166: Michael - Healing Beyond Abstinence

Michael’s Rock Bottom: Tequila, Rehab, AA, and Finding Sobriety Through Ibogaine & Iboga

 

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, Michael shares how his tequila drinking progressively worsened—especially during COVID—despite being a high-functioning husband, father of three, and long-time tech sales professional. With a family history of alcoholism and mounting anxiety and physical discomfort, he struggled to stop despite repeated attempts, including AA, psilocybin, and “California sober,” and eventually completed a 30-day rehab stay. After relapsing, he pursued ibogaine treatment in Mexico, which eliminated his alcohol cravings but initially didn’t last; a second ibogaine treatment on August 30, 2025 became his sober date. He then completed a seven-day iboga retreat, reporting broader lifestyle changes like improved diet, hiking, weight loss, reduced sugar cravings, and a stronger spiritual connection, while continuing AA for community and emphasizing integration work.

 

00:00 Vacation Drinking Spiral 00:56 Rock Bottom Intro 01:25 Sponsor Sober Strong 02:36 Meet Michael Sober Date 04:09 Family History Early Signs 06:18 First Drinks High School 07:31 Work Travel COVID Escalation 09:39 Hiding Bottles Red Flags 10:48 Health Anxiety Rock Bottom 15:45 Rehab AA Relapse Cycle 18:35 Ibogaine Discovery Reset 22:19 Iboga Retreat Transformation 23:21 What Ibogaine Feels Like 26:11 Bwiti Tradition Spiritual Shift 27:30 Palapa Night Ceremony 28:10 Iboga Retreat Breakthroughs 28:34 Integration After The Reset 30:32 Costs Rehab Versus Iboga 31:42 AA Bridge And Pushback 39:53 Risks Misconceptions Safety 41:26 Clinics Demand And Big Pharma 44:16 Daily Routine Wellness Tools 48:59 Closing Quote And Advice