A Really Good Day audiobook cover - How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life

A Really Good Day

How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life

Ayelet Waldman

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Categories:
Personal DevelopmentHealth & NutritionPsychology

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A Really Good Day
The Author's Struggle+
The Microdosing Protocol+
Personal & Family Impact+
Science & Safety of LSD+
Cognitive & Professional Benefits+
The War on Drugs+
The Future of Microdosing+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
What did Ayelet Waldman eventually discover was the true root cause of her severe mood fluctuations?
  • A. Bipolar II disorder
  • B. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) worsened by perimenopause
  • C. Unresolved childhood trauma
  • D. A chemical imbalance caused by long-term use of SSRIs
Question 2 of 8
According to James Fadiman’s protocol, how often is a microdose of LSD taken?
  • A. Every day for 30 days
  • B. Once a week on a designated control day
  • C. Every three days in a repeating cycle
  • D. Only when the patient feels a severe mood swing approaching
Question 3 of 8
How do psychedelics like LSD physically affect the brain to help improve mood and generate new perspectives?
  • A. They permanently alter the brain's dopamine receptors to prevent feelings of sadness.
  • B. They numb the prefrontal cortex, which is the area responsible for anxiety and fear.
  • C. They increase interactions between serotonin, glutamate, and other factors, leading to new neural connections.
  • D. They suppress the production of cortisol, completely eliminating the body's physical stress responses.
Question 4 of 8
What does the text state regarding the safety and mortality rate of LSD?
  • A. It is highly toxic, and even small overdoses are frequently fatal.
  • B. There are no documented deaths from LSD overdoses, and biological effects from massive doses are generally non-lethal.
  • C. It is biologically safe but directly causes a massive increase in suicide attempts among users.
  • D. Overdosing usually results in permanent brain damage and lifelong comas.
Question 5 of 8
How did Kary Mullis, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist, view his experience with LSD?
  • A. He believed it severely hindered his early career but helped his personal life.
  • B. He credited it as a mind-opening experience that was crucial to his invention of the PCR technique.
  • C. He used it strictly to manage his clinical depression, not for professional creativity.
  • D. He claimed it allowed him to work for days without sleep, increasing his laboratory output.
Question 6 of 8
Why did Waldman feel relatively safe writing about her illegal drug use despite the strict drug laws in the United States?
  • A. She used a legal loophole that allows for 'self-study psychedelic research.'
  • B. She was living in a state where LSD had recently been completely decriminalized.
  • C. She recognized that her status as a white, wealthy woman made her highly unlikely to be targeted by law enforcement.
  • D. She received special permission from the DEA to conduct a 30-day clinical trial.
Question 7 of 8
How did Waldman’s microdosing experiment affect her typical reaction to conflicts, such as fighting with her husband?
  • A. It completely eliminated her anger and prevented any fights from occurring.
  • B. It made her emotionally numb, so she didn't care about the arguments anymore.
  • C. She was more forgiving of herself afterward and less quick to fall into a spiral of intense shame.
  • D. She found herself becoming significantly more irritable and aggressive during the conflicts.
Question 8 of 8
What central paradox does Waldman highlight at the end of her 30-day experiment?
  • A. She found a highly effective, seemingly harmless drug, but it is illegal, while harmful and addictive prescription drugs are freely prescribed.
  • B. The drug cured her mood disorder, but it was too expensive and rare for the average person to afford.
  • C. Microdosing made her a much better mother, but it severely damaged her ability to write and work.
  • D. She proved that LSD is completely harmless, yet she decided she would never recommend it to anyone else.

A Really Good Day — Full Chapter Overview

A Really Good Day Summary & Overview

A Really Good Day (2018) is the true story of one writer’s attempt to tackle her struggles with depression and mood disorder through a novel – and illegal – remedy: microdoses of LSD. Charting her experiment with the drug over 30 days, Ayelet Waldman explores her reactions and discovers a newfound sense of serenity in her everyday life. At the same time, A Really Good Day is a broader exploration of the history of LSD, the myths that surround it and society’s attitudes toward legal and illegal drugs.

Who Should Listen to A Really Good Day?

  • People interested in new ways to treat depression and mood-disorder
  • Readers skeptical about traditional medication for depression
  • Those interested in drug policy and legalization

About the Author: Ayelet Waldman

Ayelet Waldman was a federal public defender and taught a class on drug policy at the University of California’s School of Law, before turning to a career in writing. Her published works include seven novels in the series Mommy-Track Mysteries, and the non-fiction Bad Mother (2009) – a collection of personal essays about her experience as an imperfect mother.

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