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Ibogaine by David Dardashti Announces Grand Opening of Second Ibogaine Clinic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Focusing on Non-Substance Related Disorders

Ibogaine by David Dardashti Announces Grand Opening of Second Ibogaine Clinic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Focusing on Non-Substance Related Disorders

Associated Press5 hours ago

Playa del Carmen, Mexico - June 24, 2025 - Ibogaine by David Dardashti, a globally recognized leader in ibogaine treatment, proudly announces the grand opening of its second state-of-the-art clinic in the serene coastal city of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This significant expansion is a direct response to the escalating demand for comprehensive ibogaine-assisted therapies and marks a pivotal moment in the organization's commitment to advancing holistic wellness. The new facility will specifically cater to individuals seeking profound healing from non-substance related disorders, including trauma, depression, Parkinson's disease, and those requiring an executive reset for mental clarity and peak performance.
The new Playa del Carmen clinic represents a significant evolution in therapeutic environments. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, it offers a distinct, tranquil, and deeply relaxed setting, carefully separated from the existing facility that primarily addresses substance use disorders. This intentional segregation ensures that each client receives highly specialized care tailored to their unique needs, fostering an atmosphere conducive to profound introspection and healing without external distractions.
'We are incredibly excited to open this new clinic, which embodies our vision for a more expansive and nuanced approach to ibogaine therapy,' said David Dardashti, founder of Ibogaine by David Dardashti. 'The overwhelming demand, particularly from individuals seeking solutions for complex conditions like trauma, depression, and neurological challenges such as Parkinson's, underscored the critical need for a dedicated space. This new center allows us to provide an even more focused, nurturing, and specialized environment, ensuring every individual's journey is supported with the highest degree of care and personalized attention.'
Beyond its tranquil setting, the new clinic introduces several innovative programs designed to enhance the overall ibogaine experience and facilitate lasting change. A cornerstone of the new offering is an intensified focus on integration therapy, providing robust support for clients to process their experiences and incorporate new insights into their daily lives post-treatment. Complementing this, clients will have access to enriching local excursions, allowing them to connect with the vibrant culture and natural beauty of Playa del Carmen, fostering a sense of grounding and renewal. Daily yoga sessions will promote physical and mental well-being, while a groundbreaking introduction of project-based learning aims to engage clients in meaningful activities that stimulate cognitive function, foster creativity, and build self-efficacy, further enhancing the 'executive reset' component.
The clinic's mission is to offer an extraordinary ibogaine experience, pushing the boundaries of therapeutic innovation. By combining the powerful properties of ibogaine with a holistic suite of supportive therapies and a dedicated focus on non-substance related challenges, Ibogaine by David Dardashti aims to set a new standard for transformative wellness. This expansion underscores the organization's unwavering dedication to providing accessible, cutting-edge treatments that empower individuals to achieve lasting health, clarity, and well-being.
About Ibogaine by David Dardashti:
Ibogaine by David Dardashti is a renowned leader in ibogaine treatment, committed to providing safe, effective, and compassionate care. With years of experience and a deep understanding of ibogaine's therapeutic potential, the organization strives to help individuals achieve profound healing and transformation from a range of conditions.
Media Contact
Company Name: Ibogaine By David Dardashti
Contact Person: Cole Barressi
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: http://www.ibogaineclinic.com
Press Release Distributed by ABNewswire.com
To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Ibogaine by David Dardashti Announces Grand Opening of Second Ibogaine Clinic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Focusing on Non-Substance Related Disorders

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On the brink of retirement, this NFL player turned to psychedelics to help with his OCD
On the brink of retirement, this NFL player turned to psychedelics to help with his OCD

CNN

time14 minutes ago

  • CNN

On the brink of retirement, this NFL player turned to psychedelics to help with his OCD

