Hello all I've been a HPPD sufferer since may 15th 1992, yes I remember the date it started, here is my story.
I turned 18 on october 1992 I got in with a small group smoking weed and drinking which progressed to other stuff mainly amphetamines, MDMA, poppers, LSD, and anything else I could get my hands on.
This went on for six months or so until I had a bad acid trip in my mates house, I had taken it before but this stuff seemed so strong and I freaked out.
I though nothing of it after, my so called friends took the piss out of me because of it and I just shrugged it of.
I carried on using for another month or so but stayed away from acid until at a party I took it again, this trip was very strange thoughts of freaking out again ran through my mind and it was the worst 6 hours of my life. I woke up the next day feeling strange with a sense of nothing is real and that's when it started
I then had a 3 month nightmare of acid flashbacks where I would feel like I was freaking out again, I could not sleep or relax at all and this lasted for about 3 months until it calmed down alot and I was left with.
Eye floaters, sense of nothing is real, visual snow, Anxiety, depression and I still have them today 21 years later.
It was 1992 i went to the doctors and they had no idea what was up with me at that time I even went for counselling but because I was not sticking a needle in my arm they seemed not to really care much, so I had zero support, my parents told me it was my own fault and to deal with it myself which I did by getting high again it seemed like my HPPD went away when I was high mostly on amphetamines and MDMA, cocaine and alcohol. I did this for another 8 years until I met my partner who saved me from that, sort of.
So here I sit I am drug free and have been for 12 years I have 3 beautiful children, and a very supportive partner, but inside I am still a mess and an alcoholic, I think if I'd stopped using drugs in the early days I may have got rid of this all together, but sadly I didn't.
The doctors are at a loss with me to be honest nothing works. anti depressants make me feel worse and the last thing I tried was a nightmare(pregabalin)made me feel like I was on E again.
I just wanted to get this off my chest a bit and see if anyone can help me with suggestions for my doctor so he does not have to pick a random drug from his drug book to give me.
Cheers all.
Sorry if my grammar is crap.