Psychedelic 'restarts your brain,' hurt athletes say

As awareness grows around the dangers of head trauma in sports, a small number of professional fighters and football players are turning to a psychedelic called ibogaine for treatment.

- By CLara HaRTER

DURING IBOGAINE treatments, patients have a psychedelic-trip experience.

Ibogaine, which is derived from a West African shrub, is a Schedule 1 drug in America with no legal medical uses, and experts urge caution because of the need for further studies. But the results, several athletes say, are “game-changing.”

“It saved my life,” said former NFL offensive guard Robert Gallery, who traveled to Mexico in 2023 to try ibogaine.

“I’m not anxious all the time, I’m not depressed,” he continued, “I can go for a run and be thankful that I’m alive, rather than having a thought that I should step in front of a semitruck coming down the road.”

The psychedelic substance is derived from the iboga plant, and proponents tout its ability to treat addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

An observational study of 30 special forces veterans by researchers at Stanford University suggests that ibogaine can be highly effective at reducing anxiety, depression and cognitive challenges associated with TBI.

“This is a miraculous thing,” said retired MMA fighter Tait Fletcher, who credits the treatment with freeing him from suicidal ideation.

NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre even tried ibogaine to see whether it could help his Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disease linked to TBI.

FORMER RAIDERS guard Robert Gallery traveled to Mexico in 2023 to try the psychedelic ibogaine.

Although athletes are just discovering ibogaine, the drug is well known within the veteran community, which experiences high rates of brain injury and PTSD.