Treatment of Alcoholism with Lysergide
Wilson van Dusen, Wayne M. Wilson, William S. Miners, Harry N. Hook
Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol June 1, 1967 DOI: 10.15288/qjsa.1967.28.295 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 108 |
| Population | Women alcoholics at Mendocino State Hospital, California; mean age 41 years and mean 7.82 years of excessive drinking among the lysergide group |
| Intervention | Lysergide |
| Dose | average of 400 µg |
| Duration | Follow-up at 6, 12, and 18 months |
| Measures | Mindlin Prognostic Index, Blewett Scale of Psychedelic Reactions |
| Topics | LSD |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key findings | Lysergide did not increase abstinence compared with standard treatment at 18 months: average improvement scores were 3.97 for the lysergide group, 4.03 for controls, and 3.70 for the pilot group on a 2-5 scale. No differences were found by number of sessions, work history, or social improvement, and no correlations with prognostic or background factors emerged. Most patients achieved a transcendent state, and the authors found the drug's ability to reveal patients' real concerns impressive. |
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that alcoholics improved after treatment with a single massive dose of lysergide. To test the effectiveness of lysergide as part of the general alcoholism treatment program at Mendocino State Hospital, Calif., 71 women alcoholics, in groups of 1 to 4, were given an average of 400 µg of lysergide in the morning in a pleasant private room with comfortable chairs and concert music; 15 patients were given lysergide during a pilot phase; 29 had 1 lysergide session; 18, 2 sessions; and 9, 3 sessions. Their mean age was 41 years and they had a mean of 7.82 years of excessive drinking. Each patient had a therapist throughout the rest of the day. An attempt to make the experiment double-blind by giving a group of patients scopolomine instead of lysergide was abandoned because both patients and therapists became aware which patients had been given lysergide. Three sessions were terminated because of an asthmatic attack, an epileptic seizure and a disturbed emotional reaction. The patients given lysergide and a control group of 37 women who received the standard treatment program were followed-up for 6, 12 and 18 months. The lysergide patients were not noticeably more abstinent than the control patients at 18 months; on a scale in which 2 = worse, 3 = same, 4= improved, 5 = much improved, the average score of the control group was 4.03, of the pilot group, 3.70 and of the lysergide group, 3.97. Nor was any difference found between the groups given 1, 2 or 3 sessions. No significant differences in work history or improvement in social life or social relations were found between the experimental and control groups. No correlation between scores on the Mindlin Prognostic Index and outcome were found; nor between age, history of delirium tremens, history of arrests, length of excessive drinking and outcome. The patients' written accounts of the lysergide experience (samples of which are given) and results of the Blewett Scale of Psychedelic Reactions showed that most patients achieved the transcendent state. Though it did not increase the patients' abstinence, the ability of lysergide to break through the patients' facade and reveal their real concerns was impressive.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on LSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased Global Functional Connectivity Correlates with LSD-Induced Ego Dissolution. Human participants | 2016 | Observational cohort | |
| Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin Humans | 2017 | Observational study | |
| Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population. USA adult respondents from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2008-2012) | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 190,000 |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
| Whole-Brain Multimodal Neuroimaging Model Using Serotonin Receptor Maps Explains Non-linear Functional Effects of LSD. Healthy human participants | 2018 | Observational study with computational modeling |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Psychopharmacology March 8, 2012
- Therapeutic effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review of modern‐era clinical studies Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica October 30, 2020
- The psychopharmacology of hallucinogens. Neuropsychopharmacology April 1, 1996
- Adverse Events in Studies of Classic Psychedelics JAMA Psychiatry September 4, 2024
- Treatment of alcoholism using psychedelic drugs: a review of the program of research. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1998
and 13 more in the library