A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman

Impressions

A Really Good Day presents an intimate exploration of Ayelet Waldman's personal journey with microdosing LSD. It chronicles her experiences, unfolding the intricacies of the mind and the profound effect small doses of this psychedelic substance have on her daily life. With candor and wit, Waldman navigates through the complexities of mental health, the stigmas surrounding drug use, and the legalities that frame the conversation. The book is not only a diary of self-discovery but also an informed discussion about the potential therapeutic uses of psychedelics, offering insights that challenge conventional wisdom.

Highlights

• Waldman begins with a sense of trepidation and curiosity, embarking on a microdosing protocol that promises subtlety in its effects but profound changes in mood and outlook.
• She rigorously tests the substance she uses, aware of the dangers posed by the unregulated market and the necessity of ensuring purity.
• The narrative weaves personal anecdotes with scientific research, highlighting Waldman's role as both a subject and an astute observer.
• Waldman's experiment with LSD microdosing becomes a lens through which the reader understands broader issues, including drug policy and mental health care.
• Through her journey, Waldman becomes a keen listener, a shift she attributes to the influence of microdosing on her perceptual and emotional processes.
• The book questions the cultural and legal barriers that prevent serious consideration of psychedelics as therapeutic tools.
• Waldman's experience is not just about the drug itself but about how it impacts her relationships, productivity, and sense of well-being.
• She engages with the history of LSD, its fall from medical grace, and its re-emergence in modern therapeutic contexts.
• The narrative is as much about self-experimentation as it is about the need for a reformed approach to drug-related research and legislation.
• Waldman's account is a bold statement on how personal healing can intersect with societal norms, questioning where the two should meet and influence each other.

Quotes

• "It is a criminal offense in the United States and in many other countries, punishable by imprisonment and/or fines, to manufacture, possess, or supply LSD."
• "This morning I took LSD."
• "My keyboard is not exploding in psychedelic fireworks, lightning bolts shooting from the letters 'R' and 'P.' I am not giddy and frantic, or zoned out with bliss."
• "A microdose of a psychedelic drug is approximately one-tenth of a typical dose."
• "A recreational user of LSD looking for a trip complete with visual hallucinations might ingest between one hundred and one hundred and fifty micrograms of the drug."
• "Or, to be more accurate, I waded into therapy with the eagerness of a dehydrated camel sloshing into an oasis mud puddle."
• "I wallowed in therapy of all kinds."
• "I’ve done mindfulness-based therapy, which required me to spend torturous minutes meditating, and many more torturous hours discussing with my therapist why I hate meditating so much."
• "That psychiatrist diagnosed me with bipolar II disorder, a less serious variant of bipolar I, which was once known as manic depression."
• "Most people experience these different emotional states, but in bipolar people they are intense, sometimes drastic and disturbing."

Conclusion

In A Really Good Day, Ayelet Waldman provides bridges the gap between personal memoir and investigative journalism. Her exploration into microdosing LSD is a courageous testament to the search for balance in mental health, and a call to reconsider the potential of psychedelics in therapeutic settings.

Waldman’s narrative is a powerful reminder of the human behind every patient, the story behind every statistic, and the potential for change in every drop of LSD. Her day-to-day account becomes a beacon for wider conversations on drug policy, societal judgment, and the endless quest for a better quality of life.

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