionals, parents, and high-functioning individuals who need to maintain peak performance without lengthy downtime. It fits into a long weekend, making “mental health maintenance” a logistical reality rather than a burden.
5. Holistic Reuptake vs. Artificial Production
This is the most critical distinction between our method and Western psychiatry.
Pharmaceuticals (SSRIs): Most antidepressants work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin, artificially forcing it to hang around in the synapse. This is a manual override of the brain’s natural system. Over time, the brain often fights back by producing less serotonin, leading to “poop-out” (where the drugs stop working) or emotional numbness.
Noribogaine (The Holistic Approach): Noribogaine works differently. It functions as a Serotonin Reuptake Transporter (SERT) inhibitor but creates a much more holistic effect.
- Natural Repair: It doesn’t just force chemicals to stay; it promotes the release of GDNF (Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which encourages the brain to repair and grow the neurons that produce and manage these chemicals naturally.
- No Daily Rollercoaster: With a daily pill, if you miss a dose, you crash. With Noribogaine, the molecule is stored in your lipid tissues and released slowly over months. It provides a smooth, gentle, and consistent elevation of mood that feels like you, not like a drug.
- The 90-Day Cycle: By dosing once every three months, we respect the body’s natural rhythms. We give the brain the tool it needs (Noribogaine) and then step back to let it do the work. It is sustainable, natural, and free from the side effects of daily chemical dependency.
Conclusion: A Life, Not Just a Treatment
The goal of Ibogaine by David Dardashti is not to have you dependent on us. It is to help you build a life so full of joy and purpose that depression has no room to take root.
By adopting a seasonal maintenance schedule—four weekends a year—you invest in a version of yourself that is chemically resilient, metabolically clean, and deeply reflective. You don’t need a daily pill to survive. You just need a quarterly tune-up to thrive.
For more information visit https://ibogaineclinic.com/ibogaine-treatment-for-depression/
