Jay1

I've always called the phase where you have to focus to see visuals as pre-hppd. You are clearly very susceptible to hppd, but I don't think you have it and avoiding drugs will probably let you fully heal. Blurred vision is not a symptom of hppd, have you had you eyes checked?

Stress alone can 100% cause prolonged spikes. Your clonazepam use might play a role too... due to it's long half life, the day you are not taking it, you still have plenty of the drug in your body.. So effectively, your body is used to having some clonazepam in the brain every day. Probably wise to speak to your doctor about that.

It does seem odd that it would happen after a year of use. Can you pinpoint any other triggers? Stress? Adjusted sleep pattern? Covid?

I've always said that when start studying your visual field, you are gonna start noticing the imperfections of the eye. That's why so many people think floaters are a part of hppd. Hopefully you will start thinking less about the flashback and the last 10 days as time goes by and you revert back to having some VS but not being overly bothered by it.

I can only speak for the UK, but no, they don't lock you up for suicidal thoughts... Those days are long in the past. Klonopin treats anxiety, but also lowers visuals and dpdr (that trippy feeling). It is highly addictive though, so be very careful with it's use. If you need it for 2-3 weeks to get you through this initial phase, then it can be beneficial. But then you need to think about how to live without it on a day by day basis.

Really struggling to read that without any paragraphs! THC can deffo cause hppd though, 10 days is too soon to be able to say it is hppd and not some kind of prolonged hangover/come down. I would avoid any drugs, stimulants, meds, supplements etc for a while and try to get past this naturally (unless the suicidal ideation is very strong, then ask a doctor about klonopin). See where you are at in a couple more weeks. All the best, Jay

It's all too soon and too sporadic to give any kind of diagnosis. My advice would just be to try and forget about hppd as much as possible, the more you search for symptoms, the more you will see the eye's natural imperfections and further panic yourself. Relax, take some time to be completely sober and watch out for triggers like caffeine and stress. See where you are it in a few weeks. All the best, Jay

I'd suggest asking this on Reddit. While I won't shut down this sort of topic, this forum is for people who take recovery seriously.

I have heard that plants from the nightshade family (inc tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and egg plant) could potentially make anxiety worse (and likely hppd)... I've never put it to the test though

I've taken Tramadol after a snowboard injury... It made my dpdr slightly worse, but was manageable. Once i stoped taking it, the dpdr increase went away. Hope you feel better soon

I've had a few spikes in symptoms that can last months. One was from stopping Keppra too quickly, another was from stress of working too hard. I think stress is the main factor (both mental stress, eg too much work/pressure and physical stress, eg getting a virus).

If you want to try and put a name to what those symptoms are, I think they sound most like brain fog and dpdr. Brain fog being what causes the "hard to focus/think" issue and dpdr being what causes the "still feel a bit trippy" thought patterns and feelings. I've always described my hppd as being locked in those last few hours of a strong trip.. Where you are 90% back to reality, all the enjoyment and insight of the trip is gone, but you still feel a bit trippy and messed up.

Great post, i completely agree. I have always said that I believe hppd is usually a collection of disorders (visuals, anxiety, dpdr, depression). It is much easier to try to work on each disorder rather than trying to find a cure all.

Have you tried Melatonin for sleep? I have had some terrible bouts of insomnia and that always helped bring me back into a pattern. Fix your sleep and everything else becomes slightly easier to cope with. Reach out to me if you need anything.

Interesting to hear. Just read the wiki and it sounds promising, though the side effects and abuse potential make me believe it will be hard to get prescribed. Did your doctor recommend it, or it is something you asked to try?

I can only base this on my own experience and 3rd hand info... But i think that is coincidental. Almost everyone with hppd tends to report an all clear when seeing an eye specialist.

Here you go, mate https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/hallucinogen-persisting-perception-disorder

As you have probably seen on here, most people have type 2, but I would imagine the advice works for both (eg, stay sober, try to de-stress, take your mind off it, be wary of anti-depressants and anti-pyschs). I would think about keeping a diary of your day to day life, what you eat, what you drink, stressful moments, intense moments (happy or sad) etc etc... This may help you pinpoint triggers for your flashbacks. As for being stuck in this trip forever... You have recovered every time, to date, including when you actually took the drugs... So it seems very unlikely that you would ever be stuck or develop type 2 hppd without external stimuli like drugs or meds. Good luck and welcome.

Thanks for sharing... MDMA can most certainly cause various mental health issues, including hppd. If you do not feel the medication is helping, don't be scared to let your doctor know and plan to get off it.

Keep on fighting... See what some months sober does for you, even if your VS doesn't improve, i am sure you will see other aspects of your life get better.

The lightning bolt across the eye sounds more like migraine aura... I have only ever had one and it scared the hell out of me. The problem with knowing about hppd is you then start to over-analyise your vision and notice the junk that is perfectly natural, but is hard to shake off, once you see it. I think you are probably prone to hppd and have what i refer to as pre-hppd... You just have to be really, really careful with the drugs you choose to take.

From my very loose understanding, the 3rd eye is something often described in eastern spirituality. A 3rd, invisible eye that once opened gives you a new view on the reality around you.

If it didn't also come with crippling anxiety and dpdr, i'd possibly be able to see it as an ok, maybe even good thing, over time. I do think there is a grey area between the spiritual and scientific though, and all ideas are welcome.

Interesting thought, i've always felt that my brain could be reset in some way by electric/magnets or similar. As you say though, a 3 day period is not long enough to draw any conclusions... Before i had hppd, i could feel like shit, mentally, for a few days coming down off drugs, even a quick 5 minute sleep could sometimes make me feel 99% better.

I think it's way too early to tell. I would forget about hppd for a while and just focus on recovering from your recent drug use. Stay totally sober and try to de-stress as much as possible (including panicking about hppd).. See where you are at in a few weeks. I hope your current symptoms go away in a few days and that you can continue the year drug free, as planned.