Jay1

I think that is an over optimistic view.... the vast majority of long term benzo users will get addiction and withdrawal problems, not the minority (like lsd to hppd).

There are very few people that would be able to stay on benzos for life AND get relief. Tolerance soon comes and you will need 3,4,5,6mg to find any relief and then, after that, you will be taking huge amounts just to stave off withdrawals. Hopefully some of our ex-benzo users can chip in here.... But to me, long term benzo use is just adding one problem on top of another.... It is unsustainable, so you will be left with hppd and a huge battle with addiction/withdrawal. It is a magic bullet, when used occasionally and that is something you can do for life.... That is the way it should be used by hppd sufferers, imho.

I think with dp/dr.... It is good to have something that grounds you back to earth.... For instance, when my mind starts floating about and I feel like i'm not in my body... I just put my hand on something solid... a wall or railing, for instance... This connection seems to snap me back into the real world a little bit. I sometimes shake my head really hard from side to side too... Seems to snap me back into reality (do this in private!)

It is a bit like going on a post natal depression board for advice on dealing with manic depression.... I'm sure the two illnesses have lapovers, but you can't get much usable info for your specific case.

You don't have HPPD.... so it is very hard to take any worthwhile info asking questions to HPPD sufferers about your condition. I don't want to sound hard on you.... You are welcome here, but everyone here has a condition born from drug use, mainly hallucinogens... You seem to have "natural" visual problems.... The two things may overlap, but it may not. Like I said before, http://www.thosewithvisualsnow.com will have far more useful info for your particular case.

I don't think it is in our best interests to start calling any old visual problem HPPD.... It is confusing enough for doctors already. HPPD comes specifically from hallucinogenic drug use, case closed. http://www.thosewithvisualsnow.com is a great resource for non drug induced visual problems. There is nothing to stop people coming here and researching or chatting... But don't call it HPPD unless you have done drugs.

No, you do not have HPPD... You have not taken a hallucinogen. From the DSM-IV description of HPPD: "The re-experiencing, following cessation of use of a hallucinogen, of one or more of the perceptual symptoms that were experienced while intoxicated with the hallucinogen (e.g., geometric hallucinations, false perceptions of movement in the peripheral visual fields, flashes of colors, intensified colors, trails of images of moving objects, positive afterimages, halos around objects, macropsia, and micropsia."

no point wasting time and energy on shit you can't change. when those thoughts come up... just go and look at porn until they go away.... porn doesn't make hppd worse, as we have already discussed

You have visual snow... not hppd.... try http://www.thosewithvisualsnow.com Good luck and happy wanking, Jay

Good post... It seems most of us long term sufferers get over the depression and anxiety after a few years. Don't underrate the ability to cope, it is a very big step in recovery. There is a chance you will have some form of hppd for life,, so sitting around hoping for a cure is as good as useless.... getting on with your life, however hard, is when you begin to turn things around.

I've never had any major change in visuals since I quit drugs.... I did recover from dperession after 3 years or so and the anxiety got probably 50% better at the same time (probably connected). DP/DR goes up and down all the time.

The simple truth might be that their body/genetics allow them to take it without any problems. Isn't it true that many Asian have a hard time with alcohol as it was only recently introduced to their society?

well... opiates are nice... no anxiety, no pain, very mellow, nodding in and out of sleep, lots of bliss goes without saying they are highly addictive though.... be very careful

Maybe PPPD

I've never had any bad effect.... plenty of good effects though!

You might be fine... you probably wont. The fact that you are asking the question means you are already worrying about the idea, which usually indicates that it is a bad idea (tripping with this worry will be a bad start anyway) .... It's russian roulette for the mind, as simple as that. I did hallucinogens and other drugs after every level of hppd until I had a full breakdown..... I'm here, fast approaching my 17th year without any change in visuals and dp/dr. I'm gonna guess that is not something you want Anyway, welcome to the site... there is alot of info that may help you.

9 and a half years nearly.... loved every minute

I didn't think Sweden was too bad for crime? I was brought up in a real shithole called Kidderminster.... proper scum, lots of fighting and nothing to do. Didn't even have McDonalds or a cinema.... Just drugs, booze, girls and fights (sounds quite good, now I write it!). Portugal is so relaxed compared to UK

I don't think staring at screens helps us much... But I i'm sure there are cases of people getting hppd when they were living on hippie communes in the 60s.... living very simple lives. I wonder if the native american shamen used to get hppd when they did hallucinogens in the jungles, centuries/millenia ago... My guess is that they did

haha, that is just a drop in the ocean... i have tales of being put in a coma after a football hooligan beating, being ran over by a lorry and having to go to hosiptal after eating loads of pound coins.. to name but a few.... I'll save them for a rainy day though... my post hppd booze frenzy was a bit wild

I got it in Mexico City.... Must have been from the original pig!

Swine Flu was the worst experience of my life... I really think I was close to death... took 6 weeks to recover from the illness and lost so much weight that I was still ill/weak for another year.

It gets worse, but goes away with the illness... So just sit it out. I had swine flu a few years back and that was a crazy ride.... but just see it out.

Sounds good mate... don't forget that your visuals were probably never 100% clear, like you imagined.... Hopefully you will completly filter it all out again, but if not... Just treat it for what it is... a few little natural phenomena that everyone gets.

I bet it was only a korma anyway, you soft jock