HPPD and TBI; A bad mix of drugs, mental illness, and a concussion

[Paunchymouse]

Hey guys, I am a 21 year old male. I have struggles with mental illness since a teenager and was sent off to a wilderness camp when I was young. I first got HPPD after taking only two tabs of acid alone. I was 17 years old. I had already abused lsd as well as a lot of dxm. I had also used any drugs I could get my hands on. Anyways, my HPPD symptoms were only bad in the dark, or if I did not get enough sleep. I tried to stop doing drugs, but could not. I was young anyways. Down the road, I had two really bad xanax binges. Both lasted about 3 months each. During these binges I would take acid a couple times through out. I would take xanax on the comedown. I also took MDMA, DMT, Ketamine, Shrooms, and Amphetamines. I pretty much would do as much drugs as I could. This put me in a mental hospital and got me kicked out of the house. My parents let me back in btw. Anyways, August of 2021, 1 year ago, I got a concussion. This concussion made my HPPD symptoms way worse. I never fully healed and developed Post concussion syndrome. I got another concussion a few months later. Now a year later I am still dealing with PCS and HPPD very bad. I have been having very bad thoughts. I feel like I am going crazy. I have a bunch of pressure in my head at all times, except for early in the morning. I have flashing lights in my vision, and everything looks like it has static. The mix of the HPPD and Brain Injury has changed me as a person. I have been taking B2, Magnesium, and Fish oil. I am finally off of paroxetine, as it made the pressure in my head worse. Thanks for letting me rant. I feel so alone. My mental illness has been so bad recently and I have no one to relate to.  

[Kman33]

I just would like to say that it is good you are taking vitamins, keep looking into other vitamins or supplements that would help brain function. 

When you mean pressure in your head, what is there a certain region of your head where it hurts most? I am starting to get curious about this hppd and if its something I may be suffering from a little bit myself

[Jay1]

Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your story. I also got a terrible head injury about 6 months into my hppd and often wonder if it affected the hppd or my ability to recover.

re: head pressure, i had this for a few years, but it went away after I wore sunglasses almost 24/7 for about a year (note, it might have gone away naturally and the sunglasses were a coincidence)

[AF44]

It’s funny…I find that if I hit my head hard on something, my symptoms flare. I also knew someone on a forum years ago that said she smacked her head on the monkey bars or something while she was at the playground with her kids. She said her symptoms flared up for a whole month. This probably doesn’t help you any, sorry, just thought it was interesting that injuries to one’s head can cause a flare up of symptoms.