Ordinary Unhappiness 121: LSD: Subjectivity, Ineffability, and Mental Health feat. Dan Karlin
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Nov 8, 2025 
Dr. Dan Karlin, a psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer at MindMed, dives into the fascinating world of LSD's therapeutic potential for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety. He discusses the challenges of integrating neurobiology and subjective experiences in psychiatric treatment. Karlin highlights how psychedelics, unlike traditional medications, can reorganize mental patterns, offering new hope for those facing mental health struggles. He also addresses the cultural stigma surrounding LSD and its potential to foster deeper connections and understanding.
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Stakeholder Complexity Of Psychedelic Drugs
- Psychedelic drug development forces engagement with many diverse stakeholders because drugs like LSD carry cultural and political histories.
- Dr. Dan Karlin navigates respecting those histories while pursuing conventional drug development goals.
Opioid Clinics Taught Goal-Focused Care
- Dan describes founding clinics for opioid treatment that required psychotherapy alongside buprenorphine.
- He explains how clinic practice forced focus on patient goals rather than prescriber assumptions.
Why MindMed Chose LSD And GAD
- MindMed targeted LSD because it was under-researched despite strong early signals.
- They chose generalized anxiety disorder as a primary therapeutic target given unmet needs and historical psychiatric focus.
