Newcomer to HPPD

[Luiscomandi]

Hi, my name's Andres. I'm not entirely sure if I'm posting this in the right area, but here goes! 

About a month ago, I started experiencing what I believe to be the onset of HPPD (the symptoms seem to match perfectly), and it's got worse over the last two weeks. It seems to have plateaued so I'm hoping this will be my "baseline". I know with this disorder, it's a case of "your mileage may vary", but I just wanted to get some insight from people who have been dealing with this for some time. 

1.) What medical channels did you go down to try and get help? I know medical professionals tend to be ineffective at best when it comes to this, but I would like to at least try. Am I better off pursuing a psychiatrist, a neurologist?  

2.) Are there any scans that can definitively "show up" hppd in the brain? 

3.) I know it's difficult to predict how the disorder might progress, but what can I realistically expect my quality of life to be like? In time, will I still be able to enjoy things like travelling, socialising, etc. 

Thanks in advance to anyone who has any input, it's greatly appreciated, and I want to finish by offering my sympathy to anyone out there who's currently going through this.  

Andres

[cosmiccharlie]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about your struggles.  For me and many on here, time is the best medicine for a return to normalcy. 

1. Psychiatrist and psychologist but the response varies.  There isn't a standardized treatment unfortunately and honestly for me it was a waste of time.  Hopefully treatments will come soon. 
2. Not to my knowledge.  There is a study going on in Australia that is using fMRI scans to investigate the HPPD brain but I don't think much is known on that front. 
3. You will get your life back!  Personally I lead a happy and satisfying life which has only been temporarily limited by the condition.  I have a wife, children, I served in the military and I am a mathematics PhD student.  All of this happened after I contracted HPPD.  Times can be difficult but recovery is possible if we put the drugs down.  

 

My advice to you is to not asses your condition too frequently.  It's only been a month since the onset, try and give yourself at least 6 months before really looking at your condition.  In the meantime, try to live the best life you can. Eat well, exercise (even if it exacerbates the symptoms), get as much sleep as you can.  Most importantly stop doing drugs (at least for the time being).  Also, try not to focus on it!  It's there, so what?  The more time and energy you give it the more powerful it can become.  Know that you are trying to recover and be proud of that, there's no where to go but up. 

 

If you'd like to chat we can talk on WhatsApp, send me a private message if this sounds appealing. 

Take Care,

Nick 

[Heppi]

Hi Luiscomandi,

are you also experiencing DPDR?

Which drug did you take?

Im experiencing DPDR after using LSD for the 1st time.

Lots of greets

 

[Luiscomandi]

cosmiccharlie skrev (På 8/22/2022 den 8:23 PM):

Hi, I'm sorry to hear about your struggles.  For me and many on here, time is the best medicine for a return to normalcy. 

1. Psychiatrist and psychologist but the response varies.  There isn't a standardized treatment unfortunately and honestly for me it was a waste of time.  Hopefully treatments will come soon. 
2. Not to my knowledge.  There is a study going on in Australia that is using fMRI scans to investigate the HPPD brain but I don't think much is known on that front. 
3. You will get your life back!  Personally I lead a happy and satisfying life which has only been temporarily limited by the condition.  I have a wife, children, I served in the military and I am a mathematics PhD student.  All of this happened after I contracted HPPD.  Times can be difficult but recovery is possible if we put the drugs down.  

 

My advice to you is to not asses your condition too frequently.  It's only been a month since the onset, try and give yourself at least 6 months before really looking at your condition.  In the meantime, try to live the best life you can. Eat well, exercise (even if it exacerbates the symptoms), get as much sleep as you can.  Most importantly stop doing drugs (at least for the time being).  Also, try not to focus on it!  It's there, so what?  The more time and energy you give it the more powerful it can become.  Know that you are trying to recover and be proud of that, there's no where to go but up. 

 

If you'd like to chat we can talk on WhatsApp, send me a private message if this sounds appealing. 

Take Care,

Nick 

Hey Nick,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions, I really appreciate it. Thanks for the advice and all the pointers as well, I will definitely take them on board. 

I was just wondering if it would be possible to ask you another question regarding your experience? Since this started, I've had a more-or-less constant head pressure. Text, in low lighting especially, also appears a little out of focus. Did you experience anything similar and did these symptoms eventually subside? 

I'm glad to hear you've had a really fulfilling life and I hope you continue to do so. Hearing of your successes has provided me with some much needed hope. Cheers for the invite to talk over WhatsApp as well, I'll keep it in mind for future reference. 

All the best, 

Andres

[Luiscomandi]

Heppi skrev (På 8/23/2022 den 6:56 AM):

Hi Luiscomandi,

are you also experiencing DPDR?

Which drug did you take?

Im experiencing DPDR after using LSD for the 1st time.

Lots of greets

 

Hi Heppi, 

I don't think so. Just the general anxiety that comes with suddenly seeing the world in a way that's fundamentally different from how you saw it before. 

My symptoms were caused by MDMA and possibly weed. Although I suspect the MDMA is principally to blame as the visual disruptions began pretty soon after I took that. 

I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing DPDR though, from all accounts it sounds rough, and having it after your first time using acid feels especially unlucky. I hope your path to recovery is a speedy one.  

Andres 

[cosmiccharlie]

On 8/24/2022 at 1:30 PM, Luiscomandi said:

Hey Nick,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions, I really appreciate it. Thanks for the advice and all the pointers as well, I will definitely take them on board. 

I was just wondering if it would be possible to ask you another question regarding your experience? Since this started, I've had a more-or-less constant head pressure. Text, in low lighting especially, also appears a little out of focus. Did you experience anything similar and did these symptoms eventually subside? 

I'm glad to hear you've had a really fulfilling life and I hope you continue to do so. Hearing of your successes has provided me with some much needed hope. Cheers for the invite to talk over WhatsApp as well, I'll keep it in mind for future reference. 

All the best, 

Andres

Hi Andres,

Personally I have not experienced the head pressure symptoms you describe but I have in the past had difficulty with text in low lighting.  This subsided over time and is barely noticeable now.  Hope this helps! 

Take Care,

Nick