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What everyone's experiences with starting new relationships (girlfriend / boyfriend) with HPPD? As we know parts of this disorder cause differing effects. Making it harder to be a happy, confident, outgoing person. The abstaining from alcohol seem to be the greatest issue myself. How do you get the courage to speak to the beautiful babe in the club/pub, let alone jump into bed with her without the magical booze. I still think going out with a non drinker seems a bit weird, part of my culture I suppose. When did you let on to him/her about HPPD or have you kept it a secret. Anyways let me know you stories.

I'm gonna see the doctor, and explain everything. How long did it take for you both to get better?

Hi, Basicly I can't feel any pleasure. Moments when I would normally recieve a small boost of happiesness, eg going on a run, my sports team scoring a goal, eating nice food, someone making a joke, reaching the end of the week or even a sexual orgasm (from which I get a frontal headache). My brain supplies nothing, a very weird emptiness. I fake a response so I do not look odd, but I am worried. I'm not sure if this is hppd related or if it is just another side effect of the large amount of MDMA (or something similar) plus alcohol which I took almost 2 months ago. After I suffered with strange frontal pressure headaches for a 3 weeks that did not go away from the moment I woke till I went to sleep at night, finally in the last few weeks they dissapated slightly. I have read that recovering meth addicts go through this due to having burned out all their dopamine receptors eg no more happieness, until the brain recovers years later. I am very stressed from my work, which I have found a lot more challenging with hppd and have recently found the anxiety and depression ramping up. Should I seek medical advice? I was hoping to methodically decide what I wanted from the doctor (kepra atm), rather than give a scattergun, here are all my hppd visual symptoms and depression and anxiety and also I think I have blown up my dopamine system as well, please sort it out. Has anyone else had this, or is it related to the depression/ stress? What do you think? Thanks everyone.

Mikezero: Hi, just a quick update I did as you suggested and bought St John's Wort and Valerian Root this weekend. (was taking the omega3 and magnesium already) I was really impressed with how effective the St John's Wort was at reducing my anxiety/low mood. I am taking the suggested 3 caps a day and feel so much more calm and measured. Still having sleeping problems, now due to the tinnitus, but the valerian root does help a bit, and I don't get so stressed that I am not yet asleep. So yeah super advice, cheers mate.

Hi Joe, I'm glad to hear you have learned to overcome hppd. It must have been really tough, but you now seem to be making a real success of your life. I am studing as well and would really like to know how you have approached reading all of your text books. When I read I can't help but focus on the flashing of the white areas of the page. Is this something that gets better with practice, ie you learn to block out the visual snow, or have you found it still consistently difficult to read? Using a ruler seems to help me, but the effort to read a page now rather than before is so much greater, and my eyes and brain seem to get very tired. Did you find your eyes and brain built up stamina? I have read somewhere on the forum to read wearing sunglasses but not tried yet. Any tips or advice would be super helpful.

Thanks guys for great advice, I will definatelly try some of those supplements. You are right worry seems to be the killer. I'm going to try to be more positive and occupy my time with some hobbies.

Hi Everyone, I am really please to have found you, to know that I not alone and to make sense of what is happening to me. A bit of background, I am mid twenties, male, from UK. About a month and a half ago, I took a very large amount of white powder I expect maybe 0.5-1g of probably MDMA at a club. I was drunk and my friend said "put this in your drink." Previously at college a few yrs ago I had dabbled in all sorts but definatelly was a cautious user. Week 1 Massive come down depression, hating the world, literally was my worst week ever. Considered leaving job. Jumping on a plane to a far away beach. Brain fog, cognitive problems. W2 Depression mostly gone, very bad anxiety, still had brain fog, eye sight not at its best (HPPD start?) constantly exhausted, headaches. Worried I had brain damage, started to investigate on the web. W3-W5 kept myself busy, tried to recover, tried to ignore everything, but very tired. W6 After taking some OTC sleeping pills as could not sleep I properly noticed and pondered my vision, it looks grainy - visual snow. I went to optician who couldnt find anything wrong. So I began searching and evertually found you guys. I have stopped any caffine or alcohol, and am trying to eat healthly and get exercise as advised. My problems are: VS 24/7 - this makes reading on a PC very difficult as the white spaces around words seem to swirl and flicker. Anxiety Tinnitus 24/7 also my hearing seems to be deteriating. Fatigue Occasional brian fog. (also floaters, star bursts, halos, after images, diffulty seeing in low light) I am crossing my fingers for improvement, but am realistic. Sorry for the long message.