Agreed, I was 15 at the time had taken LSD ( Purple Ohms ), even typing that gives me 'triggers', had taken 2 half paper tablets on separate occasions, than 1 full one a few weeks later and totally freaked out at home - 1 week later I had a flash-back that was a 1:1 event of the week before and it absolutely terrified me ( still does ) and BOOM, my life changed for ever, my brain never ever went back to the way it once was, and HPPD was in my life, awful - but, it is what it is, and acceptance is one of the greatest things I have ever done with this condition, and in part to finding this forum and realising I am not alone, and it is actually a thing. I am almost 48 now, scary where the years have gone.
And yeah, age definitely a factor, as in my older years of taking alot of Extacy, and LSD ( usually with Vallium to keep me calm ( crazy thinking about it ) I was much more aware of what the drugs were doing to, me. I often felt when I was high on 'E' my symptoms were absolutely gone too, which to this day I still find a mystery, but defo not enough of a mystery to take anything again!!