MadDoc

Yup. I was kidding about being "normal". I went on to say that all I have now are the visuals. No more DP/DR in my experience. Did I mention that I struggle communicating with humans? (:

Normal? I'd never claim to be "normal". I basically have visuals now and that's it. Even those have moderated over the years. Either that or I'm just used to my hallucinations.

First off, don't panic. Separate the difficult experience you had from the symptoms you're having and focus on what you're dealing with now. You took a big dose of psychedelics. You're experiencing visual and mental anomolies. It's been six months but that's not much time if you've suffered a brain alteration/rewiring/trauma. You haven't done anything wrong and you haven't been a bad person. You're dealing with the after effects of a powerful experience. It will probably take some time but try to get focused and move on with your life. I say that because that's what helped me. You're refraining from psychoactive substances which is very important. I can't stress enough, it's going to be OK. If you're seriously thinking about checking out PLEASE get some help. I have constant visuals and have had them for 40 years but every day feels like a gift. Hang in there and please keep posting. Also, spend some time reading the posts on this site. There are a lot of bright people who post here. Oh, BTW, your writing is excellent.

Yeah. For me it's like I have too much electricity in my nervous system. That being said, this symptom has gotten a lot better with age.

Describe it? Sure. Racing heart, my visuals get intense, I have really unearthly thoughts that are associated with the visuals. I can't form a sentence and can't even function. This only lasts about an hour but it's not pleasant. Understand, ages ago I used to smoke weed from the time I woke up until the day was done. That was ... almost 40 years ago. I'm around people who smoke weed all the time. Just can't do it myself. I wish I could. It was medicine for a modern world. Sobriety is a good deal though and life is great.

I never really had a bad trip. Strange, unearthly, total loss of body, yes. Bad or a "bummer", no. Hppd for me was due to an extreme case of brain rewiring as opposed to a bad experience. Using acid to cure hppd sounds like using whisky to cure alcoholism.

Did you dose a lot or just that one time? I'm no expert but, I think, the fewer times you've dosed the better your chances are of recovering. It can take some time though. Sobriety is key.

I still go to a lot of shows where people consume cannabis. I've never noticed anything from second hand smoke and I'm hyper sensitive. Everybody is different I guess. I try weed about once every 3 to 4 years and I always have a bad reaction. I guess I'll never learn.

Hey and welcome. I have friends who dosed hundreds (if not 1000+) times and have no hppd symptoms. But I dosed the same amount and have continuous visuals. The point is we're all different and hppd hits some of us and not others. You're no longer using which is the single best thing you can do for yourself. Anxiety is the toughest part IMHO. You're starting college and that alone can cause huge anxiety by itself. Medication appears to help a lot of people. I practice daily meditation and it has made a world of difference. Personally, I don't trust doctors much and I don't trust myself with prescriptions, but that's me. Staying focused helps a lot too. Don't feed hppd by giving it all of your attention. Because you haven't dosed over and over chances are good that you're going to notice improvement over time. Listen: You have not messed up forever nor have you thrown your life away. You can raise a family and have a wonderful life. I'm looking at turning 60 and though I have constant visuals life couldn't be more wonderful. I've raised a family and held a career in a profession and, trust me, I'm nobody special. If a goof like me can pull it off so can you. Find your optimism and use it to fight back. Hope that helps.

Knocks to the head are never a healthy thing whether you have hppd or not.

Weed can most certainly be a trigger. It is for my old skull anyway. The danger of using K2 or whatever it's called is that it's untested on humans. Granted, with "mainstream" psychedelics you don't know if the chemist had a clue. But with these research chemicals nobody really knows how the brain will react. As I repeat over and over, give yourself a break. Sobriety is great stuff and I take a dose every day. I fried myself real good in the 70s and live with visuals 24/7. If you give up using now you have a much better chance at wellness than if you continue using. I know, I'm getting real preachy. Give it a try. Don't cost nothin'

Yup, when I go to the doctor. It's not so much social anxiety but instead more of a reality anxiety. I realize that sounds strange but I don't know how else to describe it.

Oh Lordy no! I hallucinate every day, most of the day. Dosing is the last thing on my list, after death. Once fried, why refry? We're brains, not beans.

Agreed. Stay sober or at least give it a rest for awhile. For me, I wasn't really happy until I stopped getting high (that includes alcohol). I don't know if you have hppd but your symptoms sound reminiscent. The fact that "weed never felt the same again" is what happened to me. I didn't quit weed, it quit me. You haven't tripped an excessive amount of times. If you stay sober your symptoms are likely to moderate over time. Hang in there!

How long ago did you dose? Psychedelics can have residual effects that last a few days. For some, longer. Give yourself some time and see if the symptoms moderate. As for weed becoming uncomfortable ... that was one of the first signs I had that something was very wrong. I'd take a sober break to see how you're feeling. It might not be hppd at all. Perhaps just a little lingering *space*.

When I quit smoking, I nearly lost my mind. I remember light being very intense and at one point I thought I was lifting off the ground. That alone can make things weird. Combine that with a bad infection, a fever, pain pills, and personal stress, then it's not surprising that reality took a hike. I must be old. I had to look up what ghosting meant.

I'm not qualified to make a diagnosis but if you're having long term perceptual anomolies after using psychedelics, that's a warning sign. We all react to extreme experiences in different ways. If you had a really bad trip I can see how that might cause PTSD like symptoms. I can't say from experience because I never really had a bad trip. You're doing the single best thing you can do for yourself, staying sober.

I've had a few. Never much fun but it's fairly painless. Once I waited too long to get a root canal and I ended up with an infection in my jaw. Now that HURT!

I take some cbd concentrate an hour before going to sleep. I sleep soundly and don't feel groggy in the morning. I used to have a real issue with insomnia. The pills the doctor gave me made me feel like a zombie in the morning. A friend recommended CBD and now insomnia is no longer a problem. I don't take it during the day because it makes me feel unfocused. It didn't help with my visuals at all but it didn't make them worse. For some, it helps with anxiety. I guess everyone is different.

I don't think it'll be a problem. That's not a big dose. I had a root canal a few years back and they gave me vicodin. I hardly noticed that the pill had any effect on my tooth never mind my head. Go to a dentist!

Mythos, excellent to hear. Keep it clean and the brain can rewire and the body can be strong. I realize that, for some, pharmaceuticals can be very helpful. For some, not so much. I found that being totally clean worked for me. Good to have you here. Life is great stuff. I dose on it every day.

How long? Hard to put my finger on that. I was so busy during my 20s and 30s raising a family and working that it my mental state was always on the back burner. I'd guess around the time I turned 40 I started to feel like my skin fit me. Sounds like a long time but it goes by in the wink of an eye. I drank during my 20s. Not to the point of dysfunction but probably too much. It wasn't until I gave that up that I could see real progress. Not a clear answer I realize but sometimes memories can be a bit turbid.

Mine went away but it took a long time. I wouldn't say it's 100 percent gone but I think everyone has a touch of DPDR so meh. Tough being human.

Time. It takes time. Focus helps too. Focus on what you love to do or at least what pays the rent. I realize you know all that. Just good to hear you're doing better.

For me, I think it was cumulative. I noticed something after my first dose but if I had stopped there I think it would have cleared up. Even in the first few years it didn't seem bad. But when I stopped after 6 years, I realized I had a real problem. Also, with the analog chemicals not much is known. Be careful out there. There are times I imagine what it would be like to dose again. The required materials are certainly available. I've just found that I'm really happy being sober. I'm not f*cking with the flow.