A Really Good Day Book Review – Lots of people struggle with their moods. Many, like Ayelet Waldman, struggle enough to seek professional help. But after years of trying – and often failing – to find solutions to her irritability, anger, frustration and depression, Waldman turned to an unexpected source: the psychedelic drug, LSD.
Placing two drops on her tongue, Waldman launched herself into an experiment to understand whether taking careful and tiny doses of the drug over just 30 days could help her toward a calmer, more accepting approach to life.
In doing so, she also began an exploration into the misunderstood substance, its history, and its potential benefits. Drawing on her former legal career – in which she saw firsthand the impact of the United States’ war on drugs – she reflects on the double standards and absurdities of a nation addicted to prescription drugs but willing to incarcerate millions for possessing a substance with a great safety record.
Ultimately, Waldman was in search of the secret to having a really good day. Read these blinks, and you’ll discover whether she found it.
Ayelet Waldman had been at the mercy of her moods for decades. On a good day, she could be sparkling company – cheerful, friendly, affectionate and productive. But on a bad day, Waldman was worn down by self-hatred, guilt and shame. She’d start arguments with her husband, feel overwhelmed by pessimism and had little sense of self-worth, despite being a successful, published author. Her erratic moods have always made her life, and the lives of her friends and family, more difficult.
Seeking help, she turned to therapy, spending many hours sitting on the leather couches of professionals – from Freudians to cognitive behavioral experts, social workers to family therapists. She tried mindfulness – spending long periods meditating and even longer telling her therapist how much she hated meditating.
Some helped a little, for days or even months at a time. But they had unfortunate side effects, such as weight gain, irritability and a decreased interest in sex.
Eventually, she discovered her diagnosis hadn’t even been correct. She realized her moods were fluctuating in direct correlation to her menstrual cycle, and that she had a type of premenstrual syndrome – called premenstrual dysphoric disorder – that caused mood swings at certain points in her cycle.
This discovery allowed her to learn the cycle and timing of her moods and take medication only when necessary. But when Waldman entered the perimenopause, her period became irregular, and so did her mood. Things took a turn for the worse, and she became exhausted with fury, irritation and despair.
It was at this point that she happened upon the work of James Fadiman, a psychologist and former psychedelic researcher. Fadiman was popularizing the microdosing of LSD – people taking tiny doses of LSD to treat mood problems were reporting that they’d enjoyed a really good day. And a really good day was all the author had ever wanted.
Microdosing is such a new concept that Waldman had to teach her computer’s spell-checker to recognize it.
The principle of microdosing is simple: The patient takes a tiny dose of…..
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