While NFL players were in the trenches of a grueling season, Braden Smith was fighting a different battle: the one going on inside his own mind. In the middle of what was meant to be a playoff-contending season for the Indianapolis Colts, Smith instead was consumed with thoughts about his faith. What started out as the formative steps in his religious journey quickly became an all-encompassing struggle. But he wasn't just coming to terms with his faith; he was also learning about his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In particular, Smith was dealing with religious scrupulosity – a subtype of OCD where individuals become 'overly concerned that something they thought or did might be a sin or other violation of religious or moral doctrine,' as described by the International OCD Foundation. As he dove into learning everything he could about his faith, Smith found difficulties equating his own past and daily actions with what he was reading in the scripture. 'I was having a court case in my mind all the time – pleading myself to the jury – because my mind all the time would be like: 'You know, God can hear your thoughts,'' Smith told CNN Sports. This came to a head last season when it all became too much. The OCD had taken the joy out of football for Smith, so much so that he was suffering 'mental breakdowns' before games and becoming distracted on the field. He told his wife Courtney that he was going to retire as a result of his OCD. Discussions with Courtney led Smith to check himself into a medical facility for treatment, where he spent 48 days and was formerly diagnosed with OCD. After limited improvement, Smith was told brain surgery was an option, but he instead opted to try psychedelic drugs – ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT – for relief. Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT are banned substances in the US – but not on the NFL's prohibited substances list – so Smith traveled to Mexico to have them administered. Together with the drugs and therapy, Smith turned a corner and having returned to the US, plans to continue his football career, despite being unable to continue using the psychedelics at home. And while the 29-year-old said he's in a much better place than a year ago, he's still on an 'ongoing journey' with his OCD and religious scrupulosity. 'I'm still dealing with OCD, still have obstacles to conquer each and every day,' he said. 'It's part of my life. I can't run or hide from it. And I can't fight it either, per se, because the more that I fight, the more that I play into its hand and I just having to accept it for what it is. 'The OCD always wants you to do more and more and more. That's something that's been preached my whole life is doing more. But at this point, I almost have to do less. I have to rest more in it. I have to rest in that love and that grace vs. trying to do more, trying to fight my OCD.' In hindsight, Smith said he's long had OCD tendencies. He remembers eating 36 chewy sweets in one sitting as a child because no matter the number he got to, it wasn't the right number. Unsurprisingly, he was sick as a result. He also recalls having to wash his hands a certain number of times and worrying a curse would be put on him if he was to anger anyone. And his obsessions went to another level when he began his journey into his faith in earnest last year. Previously, Smith describes not 'living' his faith 'all the way,' taking it in 'bits and pieces.' In 2024, though, his life began to revolve around it. In his mind, his OCD took that journey 'in the most literal sense.' 'Especially when you hear a verse like: 'Loving God with your all your heart, mind, body and soul,' I took that literally,' Smith explained. 'Every thought I have has to be perfect and in order to do the things the right way, my mind was telling me all the things that I needed to avoid. And so, naturally, it starts off as a single thought, and then it starts multiplying all these bad thoughts you're not supposed to have.' Smith remembers it starting with an initial feeling of guilt about his previous sins and what his mind deemed to be sinful thoughts. His brain twisted his faith into thinking he was a 'devil worshipper' and he was selling his soul in his quest for perfection. As he explored his own journey into religion, he found a fixation with conducting himself the way literally written in scripture. That, he now understands, is 'impossible' for a regular person. Striving for perfection only exacerbated the sense of guilt. 'I've messed up the first 28 years of my life. Now, I need 28 more years to make up for the last 28 so I can be even with God,' Smith remembers thinking. While it started with a few obsessions, the tidal wave of thoughts grew over time. Smith resorted to compulsive prayer and attempting to reason with the obsessions as a way of bringing about a respite to his struggles. But no matter how many times he would reason with himself – and, in doing so, God – it would come back even stronger. 'You can quiet it. You can silence it. But last year was that time that voice was the predominant voice,' he said. 'It was screaming. I was in the corner, couldn't get a word out because every time I got a word out, my OCD would just scream and put a million different things in your face all the time.' While Smith was going through this journey, it was having a detrimental effect on his personal and professional life. In March 2024 – two months after his son was born – his wife Courtney remembers noticing Smith was diving head-first into his faith. She recalls Smith doing Bible studies at their kitchen table and reading the book over and over. It was only when she noticed her husband 'couldn't get past his past' that she realized something was up. She describes noting it was 'more extreme' than what she had previously experienced. They remember 'Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit' – also known as the unforgivable sin – as a particular stumbling block for Smith due to the unspecified nature of the sin. Smith wasn't able to listen in conversations with his wife about the role of faith filling in