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Ling TM, Buckman J.
“The use of lysergic acid in individual psychotherapy”.
Proc. roy. Soc. Med.. 1960;53:927-929.
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Abstract
Fifty persons with psychiatric problems, who continued to work, spent every week one night (starting at 6 p.m.) in a "psychiatric night hospital" where they were given individual psychotherapy aided by LSD + methamphetamine (methamphetamine potentiates the effect of LSD and diminishes anxiety). In the first session, the patients received 40 mcg. LSD i.m. + 15 mg. methamphetamine. The dose of LSD was increased by 20 mcg. every week. The highest dose usually was 100 mcg. LSD (+ 15 mg. methamphetamine), rarely up to 200 mcg. LSD. Treatment was terminated by 50 mg. Mellaril or chlorpromazine by mouth or, in case of very marked LSD effect, by 50 mg. Chlorpromazine i.m. After 8 sessions LSD was omitted for 4 weeks. The patients suffered from tension (26 cases) anxiety (13), sexual anomalies (4), character disorders (3), obsessional thinking (1), conversion hysteria (2), psychopathia (1). .
RESULTS: LSD facilitated reliving of repressed experiences (even dating back to early childhood) and produced a most valuable upreaciton. Evaluation 6 months after the start of therapy gave the following
RESULTS: recovered 7 cases, greatly improved 8, moderately improved 23, not improved 11, worse 1. . LSD is particularly suitable for "anxiety states with accompanying tension". Neurotic depressives with anxiety do well also. Response in psychosomatic cases is variable, but very good results were obtained in cases of migraine. Among the cases described in some detail, concerns a lady, aged 51, complaining of migraine since the age of 9 and generalized tension since adolescence. Under the influence of LSD, she relived the traumatic childhood experience which provoked her first attack of migraine. "Now, 8 months since her last treatment, she feels free from tension and has had no more attacks of migraine." . No untoward after effects occurred after LSD. The patient went to work "but was advised not to drive a car until mid-day". . Contraindications: "With inadequate schizoid personalitied there is a risk of precipitating an acute schizophrenic illness." The risk of suicide has to be considered.
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| Notes # : (Royal Soc., Med., Sect. Psychiat., London, May 10, 1960) |
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