People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAS, often describe a constant feeling of overwhelming, crippling worry. It’s like a radio in your brain that’s always catching static, and it’s so loud you can’t focus on anything else.
For decades, the primary tools to turn down that static have been daily medications and talk therapy. They sometimes work. But for roughly half of those who suffer, the noise persists, and there’s no real treatment.
A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests a radical new approach: turning the radio off and on again with LSD.
According to the study, a single, medically supervised dose of lysergic acid diethylamide — better known as LSD — can provide profound and lasting relief from severe anxiety. In the most rigorous clinical trial of its kind, a 100-microgram dose of the psychedelic compound silenced the debilitating worry of GAD for up to 12 weeks, offering a glimpse into what could be a revolutionary new chapter in mental healthcare.
GAD and LSD
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is not the fleeting worry you feel before a big presentation or some stressful event. It’s a chronic and debilitating condition characterized by what Dr. David Feifel, one of the study’s investigators, calls “continuous worry, inability to relax, and all the physical manifestations, racing heart rates and sweatiness.” It erodes your ability to work, maintain relationships, and simply enjoy your life.
When conventional treatments don’t work, patients are left with few options. Psychedelic drugs have shown some promise, but most studies focused on “softer” drugs like cannabis.
The new study, sponsored by the biotech company MindMed, took a different path, focusing on LSD. Researchers recruited 198 adults with moderate to severe GAD across 22 different psychiatric centers. They were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or one of four different doses of a proprietary LSD formulation called MM120. They weren’t given a prescription to take home. Instead, they underwent a single, monitored session in a controlled environment.
The results were striking Participants who received lower doses (25 or 50 micrograms) fared no better than those on the placebo. But those who received the higher, psychedelic-inducing doses of 100 or 200 micrograms experienced a dramatic shift. “By the next day, they were showing strong improvements,” said Dr. Feifel.
The sweet spot appeared to be the 100-microgram dose. At the 12-week mark, a full three months after their single experience, 65% of patients in this group still showed a meaningful response to the treatment. Even more impressively, nearly half of them no longer met the clinical criteria for GAD at all. They were, for all intents and purposes, in remission. Their internal radio wasn’t just quieter — it had found a clear, calm station.
Are Psychedelics a Reliable Solution?
The problem with LSD is that, well, it’s still a hard drug. It’s not like taking an aspirin. As the researchers highlight, LSD is a very “distinct and subjective” experience. For several hours, the drug substantially alters the taker’s perception of reality and even sense of self. It can produce vivid visual patterns, dissolve the boundaries between you and your surroundings, and often unearth deeply buried memories and emotions.
The doctors did their best to make this experience as standard and pleasant as possible. They supervised each participant for two sessions in a “private, aesthetically pleasant room”. They were offered standardized music and eyeshades. But this protocol only does so much; each trip will still be different. Herein lies the bold approach of this trial. It’s a departure from many other psychedelic trials, which pair the drug with preparatory and follow-up therapy.
The new research both excites and puzzles experts. In the MindMed study, the drug was the primary variable. They were given an environment desgined to minimize discomfort when experiencing their trips. But beyond that, intensive psychotherapy was not part of the protocol. This marks a significant departure from many other psychedelic trials, particularly those using MDMA or psilocybin, which often pair the drug with dozens of hours of therapy.
So, Where Do We Go from Here?
One limitation is that it’s not clear what exactly is causing the improvement. Is it the trip itself and the psychological experiences it causes? Is it the impact on the serotonin receptors? Or is it something else?
This is the major shortcoming of psychedelic medicine. The drugs seem to help some people under some conditions, but it’s really hard to devise a standardized procedure and understand the mechanisms that do this. Another challenge plaguing all psychedelic research is the problem of “blinding.” In a gold-standard clinical trial, neither the participant nor the researcher knows who is getting the real drug and who is getting a placebo. This prevents expectations from biasing the results. But with a psychedelic like LSD, it’s impossible. You know if you’re having a full-blown psychedelic experience.
Ultimately, this trial is a sign that the psychedelic renaissance is moving into a more mature phase. Companies see this as a lucrative niche and more daring trials are being set up. The FDA itself seems to be listening. It’s already granted this LSD formulation “breakthrough therapy” status, a designation designed to fast-track the review of drugs that could represent a major improvement over existing treatments. This places LSD on a similar regulatory path as psilocybin and MDMA, signaling a profound shift within the medical establishment.
The study was published in JAMA.