the gaps in Christian scripture, at times even questioning her faith. And then one day, Courtney recalls Smith coming home day and saying he has scrupulosity. At first, Courtney thought he was 'being dramatic' because, as she says, she herself had variations of the thoughts he was expressing during her own journey with faith. But with hindsight, she says she didn't understand the intensity of Smith's struggles. His OCD snowballed during the 2024 NFL season with the Colts. Smith said he had 'no desire to play' football at that point because his mind was telling him: 'Why are you doing this? Would God want you doing this? What purpose does this serve? How does this serve others? You're playing a violent game.' The battle his mind was going through was taking away his joy for a game he'd played for years. His brain was telling him that there was no light at the end of the tunnel and that 'nothing good is going to happen so why waste your time on your family, on your profession?' The hours leading up to a game would bring about feelings of panic for Smith, knowing he'd be away from his family and that doing his compulsions would be harder. He remembers one particular game where he had a 'mental breakdown' in the hours proceeding it and had to be consoled in the locker room. Although he managed to play later that day, he talked to Courtney afterwards and questioned whether continuing his career was the right decision. Even in the midst of games, Smith would be battling his own mind. He remembers his OCD popping up during a two-minute drive in the fourth quarter of a game, saying: 'You can win the game, but you need to sell your soul to the devil.' The inner battle between Smith and his OCD would reverberate around his head all while an NFL contest went on around him. Smith's struggles got to a point where he told Courtney he was going to retire, an announcement which shocked her because of Smith's love of the game. As it so happens, Smith talked to one of his teammates who also had scrupulosity, which offered some reassurance that this was an issue they could treat. 'I didn't feel hopeless,' Courtney told CNN Sports. The Colts permitted Smith to miss the final five games of the 2025 season to allow him to get better; the offensive lineman thanks the franchise for paying the majority of his contract during that time when they had no obligation to do so as he was on the Non-Football Injury/Illness list. The Smith's made the decision for Smith to go to a facility for treatment. During his 48 days there, Smith described getting marginally better in the short-term but not enough to return to his normal life. This lack of positive progress rang alarm bells with Courtney who, after talking to a therapist Smith had been working with, said that brain surgery would be the next option. Courtney was adamant that surgery would not happen. Instead, they decided Smith would travel to Mexico for treatment and, in particular, to see if the use of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT would help. He emphasized the importance of trying the psychedelic drug in a controlled environment among a group of people on their own journeys with therapeutic treatments surrounded by medical professionals. The ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT – they are used in a five day treatment, first the ibogaine and, after a one day break, then the 5-MeO-DMT – and learning about the skill of mindfulness helped provide a breakthrough for Smith. 'It opened doors into my mind,' he explained. 'It's that greater self-awareness and seeing the OCD for what it is,' he said. 'It is OCD. These are obsessions. These fears, they're not real. 'And it takes some time to rewire my brain that way and the ibogaine gave me that blank slate to be able to actually do that, whereas I wasn't able to do that before because my mind was so rigid.' Last year, a study of 30 military veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) found depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms improved immediately after treatment with ibogaine. The study, published in Nature Medicine, said they were treated in Mexico and none experienced adverse events. The state of Texas recently approved $50 million to study ibogaine. Research into ibogaine has shown promising results but remains limited. There are potential risks to using the psychedelic, including risks of serious cardiac effects, and side effects such as nausea and tremors. Since opening up about his journey and use of psychedelics as treatment, Smith has received plenty of positive feedback from others in similar situations looking for a beacon of hope. The Colts offensive tackle stresses that he can't heal anyone specifically, but does appreciate that his story can help people if they're struggling for solutions like he was. Smith, a 2018 second-round draft pick, has returned to the field in preparation of the new season, having agreed to a restructuring of his contract in March. His past 18 months have seen growth, reckoning and realization. His journey is not complete, he said, but he is in a much stronger position to be able to cope with the challenges thrown his way and continue his faith journey. And for those who might be in a similar position, Smith stresses the importance of speaking to loved ones, no matter the 'vulnerability' that comes with opening up. 'All these things I've gone through in my head, it's very uncomfortable. And the thing I always worried about was like: 'What if someone confirms my fears for me? Or I get the wrong response?'' Smith told CNN Sports. 'It's not something you want to talk to just anyone about. Go to a loved one you trust and open up about it and they probably have more clarity than you at the time and maybe they'll be able to see it for what it is. 'In my case, my wife was the one that was getting me the help. I was ashamed to get help. I was ashamed to open up. I was going crazy. My head wasn't in a good space. So I think really leaning on a loved one was really helpful. It does seem taboo but at the same time, if you don't talk about, you don't get anything out of it and nothing can happen.'

