What can we learn from the history of research on psychedelic drugs in the addictions?
Addiction August 12, 2021 DOI: 10.1111/add.15560 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction |
| Keywords | Street drugs |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key points | Argues that the history of 1950s and 1960s research on LSD for alcohol dependence suggests caution in the proposed clinical use of psychedelics today. The text notes a revival of interest since 2006 in using psychedelics to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and addictions, and asks what lessons can be drawn from the earlier alcohol-dependence research. |
Abstract
The history of research on the use of psychedelic drugs to treat alcohol dependence in the 1950s and 1960s suggests the need for caution in their proposed clinical use. Since 2006 there has been a revival of interest in using psychedelics to treat depression and post-traumatic stress disorders [1] and the addictions [2]. What lessons may we glean from research in the 1950s and 1960s on the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) to treat alcohol dependence [3, 4]?
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm General population | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Restructuring reward processing with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement: novel therapeutic mechanisms to remediate hedonic dysregulation in addiction, stress, and pain. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca’s entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from ‘addiction’ | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Hypotheses Regarding the Mechanisms of Ayahuasca in the Treatment of Addictions | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Biosynthesis of an Anti-Addiction Agent from the Iboga Plant. | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Nature-themed video intervention may improve cardiovascular safety of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder Frontiers in Psychiatry September 18, 2023
- How to account for hallucinations in the interpretation of the antidepressant effects of psychedelics: a translational framework. Psychopharmacology March 29, 2022
- History, Hype, and Responsible Psychedelic Medicine: A Qualitative Study of Psychedelic Researchers. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry October 4, 2024
- A protocol for a scoping review of variations among psychedelic interventions for psychological suffering associated with the end-of-life. PLoS One 2025
- Pharmacotherapy of Psychological Disorders Using Psychedelic Drugs: A Treatise for Psychiatrists Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews January 21, 2024
and 3 more in the library
Cites 7
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
- Treatment of alcoholism using psychedelic drugs: a review of the program of research. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1998
- ‘Hitting Highs at Rock Bottom’: LSD Treatment for Alcoholism, 1950–1970 Social History of Medicine July 17, 2006
- Hallucinogenic/psychedelic 5HT2A receptor agonists as rapid antidepressant therapeutics: Evidence and mechanisms of action Journal of Psychopharmacology March 19, 2021
- Polypharmacology or “Pharmacological Promiscuity” In Psychedelic Research: What Are We Missing? ACS Chemical Neuroscience October 6, 2020
and 2 more in the library