CLEVELAND — Forty years after having first tried LSD, Mary Flynn thought it might be fun to try it again, but this time it was for more than just the trip.

What You Need To Know

  • LSD trial helps woman with generalized anxiety disorder

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  • Woman with lifelong anxiety able to get off meds after trial

“Once the drugs started to kick in, the room was very comfortable. There was a great painting that just started dancing,” said Flynn.

Flynn described the room she was in after she took a dose of LSD at the Cleveland Clinic.

She participated in a trial to treat generalized anxiety disorder with psychedelics.

She said she’s had anxiety from a young age.

“Ever since I was a kid, worrying and fretting and not being able to fall asleep,” she said. “A sense of foreboding, a monkey on my back.”

The trial excluded patients with bipolar disorder or psychotic disorder because psychedelics can exacerbate those conditions, according to Dr. Brian Barnett, psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic who oversaw the study.

“It’s a very prevalent condition. It often doesn’t get the same attention that depression does. Psychedelics have been explored quite a bit for mood disorders, but few studies of psychedelics looking at anxiety disorders,” said Barnett.

He said anxiety can cause debilitating problems for many patients.

“They often worry about multiple things. They have trouble controlling the worry. It increases the risk of suicide, impairs the functioning of a lot of people. It’s a big prob in our society,” Barnett said.

But he said psychedelics are not for everyone.

“There are some people that can be harmed by psychedelics. We have some data on that from community use, so we know people with bipolar disorder can become manic from use of psychedelics.”

Although Flynn won’t officially know what she was given until the study is published, she’s pretty sure she didn’t receive a placebo.

“Twenty minutes in, started feeling good. A nice sensation, started to relax,” Flynn said.

She said the experience was euphoric, but said it also felt safe. She was supervised by doctors for 12 hours the day of her dosage. She’s since been able to stay off the medication she was using for anxiety.

“I don’t have to go to the store and have drugs on hand instead, it’s vitamins and supplements. It’s all been pretty wonderful and life changing,” Flynn said.

Flynn said she hopes the trial will be able to help those with mental health issues in the future.

“I hope that medicine moves forward using these drugs that have been vilified since the 60s,” she said.

As for the music she chose to listen to that day?

“Three Pink Floyd albums back to back and Dire Straits. Some of my favorites,” she said.