22 Years of Psych Drugs, Mystery Illness, and The Promise of Ibogaine || Amber Cummings & Dr. Greg Lazelle
Artem SmirnovFull Interview with Amber Cummings & Dr. Greg Lazelle at the bottom of the page
Amber spent 22 years on psychiatric medications from age 12, eventually meeting Dr. Greg, who diagnosed her with cerebellar autoimmunity after her medication withdrawal led to debilitating symptoms. She describes her journey through medication dependence, suicide attempts, and eventual discovery that the “chemical imbalance” theory was marketing fiction rather than science. When conventional treatments proved insufficient, she underwent two ibogaine sessions, which Dr. Greg explains work by increasing neural growth factors to restore brain function.
During her ibogaine experiences, Amber confronted limiting beliefs and processed trauma through vivid visions, ultimately reprogramming deep-seated negative thought patterns. She reports significant improvements in health and energy following treatment, describing a shift from “scraping the bottom of the cup” to having a cup that’s “overflowing.” Both emphasize the difference between consciousness-reducing psychiatric drugs and consciousness-expanding psychedelics, with Amber now coaching others to reclaim their mental freedom through holistic approaches.
Watch: The Untold Truth About Psych Med Withdrawal: A Doctor & Patient Perspective
“I was put on psych drugs when I was young at 12 years old and spent 22 years believing that I was profoundly broken and that those substances could somehow fix me”
-Amber
Q&A: With Amber and Dr. Greg
Tell us about your early life and how you first got perscribed psych meds
Amber: I went from a place of living in deep suffering in affliction. I was put on psych drugs when I was young at 12 years old and spent 22 years believing that I was profoundly broken and that those substances could somehow fix me.
And it was after my second suicide attempt in my thirties where I was like, Hey, I don’t think that these drugs are working. And I began exploring. Holistic techniques, and I’m somebody who now practices a lot of what I call energy work practices, meditation, breath work, chanting mantras, yoga, dance, movement, art, like ways that we can express ourselves and feel safely and move energy through our bodies and train our brains to be healthy and well, and be able to deal with big emotions.
“IThere’s currently millions of people that are on antidepressants, and if you just put the math together, that’s a lot of people walking around with these quote mystery illnesses.” – Dr. Greg
Dr. Greg, can you talk about Amber’s symptoms in relation to psychiatric meds from your perspective?
Dr. Greg: I first want to talk about the current medical consensus on antidepressant withdrawals. Within the past year, landmark articles in reputable journals have finally brought light to this silent epidemic happening all around us.
In the Journal of Addictive Behavior, they studied over a thousand participants and found that 80% of people who had withdrawal symptoms experienced them for over two years, and they were severe and debilitating. Another study in The Lancet showed that one in three people who have taken antidepressants will experience withdrawal symptoms. This is staggering. There are millions of people on antidepressants, and that’s a lot of people walking around with these “mystery illnesses.”
As for Amber, she came in presenting with chronic viral infections and other symptoms consistent with what these studies are showing.
Can you talk about Ibogaine and healing the brain?
Dr. Greg: When it comes to healing the brain, there are no real home runs. The interesting thing about Iboga is that the molecule is extremely complex, allowing it to work on many different pathways in the brain and body – a kind of jack of all trades function.
In the brain, we have glial cells that look like little Pac-Men, clearing out inflammatory debris and ensuring pathways fire properly. With conditions like TBI or long-term psych med use, these cells lose function, creating more inflammation. To heal the brain, you need to elevate BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and GDNF (Glial-derived neurotrophic factor). While diet and exercise can help, Amber couldn’t even walk without crashing. Ibogaine exponentially increases GDNF in the brain, which is why it’s so effective.
What’s fascinating is that ibogaine increases dopamine and serotonin levels (which are chronically depressed in people taking antidepressants) while simultaneously blocking the pathways that cause people to “check out” when confronting difficult emotions. This allows you to focus on your shadows while preventing the usual response of numbing out. It also helps restore misfolded proteins in receptor pathways damaged by long-term psych drug use, ensuring these pathways start working again and creating new ones in the process.
Watch the full interview with Amber Cummings and Dr. Greg Lazelle
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Normalize Psychedelics is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) working to transform public perception of psychedelic medicine through real stories of healing. Our mission is to collect 1,000 powerful testimonials from individuals whose lives have been transformed by psychedelic experiences. By sharing these authentic voices, we aim to reduce stigma, advance the conversation around mental health, and expand our understanding of wellness.
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