Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Erowid, F., Erowid, E., Griffiths, R. R., & Johnson, M. W. (2019). Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 33(9), 1088–1101. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119845793

Alma College

A meta-analysis of randomized trials investigating the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcohol use disorder (AUD) demonstrated substantial and statistically significant improvements in LSD's effectiveness compared to control conditions. Furthermore, clinical studies indicate promising anti-addiction effects of LSD and related classic psychedelics in the treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders.

Reduction in Alcohol Use Disorder and consumption after psychedelic use

Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use

Before the psychedelic experience, most had severe AUD (72%), with smaller proportions having moderate (17%) or mild (11%) AUD. They reported an average of 7.3 AUD symptoms and consumed around 25.5 drinks per week. Treatment prior to the experience was infrequent (6% received medication). A large portion had a history of mood disorders (62%), anxiety disorders (59%), or unspecified substance use disorders (55%).

Alcohol use, treatment, and mental health prior to a psychedelic experience

The majority (89%) of participants reported no persisting adverse effects after the psychedelic experience. 6% were unsure, and 5% reported mild effects such as anxiety and headaches. Only two individuals experienced extreme severity effects but without a decrease in well-being or life satisfaction. One gained insights into trauma and addiction, while the other sought additional help beyond psychedelics for alcoholism.

Adverse effects of psychedelic use for Alcohol Use Disorder treatment 

After the psychedelic experience, over half of the participants noticed alcohol withdrawal symptoms like craving, depression, anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. Surprisingly, many found these symptoms to be "much less severe" compared to their previous attempts to cut down on alcohol. Some experienced less common symptoms like lack of appetite, increased heart rate, tremors, fever, and seizures, but most reported that the severity was either the same or much less compared to their previous quit attempts. Notably, 69% of those who previously experienced craving observed a significant reduction in its severity after the psychedelic experience.

Alcohol withdrawal after psychedelic consumption

The post-psychedelic experience resulted in a significant reduction in alcohol consumption for almost all respondents. The majority no longer met AUD criteria, and average AUDIT-C scores decreased significantly from 8.5 to 2.7. While some reported temporary reductions, 70% did not seek additional alcohol use treatment after the experience.

Alcohol consumption post-psychedelic experience

The study found that the AUDIT-C change score was positively associated with psychedelic substance dose, acute mystical experiences' intensity, personal meaning, pre-AUDIT-C scores, alcohol distress, AUD symptoms prior to the experience, and years with a drinking problem. Higher alcohol consumption and distress before the experience related to greater AUDIT-C change scores. A higher psychedelic substance dose was linked to increased insight, mystical effects, and personal meaning, all contributing to higher AUDIT-C change scores. Overall, the model fit was excellent, indicating the significance of these associations.

Relations and paths between alcohol consumption and psychedelic experiences

Approximately 72% of participants used psilocybin (36%) or LSD (38%) during their experience, mostly opting for a "moderate" (54%) or "high" (29%) dose over a year ago (75%). The majority (65%) chose home settings for psychological (62%) or spiritual (39%) exploration, while only 10% intended to change their alcohol use. About 39% reported having a "complete mystical experience," which was profoundly meaningful for 80% of participants, psychologically challenging for 39%, and psychologically insightful for 74%. Additionally, 51% rated it among their top five spiritually significant experiences, and 79% reported a notable increase in well-being.

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