LSD-Assisted Therapy protocol
Compound: LSD
Status: research
Classic psychedelic being revisited for anxiety and addiction
Dosing
Dose: 25 to 200 micrograms in modern controlled studies; 100 micrograms in the 2024 GAD Phase 2b
Route: Oral, in trials
Duration: 8 to 12 hours
Sessions: Single or spaced sessions per protocol
Safety
Monitoring: Continuous supervision through the session, blood pressure checks, calm containment for difficult periods rather than premature chemical intervention where clinically appropriate.
Side effects
- Anxiety waves during the session
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
- Perceptual after-effects
- Rare persistent perceptual changes
Contraindications
- Psychosis or mania history
- Lithium use
- Significant cardiovascular disease
- Unstable psychiatric presentation
- Pregnancy
Overview
Mechanism: LSD is a long-acting serotonin 2A receptor agonist producing 8 to 12 hours of altered perception, cognition, and affect. Modern trials focus on anxiety and depression.
Indications
- Under clinical investigation for generalized anxiety disorder and depression
- Historical research in anxiety associated with serious illness
Evidence level: A Phase 2b trial of a single 100 microgram dose for generalized anxiety disorder reported significant improvement, and the program received US FDA breakthrough therapy designation in 2024. Earlier controlled work includes LSD-assisted psychotherapy for end-of-life anxiety.
Citations
Doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000113
Year: 2014
Title: LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with a life-threatening disease: a randomized active placebo pilot study
Year: 2024
Title: Phase 2b trial of MM120 (lysergide) for generalized anxiety disorder; FDA breakthrough therapy designation
Integration
Prompts
- Which hour of the session mattered most and why?
- What changed in how the anxiety is held?
- Any visual forms worth documenting to the registry standard?
Framework: Next-day and one-week integration sessions in trial protocols, with standard scales tracking anxiety and mood. The long arc of the session tends to produce a large amount of material; integration prioritizes rather than exhausts it.
Preparation
Screening
- Psychiatric screening for psychosis, mania, and family history
- Cardiovascular screening
- Medication review including lithium, which is dangerous in combination
- Session-day logistics: the duration requires a full supervised day
Set setting: Clinical settings with trained monitors for the full duration, comfortable room, music and eyeshades optional, no driving until fully recovered.
Legal status: LSD is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States and controlled internationally. Swiss compassionate-use programs have allowed limited supervised clinical use. Reference material, not medical advice.
Reference material only. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a personal recommendation.