A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman dives into the author’s experiment with microdosing LSD to combat her mood disorder, presenting an insightful, witty, and raw narrative that bridges the gap between personal struggle and the broader societal misunderstandings surrounding psychedelics. Waldman, once a federal public defender and now a mother and writer grappling with the upheavals of her moods, embarks on a journey through the microscopic yet profound effects of LSD, sourced from a mysterious benefactor whimsically dubbed “Lewis Carroll.” Her account is not merely a diary of chemical intake but a multifaceted exploration of the drug’s history, the legal labyrinth encasing it, and its paradoxical place in scientific research and underground therapy.
Publisher Summary
“When a small vial arrives in her mailbox from “Lewis Carroll,” Ayelet Waldman is at a low point. Her mood storms have become intolerably severe; she has tried nearly every medication possible; her husband and children are suffering with her. So she opens the vial, places two drops on her tongue, and joins the ranks of an underground but increasingly vocal group of scientists and civilians successfully using therapeutic microdoses of LSD. As Waldman charts her experience over the course of a month–bursts of productivity, sleepless nights, a newfound sense of equanimity–she also explores the history and mythology of LSD, the cutting-edge research into the drug, and the byzantine policies that control it. Drawing on her experience as a federal public defender, and as the mother of teenagers, and her research into the therapeutic value of psychedelics, Waldman has produced a book that is eye-opening, often hilarious, and utterly enthralling.”