Posted on 10/16/2006 3:58:35 PM PDT by FFIGHTER
(10/16/06) - Imagine this.
You are hooked on alcohol and you want help getting off the booze.
You go to your doctor, and he or she says, "Drop some acid."
That's right. LSD, the infamous drug of choice for many hippies in the 1960s and '70s.
Lysergic acid diethylamide, the drug that caused hallucinations or "tripping," was, of course, outlawed, giving it immeasurable street cred in its time, before fading away as flower-painted bodies grew into gray-flannel suits.
So, in the 21st century, why would a respected medical doctor even consider prescribing LSD as a wonder drug to help cure alcoholism?
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Ok...but was Timothy Leary, also? Or am I dreaming that?!
It was instantaneous with me too. I had an encounter with Jesus Christ that changed me forever. It wasn't willpower, I had no choice. I knew I would die otherwise.
I went from a $400 a month bar tab and a night in the tank to stone dead sober the next morning...that was in 82
Some serious alcoholism practioners tried it on their patients in the 1960s but dropped it rather quickly as ineffective and dangerous.
I had a rum and coke a couple of years back on New Years eve but that's all I've had. My wife is an occasional drinker and there's a bottle of Captain Morgans in the cupboard but it doesn't interest me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPgpYux8HJQ
It's an old CIA video about LSD, apparently.
I can't believe neither one of us was pinged to this. ;op
Timothy Leary began his notorious relationship with LSD in the 50's and early 60's doing exactly this same research with alcoholics at the Concord Mass. state prison outside Boston.
Lots of very prominent people were advocating research into LSD and alcoholism, including some who were very strong supporters of AA.
'Nuff said.
Bill Wilson experimented with LSD to see if it helped his depression, NOT TO TREAT ALCOHOLISM. He was openly criticized by many prominent AA members such as Clarence S., Marty M. and Chuck C., almost nobody in AA who was aware of what he was doing was supportive. He later acknowledged that it was a big mistake.
Next time you decide to try to smear a movement that has helped millions of people, check your facts.
"Dr Bob and The Oldtimers .... Bill W experimented with lsd- he thought it might help his chronic depression."
I've seen a letter (was it a photostat?) where Bill advocates further research into LSD.
I'm no advocate for it, but I also wouldn't say "it didn't work", as it seemed that Bill thought he had gained some benefit from it. The big problem was that others knew what he was doing and protested - he was open and honest about it - and he didn't want to hurt them or AA by "doing drugs".
Having been a longtime fan of Aldous Huxley even in my teens - and even before AA or alcohol - I found this relationship between Bill and Huxley and others like Gregory Bateson to be extremely interesting and refreshing.
"Bill Wilson experimented with LSD to see if it helped his depression, NOT TO TREAT ALCOHOLISM. ... Next time you decide to try to smear a movement that has helped millions of people, check your facts."
Whoa, I'm not trying to "smear" anything, in fact I wasn't even going to mention the Bill Wilson angle until I saw that others were doing the same.
OK, he was trying to deal with his depression, fine. I don't recall saying that a guy with 30+ years of sobriety was trying to deal with the desire to drink. Did I say that? If so, I didn't mean to.
I also am well aware that many of Bill's peers thought he was going astray with the LSD research, and that's the main reason he stopped.
But I also think that at the time Bill was sincerely trying to find a means of improving "the human condition", like many other brilliant and well-known, mainstream people of the time. They were not doing anything illegal and most of this was conducted with legitimate medical supervision and for a worthy purpose.
Please, bring some balance to the issue.
9 years, 5 months and 3 days. But who is counting? (I am one day at a time..!)
trading one problem for another. wow. what a recovery.
However, I have gone on record as stating that under strictly controlled circumstances and for some people, use of psychotropics such as LSD can be a positive thing. But this isn't recreation, and in the absence of experienced guidance is more likely to do harm than good, and can be very, very dangerous indeed.
You and me both! Only we'd stock up on the $2 gallons of Gallo Vin Rose. I lived in West Virginia at the time and all the beer was 3.2 so it was hard to keep the edge off with that unless you added some Pure Grain Alcohol to it and the wine was just easier.
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