Scientists discover a surprising way to quiet the anxious mind (2025)
3 hours ago
- #anxiety-treatment
- #psychedelic-research
- #mental-health
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects millions, often causing severe daily disruptions.
- UCSF neuroscientist Jennifer Mitchell is testing MM120, a pharmaceutical form of LSD, for GAD treatment.
- MM120 promotes neuroplasticity and eases rigid thought patterns, showing significant symptom reduction in trials.
- Traditional medications like Zoloft and Paxil provide limited relief, reducing symptoms by only 1.25 points on a 56-point scale.
- A single dose of MM120 reduced symptoms by 5-6 points, enough to reclassify moderate GAD as mild in some cases.
- Side effects of MM120 include hallucinations, visual distortions, nausea, and headache, but were generally mild or moderate.
- Recruiting participants for the study is challenging due to the reluctance of severe GAD sufferers to leave their homes.