Use of d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide in the Treatment of Alcoholism

The Therapeutic Potential of LSD-25
By Cohen S
A Pharmacologic Approach to the Study of the Mind: 1959

Reviewed by Alex Pearlstein

Abstract:
The author discusses the question whether LSD is a compound that augments the psychotherapeutic transaction. . A brief series of treatment with LSD in gradually increasing doses was administered to patients mainly with character disorders or neuroses at weekly intervals. The initial dose was 25 mcg. Of LSD which was increased by 25 mcg. for an average of 5 interviews at weekly intervals. Those patients were chosen who wanted to get well and were sufficiently intelligent to understand the nature of the treatment. In general, the improved cases were psychoneurotics with anxiety, depression, hysterical features and compulsiveness.

Review:
I like how this review takes into account the state of mind of a person under LSD. They recognize the difficulty a person will have coping with their surroundings while under the influence of LSD. The treatment also reveals the patient's ability to cope with difficult questions of their own past experiences or behavior while under it's influence. Because of these possibilities, caution and respect must be given to the use of this chemical in treatments. Without using strict guidelines for those who receives LSD therapy and maintaining appropriate procedures, the treatment could cause more harm than help.

After this research the investigator came to the following conclusion: "LSD may be useful when in psychotherapy progress stops or the patient is not able to 'unblock' specific repressed material. LSD is excellent to study unconscious processes and to test some psychodynamic formulations." He also documented an outline of what parameters can assist LSD therapy for both the benefit of the patient as well as to clearly track and judge the findings of the study.

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