Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder HPPD
Even weeks later, you might notice the same effect when you’re Twelve-step program just walking down the street, even without any drugs in your system. While HPPD is rare, experiencing some type of post-use phenomenon appears to be relatively common and mostly benign. The psychedelic researcher Stanislav Grof believed HPPD occurs when suppressed material arises during a psychedelic experience and isn’t properly processed. He, therefore, treated his HPPD patients by guiding them into a psychedelic state so their unprocessed traumas and memories could re-surface and be resolved. Psychedelic integration therapy can also help people with HPPD make sense, re-address and start to make sense of the experience that triggered their disorder.
Anxiety and Depersonalization
However, when he left the cemetery and walked about 45 minutes away from the graveyard, he somehow ended up in the exact location. Due to minimal improvement, lamotrigine was increased to 50 milligrams in the regimen. On the seventh day, the same regimen continued, and the patient reported improvements in having fewer intrusive thoughts and flashbacks. On the eighth day, the patient reported having no negative thoughts and feeling much better.
- A mental health professional can help to treat the anxiety that can accompany flashbacks, giving the person more of a sense of self-control.
- These disturbances can range from mild to severe and may last for weeks, months, or even years.
Conclusion: Raising Awareness of a Rare But Real Disorder
According to reports in medical literature HPPD is most often caused by LSD or PCP, although can also be caused by psilocybin, MDMA, cannabinoids, and other psychedelic substances 11, 12. There may be specific types of post-use phenomena that are more common or even unique to particular psychedelics that are not thought of as linked to HPPD. For example, tinnitus has been reported with inhaled DMT and ‘reactivations’ with 5-MeO-DMT (particularly high doses via an inhalation route) 6, 7.
Type 2 HPPD
Some people also use hallucinogens with other substances, leading to polydrug use and its many adverse effects. The flashbacks of HPPD are primarily visual and can make you feel as if you are reliving an experience from the past. Flashbacks are typically less intense and do not last as long as the effects you get when using hallucinogens. You may feel a dissociation or depersonalization from your situation HPPD symptom during the flashback. HPPD is a little-known but life-altering condition that affects perception long after the drug has worn off. With the rise of interest in psychedelic therapy, awareness of hallucinogen side effects like HPPD is more important than ever.