431 Out of The Darkness of Addiction: The Plant Medicine Path
431 Out of The Darkness of Addiction: The Plant Medicine Path

The One Day At A Time Recovery Podcast

Shamanic practitioner Kat Courtney talks about how ayahuasca and ibogaine intersect with her 17‑plus years of sobriety, stressing that integration and daily self‑care matter more than any ceremony. The conversation highlights trauma, post‑acute withdrawal, and the need for safe, experienced guidance for anyone considering plant medicine in recovery.

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1:00:08•21 May 2026

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Plant Medicine, Sobriety and the Power of Integration

Episode Overview

Integration practices after plant medicine are described as more important than the ceremony itself, because they turn new awareness into lasting habits.
Ibogaine is said to reduce post‑acute withdrawal symptoms for one to three months, giving people a crucial window without intense cravings.
Different plant medicines suit different addictions, and some combinations with medications (like SSRIs) are described as unsafe.
Kat shares simple daily rituals, including morning check‑ins and her mantra "to me, from me, with love", to keep self‑care intentional rather than robotic.
Both Kat and Arlina stress that no single path fits everyone and that experienced, well‑trained facilitators and honest community feedback are vital.

“Because the addiction was never the problem. It was the solution.”

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on The One Day At A Time Recovery Podcast follows shamanic practitioner and long‑time sober woman, Kat Courtney, as she talks through a highly unconventional path out of alcoholism and into plant medicine work. Kat shares that her 17‑plus years without alcohol didn’t begin with a white‑knuckle surrender, but with what she calls a dare from ayahuasca: three months without drinking.

When she celebrated by picking up a drink again, it "felt like I drank glass shards" – a moment that pushed her to pour out her liquor and start identifying as someone who doesn’t drink. She and host Arlina Allen chat candidly about shame, people‑pleasing, and that exhausting inner bartering of "just one drink". Kat explains why she believes "the addiction was never the problem.

It was the solution" to unprocessed trauma – and why plant medicines alone don’t fix anything without consistent integration afterwards. You’ll hear how ayahuasca and ibogaine work very differently, why ibogaine can give people a rare three‑month window with reduced post‑acute withdrawal symptoms, and why certain substances (like meth or SSRIs) change which plant medicines are even safe to use.

Beyond the medicine talk, Kat walks through her practical self‑care rituals: a morning check‑in at her altar with the question "How are you really?", and evenings "bookending" her day by naming wins, letting go of what her body doesn’t need to carry, and celebrating small victories. One simple mantra she repeats, even over a glass of water, is "to me, from me, with love" – a reminder that self‑care isn’t another cold discipline, but an act of affection.

If you’re sober, sober‑curious, or simply wondering whether plant medicine has a place in recovery, this episode offers a grounded, non‑dogmatic chat that might help you frame your own next step. What intention would you choose if you had a fresh three‑month window to change your life?

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