How Serious Is HPPD?

So this is what I have. Interesting.
Can't say it's a good thing. I'd love to be able to see darkness again.

 

Troy, I hope you live in a fairly large city with some kind of public mental health system. If you don't you should consider moving to one. Realistically, there isn't much decent mental health care and HPPD isn't something a lot of people have experience treating. But that's just the way it is and if you're persistent and well-informed, you can get some of what you need. Good luck to you, brother.

Here's an abstract pasted from Pubmed:

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2003 Mar 1;69(2):109-19.
Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder: what do we know after 50 years?
Halpern JH, Pope HG Jr.
Source
Harvard Medical School, Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478-9106, USA. john_halpern@hms.harvard.edu
Abstract
'Flashbacks' following use of hallucinogenic drugs have been reported for decades; they are recognized in DSM-IV as 'Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (Flashbacks)', or HPPD. We located and analyzed 20 quantitative studies between 1955 and 2001 examining this phenomenon. However, many of these studies were performed before operational criteria for HPPD were published in DSM-III-R, so they are difficult to interpret in the light of current diagnostic criteria. Overall, current knowledge of HPPD remains very limited. In particular (1) the term 'flashbacks' is defined in so many ways that it is essentially valueless; (2) most studies provide too little information to judge how many cases could meet DSM-IV criteria for HPPD; and consequently (3) information about risk factors for HPPD, possible etiologic mechanisms, and potential treatment modalities must be interpreted with great caution. At present, HPPD appears to be a genuine but uncommon disorder, sometimes persisting for months or years after hallucinogen use and causing substantial morbidity. It is reported most commonly after illicit LSD use, but less commonly with LSD administered in research or treatment settings, or with use of other types of hallucinogens. There are case reports, but no randomized controlled trials, of successful treatment with neuroleptics, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, and clonidine. Although it may be difficult to collect large samples of HPPD cases, further studies are critically needed to augment the meager data presently available regarding the prevalence, etiology, and treatment of HPPD.

 

Ive had fairly constant HPPD since a bad mushroom trip about 6 years ago i dont really notice it much anymore unless i think about it or really concentrate on it, things like smoking weed make it more noticeable too. Its not really that intense for me either mainly i just see tv static type patterns over everything that shimmer.

 

"Buy the ticket the ride, no sympathy for the devil"

Psychedelics change your brain, but that is why you take them. I do not view this change as bad though. Although I do not have severe effects like some people seem to have. And I trip hard when I do trip, eating 10 stripes is the norm.

 

Not sure if I qualify for full on HPPD, but I definitely get some vague symptoms. I quite enjoy them to be honest, they don't get in my way but they make long journeys a bit more interesting

 

Yeah, no psychological problem (HPPD included) is considered an actual problem unless it really interferes with someone's life. While it's totally possible that 1-5% of LSD users have it (or .9% of the population) I bet most of them aren't too upset. I wouldn't worry about it, it would be like a free trip all the time. ^.^

 

I have experienced HPPD with LSD. I was taking trip about twice a week for a few months and after I ended up taking a break because I had a horrible trip.
After this experience for about a month maybe I was experiencing SLIGHT breathing and mental fuzzy-ness. Also my visual was similar to a tv when it has a slight resolution problem like my vision was fuzzy and the fuzzy would be fading to one side of my vision. This is completely better now. But for a while I was worried for life long effects. Thanks guys. Good luck and be safe.

 

Even though this thread is ancient, the level of misinformation, ignorance and confusing of terms and conditions is astounding.
I'm especially surprised at article quoted by thismoment. HPPD and flashbacks are two different and distinct phenomena.
A flashback MAY exhibit some hallucinatory properties, but is much closer to PTSD episode more than any other explanation. HPPD is a PERSISTENT presence of anomalies in the visual field.

The two are completely different and I doubt the validity or knowledge of researchers who lump them together as the same malady. Yes, the DSM can be wrong.