Analyzing the Sacred Moments That Heal the Healers
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Analyzing the Sacred Moments That Heal the Healers

Angela Hiefner, PhD, behavioral health specialist, was feeling especially exhausted when she was tapped by a primary care physician to evaluate a patient for behavioral health services. 'She shared about being evicted from her apartment, worrying about her son, and feeling fearful about the current immigration political climate,' Hiefner, the director of behavioral health in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said. 'We talked about how difficult these things have been for her and her family and were able to get her connected with one of the primary care clinic's mental health clinicians.' The interaction helped Hiefner slow down and reconnect with her purpose of work, she said. 'It's a perfect example of how meaningful connections and meaningful work can ease the burden of workdays that feel especially chaotic and difficult to keep up with,' she said. A study published online in JAMA Network asked internal medicine physicians about experiences similar to Hiefner's, using the term 'sacred moments' to describe these interactions. 'We defined these moments as deeply meaningful connections between two people that can sometimes have qualities of transcendence or boundlessness or spiritual qualities,' said Jessica Ameling, MPH, research area specialist lead at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and lead author of the study. The study surveyed 629 internal medicine physicians (59.2% White, 60.9% men) from June 2023 to May 2024, assessing burnout, coping strategies, and whether they had experienced sacred moments in practice. A little under two thirds of physicians said they had ever experienced a sacred moment with a patient (34.7% reported a few times each year, and 36.8% reported only a few times in their career). Physicians who experienced sacred moments several times or more throughout the year showed reduced odds of burnout than those with less frequent experiences (odds ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.14-0.60; P = .001). Those who discussed these moments with their colleagues also showed lower odds of burnout, however, nearly three fourths reported either never or rarely doing so. Nearly 5% of physicians said they always or often discussed their sacred moments. 'I think in medicine, like in a lot of professional fields, it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day nuts and bolts of the job, and sometimes we forget to have explicit conversations about why we do the work, what makes it meaningful,' Ameling said. 'I think this is one of the beautiful things about discussing sacred moments, the renewed focus on 'why I went into medicine' and the meaningfulness of human connection.'

Is Burnout Real? What The Scientific Debate Means For Your Company
Is Burnout Real? What The Scientific Debate Means For Your Company

