In a small pilot study, 12 patients with anxiety related to life-threatening diseases underwent two sessions of LSD-assisted psychotherapy, receiving either a full 200-microgram dose or a low 20-microgram active placebo, with the placebo group later crossing over to the full dose. At a 2-month follow-up, trait anxiety decreased with a large effect size, and state anxiety also dropped significantly. These anxiety reductions persisted for 12 months. No serious adverse effects occurred beyond one day after treatment. The findings suggest that, under careful medical supervision, LSD can reduce anxiety, supporting the need for larger controlled trials.
In a long-term follow-up of the first completed trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, all 19 original participants took part, and 16 completed all outcome measures 17 to 74 months after their final MDMA session (average 45.4 months). The mean CAPS score at follow-up (23.7) was nearly identical to the mean score at study exit (24.6), indicating that the substantial symptom relief achieved during the trial was maintained over time. Although two participants relapsed, the majority sustained clinically significant improvements, and no one reported harm from participation.