Pubdate: Fri, 09 Mar 2012
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
Website: http://www.calgaryherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Derek Abma
Referenced: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials: 
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/03/08/0269881112439253.full.pdf+html

LSD COULD TREAT BOOZE ADDICTION: RESEARCHERS

Is dropping acid a reasonable way to deal with a drinking problem?

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's 
department of neuroscience think there's some merit to the idea.

They've gone through data from experiments conducted in the 1960s and 
1970s, and say there is evidence that subjects given LSD were more 
likely to make progress in dealing with a harmful alcohol habit.

Their paper, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, took a 
broad look at six different experimental trials, including one in 
Canada in 1966, involving 536 subjects being treated for alcohol problems.

A key finding in this analysis was that, in the trials, 59 per cent 
of subjects administered a single dose of LSD showed improvements in 
their alcohol habits in followup assessments months after treatment 
compared with 38 per cent of people who did not take the drug.

It's unclear why LSD might have helped people dealing with their 
drinking, but one of the study's authors, Pal-Orjan Johansen, had 
this to say: "Many patients claim that they get significant insights 
into their problems, that they get a new perspective on their 
problems and motivation to solve them." He added: "It also seems that 
some people are prepared to be more self-accepting and able to see 
negative consequences and happenings in their own lives."

The study found evidence that LSD had a positive influence on the 
alcohol habits of people out of treatment for as much as six months, 
but not on those who had been away from a program as long as one year.

Johansen said it's possible LSD could be beneficial in treating other 
addictions as well, though more research is needed.

Asked whether treating alcohol dependency with LSD could result in 
replacing one addiction with another, Johansen said:" Psychedelics 
are not known to be toxic to the body or dependence-producing."

As to whether long-term psychological problems could arise from using 
a mind-altering drug, such as LSD, to wean off alcohol, study 
coauthor Teri Krebs said:" Our study, this meta-analysis, is not 
designed to answer that question."

Still, Johansen cautioned that LSD is not necessarily an appropriate 
answer for everyone dealing with an alcohol addiction, and its usage 
should involve consultation with a physician.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom