MadDoc

I recall that stimulate drugs like amphetamines, DOM (STP), and speedy "acid" was that it allowed me to drink huge amounts of alcohol without feeling intoxicated. Consuming so much alcohol can't be good for the body and mind. I don't know if the drugs in combination with alcohol was neurotoxic, but I remember how totally and utterly drained I felt after I'd go off the edge with alcohol while dosed. MDMA came around long after I stopped using drugs, so I can't comment on that.

That was excellent!

@Cross78 thank you for your post. I agree, moving forward and getting on with life is very important. As I, and many others, have mentioned, being a focused individual can really help. I can't tell how often you've dosed from what you've written, twice? I think, the fewer times you've dosed the better your prospects when dealing with hppd. I realize this is a generalization that doesn't always hold water. Note, I'm not a doctor and I'm certainly not an expert. That being said, you might want to reconsider micro dosing. More psychedelics introduced into someone who already has hppd symptoms might make the situation worse. I'm not trying to tell you, or anybody, what to do. Understand, hppd can be truly debilitating. Something to ponder perhaps. Take care.

I had to give up using cannabis. Actually, I didn't quit weed, it quit me. It started giving me rapid heartbeat, panic attacks, and it made my visuals unmanageable. This was around 1979, the cannabis around now is MUCH stronger. That's me, we're all different.

For me .... Exercise during the day helps with sleep at night. Daily meditation practice helps keep the stressful chatter at a minimum. When I have an evening where my brain and body won't slow down, I use CBD oil, but I don't use it often.

Besides aging, no.

Welcome! Please don't assume your symptoms are perminent, and don't assume they're going to get worse. It's not uncommon to have hppd like symptoms shortly after dosing. One month isn't much time. You've dosed once so your prospects are good. I'm not a medical professional, but would strongly suggest that you refrain from dosing. I'd also stop consuming cannabis for a while. Give your brain some time to bounce back. If you are susceptible to hppd, or if you have a mild form of it, please don't tempt fate. Understand, life isn't over for you! Don't panic and don't assume the worst.

We all have our ups and downs. I'll have weeks where I hardly notice my symptoms, other weeks they're more noticeable. For me, it's how I'm feeling over the long haul. That being said, my CEVs vanished over just a few weeks after having had them for a long time. So, sudden improvements do occur.

@bowties Very well stated. Staying clean and acceptance are key I think. Focus, determination and attitude go a long way as well. Also, keep in mind that this disability can and often does improve. A happy and productive life isn't necessarily out of reach.

I feel tiny amounts of THC. In my case, it produces a very uncomfortable experience complete with panic attacks. I haven't touched marijuana in a very long time. I take cbd oil to combat insomnia and it works well. The oil I take has a trace amount of thc, but even with my hyper-sensitive brain, I can't detect any. I like cbd oil because I don't feel groggy in the morning. In the US cbd oil has to contain less than 0.3 percent thc. I don't take cbd during the day because it makes me sleepy. It doesn't decrease my visuals (my primary symptom) , but a good night's sleep sure helps.

Thank you for your thoughtful and positive post. I'd like to reiterate, it can and often does get better, much better. Keep moving, keep focused, live healthy, and be patient.

I used to smoke weed constantly. All of a sudden it started giving me panic attacks and it made my visuals intolerable . Apparently panic attacks from using THC isn't uncommon. It also seems to happen after not using for a long time. Panic attacks also occur with people who have never used psychedelics. I think these uncomfortable effects can be amplified when dealing with hppd, even if symptoms have mostly dissapeared. Understand that the information I have is from my own experiences and from what people have told me (I'm not a doctor or a scientist). For me, staying away from THC (all psychoactive drugs for that matter) is the way to go. I can't imagine what my brain would do if I smoked the powerful weed that's available today. I hope your symptoms start to moderate.

For a while I had bouts of low blood pressure and I had some of the symptoms you've described. I do think hppd can amplify any common physical symptom with a slight psychedelic lens. Well, at least that's what happens to me. Talking to the doctor can eliminate issues and give you some peace of mind.

If it continues, it might not be a bad idea to talk to a doctor. Those symptoms can be caused by physical issues as well.

Everyone's wiring is a little different. The introduction of psychedelics can change how the brain works in everyone differently. If someone is having symptoms similar to schizophrenia after dosing, I think we should take it at face value (I realize the initial post didn't mention dosing). People come here for advice , information, support, etc. myself included. It doesn't take much to scare a vulnerable person away. Being a little gentle, especially in the "introduction" forum, can go a long way. I apologize if this sounded like a rant.

@Grant your experiences with psychedelics sound very similar to mine. I used to try and see how deep I could go. There were weeks where I dosed every day. I feel fortunate that I didn't end up with more damage.

@4c1d Thank you for your concern regarding the 48 plus hour experience I went through. It happened over 40 years ago. My mind set at the time was that I had hit the jackpot. I suspect such a dose would kill me at my current age. My advice, get moving on with your life. If you're in school, focus on your studies. If you're working, focus on that. I've found that staying focused has served me well. While I don't take medications to deal with hppd, others have had success with them. Finding a way to help with anxiety is important. I've found meditation and long walks away from the noise of civilization helps. Exercise is general is helpful.

I hope everything goes well and I hope the treatment helps.

Besides the synthetic THC have you used other drugs besides alcohol? After I stopped dosing (I was roughly 20) I started drinking. Not so much that I was out of control, but too much. In my case, alcohol caused brain fog. It can last for days after a bender.

We all experience psychedelics a little differently, but you might not have taken LSD. There are so many tweaked molecules available out there, it's hard to know. If you don't know the chemist, "street" drugs can be a crap shoot. Long, long ago I took a dose of "acid" and ended up tripping for over two days. I think it was DOM (aka STP). No matter, you've had an experience and you're dealing with the aftermath. You didn't mention how long ago you dosed. Lingering effects can hang around for a while. Dosing can be a huge shock to the system to say the least! The good news is you've dosed once. I'm no expert on hppd, but I suspect the fewer times you've dosed the better your chances that hppd symptoms won't be perminent . As Jay mentioned, stay clean! I can't stress that enough. Do the best you can to keep your life moving and don't ever give up on yourself. Hang in there and take care.

I'm dyslexic as well. Nothing to be ashamed of. We think a little differently, but who doesn't? How are you doing? If you feel comfortable doing so, share your experiences. If not, no problem.

Your writing is the kind of practice that I've been talking about in many of my posts. Getting our focus back isn't always easy. I found, that when I'm focused, I don't hallucinate and I don't think about my symptoms. Writing 1000 pages on any topic is focus training. Meditation has helped me immensely. In reality, it's also training the mind to focus. Not to mention the practice can significantly reduce anxiety and stress. In my experience, it has trained my mind to control the mental chatter in my head. It has also helped me recognize when my body and mind are starting to tense up. Such welcome news that you've come so far. Keep at it and let us know how you're doing. My basic view on life is that we're the energy and matter that woke up to witness whatever "this" is. A real privilege in my opinion. Even with hppd, being such a witness is an amazing gift. (Sorry about going into such obtuse territory).

The shape of the birds in your graphic is very similar to the closed eye visuals I had shortly before my CEVs stopped. To me it looked like a circular maze with kind of a jittering motion along the walls of the maze. Interesting.

Pulling yourself together when you're having severe hppd symptoms is not easy to say the least. You know yourself better than anyone. What pursuit in life makes you feel well, requires your focus, and motivates you? Find what that is and give it all you got. For me, idle hours in my life made my symptoms worse because I was focused on them. Shift that focus to something that naturally makes you feel well and requires your focus. An earlier post suggested meditation. It's a practice that has helped me immensely. However, it can take a while before you realize the benefits. In the near term, exercise can be helpful. Healthy body, healthy mind. I realize that getting motivated can be near impossible when you're feeling trapped with this disorder. Start small and do the best you can. I have no experience with medications, so I can't comment on that. Hang in there, do the best you can, and never give up.

There are often after effects after dosing. They're not necessarily permanent. The fact that your symptoms have improved in a short amount of time is a good sign. It's very common for cannabis to seem a LOT stronger after a psychedelic experience. I'd give drugs, including cannabis, a rest for a while. If you are one of the unfortunate people susceptible to hppd, the fewer times you dose the better I suspect. Understand, I'm no expert on the subject but you don't want to contract hppd because it can be debilitating for some. It sounds like you're doing quite well. Don't tempt fate by continuing to dose. Take care and thank you for posting.