LSD & PTSD: The Case for Using LSD to Relieve PTSD

What is PTSD

PTSD is a set of reactions that can develop in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic or horrifying event that threatens their life or safety, or that of other people around them. This event could be a motor vehicle or severe accident, mass violence, war-related events or torture, physical or sexual assault, or disasters such as floods or wildfires. In 2017, around 3.6% of adults in the US had PTSD, and nearly 7% will experience it in their lifetimes.

PTSD is different from the concept of moral injury, where a person suffers deep psychological damage due to perpetrating or witnessing acts that violate their moral values. But research does indicate that people who suffer moral injury may be more likely to develop PTSD later. This link, combined with repeated exposure to traumatic and violent events, may help explain the prevalence of PTSD in military personnel, police officers, and other first-responders.

Symptoms of PTSD

Mental health charity, Beyond Blue, lists four main areas where people with PTSD experience difficulties:

• Re-experiencing the traumatic event—The person relives the event through unwanted and recurring traumatic memories, often in the form of vivid and intrusive images and nightmares (sometimes referred to as “flashbacks”). There may be intense emotional or physical reactions, such as sweating, heart palpitations, or panic when reminded of the event.
• Being overly vigilant or wound up—The person experiences sleeping difficulties, irritability, and lack of concentration, becoming easily startled and constantly looking out for signs of danger.
• Avoiding reminders of the event—The person deliberately avoids activities, places, people, thoughts, or feelings associated with the event because they bring back painful memories.
• Feeling emotionally numb—The person loses interest in day-to-day activities, feels cut off and detached from friends and family, or feels emotionally flat and empty.

Importantly, these symptoms must persist for at least two weeks to a month after the initial trauma for a PTSD diagnosis. Many people experience some of these symptoms in the first weeks after a traumatic event, but most will recover with the support of those around them. It’s also vital to understand that some people do not develop PTSD until years after the initial event. If you, or someone you know, are persistently experiencing these sorts of symptoms, you should seek professional medical help.

With current treatments such as talk-therapy and antidepressants, it can take considerable time to recover from PTSD. Research indicates that 50% of people recover within two years. At a 10-year follow-up, 25% of people had not recovered at all, making this condition effectively a chronic one for millions of people around the world.