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Matches burning out My husband went to work this morning with a spring in his step. It was the first time in weeks. Why? Because our oldest son was laughing and joking at breakfast after weeks of poor sleep and bad moods. At work, my husband felt energetic. Quite a difference from the previous weeks, when he felt exhausted upon arrival at the office, and had the feeling work was piling up. My husband had been experiencing burnout symptoms, which include feeling exhausted, being negative about work, and lower efficiency. Burnout is acknowledged by the World Health Organization, which defines it in its International Classification of Diseases-11 as 'a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.' More than 50 years of research have been dedicated to understanding burnout. Now, it is being called into question. There are two camps – one consisting of psychologists and psychiatrists questioning the validity and need for the concept of burnout, and the other a group of occupational health researchers underscoring the relevance of burnout. Here are the key points, counterpoints, and takeaway messages that matter for #1: Does Work Cause Burnout? The first point adversaries of burnout make is that there is no convincing evidence that work factors primarily cause burnout. Advocates of burnout, however, maintain that the origin of burnout is the workplace. Understanding precisely what causes burnout is essential, as it can help us find more effective solutions to prevent it. In my husband's case, I wondered, what caused his burnout complaints? The last few weeks were marked by numerous tight submission deadlines. But it was nothing out of the ordinary for his line of work, and something he otherwise dealt with fine. The added family worries had made it difficult to cope with his work demands. This is not to say that work cannot be the sole cause of burnout. Many people work in dismal working conditions where work is the clear culprit of burnout complaints. However, it is essential to consider the overall burden placed on employees, both at work and at home. In a study published almost twenty years ago in Journal of Vocational Behavior, professors Tanja van der Lippe, Esther Kluwer, Henk Flap, and I found that employees with children under six years old were more likely to report burnout complaints than those with older children, even when controlling for work pressure and work hours. A meta-analysis published in Human Relations in 2014 confirms that work-family conflict, characterized by insufficient time or energy to perform both roles effectively, can lead to burnout. The fact that nonwork factors contribute to burnout does not mean that burnout is not work-related. Work demands, together with nonwork demands, might push someone over the edge. Exhausted employees more often call in sick, perform suboptimal, and have less energy to support colleagues properly. There is thus sufficient reason for organizations to support burned-out employees and ensure they have the necessary resources to recover and fully re-engage in their work. When searching for the right resources, however, it will be critical to understand where someone needs help: at work, at home, or both.(Dis)agreement #2: How Prevalent is Burnout? Opponents of burnout argue that burnout researchers exaggerate that burnout is a condition of epidemic magnitude. Proponents, however, also condemn the popular notion that burnout is rampant. As discussed by Professors Hans de Witte from Catholic University Leuven and Wilmar Schaufeli from Utrecht University, the solution lies in clearly differentiating between burnout complaints versus clinically diagnosed burnout. Burnout complaints indicate that an employee often feels exhausted, distances themselves from work, and perceives their accomplishments as lower. These feelings of work stress are, in fact, quite prevalent. A clinical form of burnout, diagnosed by a medical expert, where the employee is on leave for weeks or months, is relatively rare, and the trend appears to be stable. A longitudinal study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that fewer than four percent of German employees received a formal diagnosis of burnout, and this number remained stable between 2012 and 2022. When the media refers to burnout as epidemic, they essentially mean that more employees feel exhausted and cynical about work, which differs from what is suggested by the word burnout alone, namely, an employee who is sick at home. Disagreement #3: Is Burnout the Same as Depression? Challengers of burnout argue that it is unclear if burnout is different from depression. Professors Renzo Bianchi from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Irvan Sam Schonfeld from City University of New York vouch for retiring the term and instead viewing it as a subset of depressive symptoms. Burnout supporters, however, pinpoint apparent differences – depression is a mood disorder, primarily characterized by depressed mood and loss of interest and pleasure in activities. Professors De Witte and Schaufeli frame burnout as an energy disorder, primarily characterized by emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue. When asking Christaan Vinkers, Psychiatrist and Professor in Stress and Resilience at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, the Netherlands, if he sees a way out of this impasse, he responds, 'We need large-scale studies that examine the differences and similarities between burnout, depression, and anxiety. We don't know if burnout is truly different from depression, because work stressors can also cause depression, and burnout is not caused by work alone.' Vinkers calls for clinical studies that meticulously map the symptoms of employees who are so distressed that they can no longer perform their work. By focusing on this group, you can determine if there is a clear set of symptoms that belong to the diagnosis of burnout or if these symptoms are so similar to depression and anxiety that they should be categorized there. Vinkers also underscores the need to examine the underlying stress response in more detail. 'It might be even more important to shift focus to the dysregulation process. What causes someone to feel so overwhelmed by life that they can't function anymore? If we know what pushes people over the edge, we can better prevent and treat stress-related illness, regardless of what we call it.'Takeaways for Organizations While some may dismiss this debate as an academic squabble, it contains important lessons for practice. The following guidelines may help organizations. The proponents and opponents of burnout both made valid points. Part of the clash might be attributed to two disciplines using different lenses. A psychiatrist's job is to diagnose people correctly, and for that purpose, better diagnostic burnout tools are necessary. Occupational health psychologists focus on employees who might experience elevated stress at work but are not clinically ill. Both camps have essential roles to play, and these roles seem complementary rather than adversarial.

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