Tricks to Help Alleviate HPPD Symptoms

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Original document can be found at: http://www.hppdonline.com/symptoms.php


Simple Tricks to Alleviate Symptoms

Although you can't just pop a pill and have your HPPD go away forever, there are a few simple non-medical things you can do to help lessen the severity of your symptoms. Here are a few suggestions:

• Wear sunglasses all the time! This may seem to be a silly idea, but wearing sunglasses outdoors (even if it isn't that sunny) will help lessen the impact of going from a bright environment to a dark environment when you go from outdoors to indoors. The reason is that when an HPPDer is out in the sunlight, his brain tries to adapt to the large amount of visual stimuli it receives by lessening their impact. So, when the HPPDer enters a darker room, the brain is still set to filter out lots of visual stimuli and it is difficult for the HPPDer to see anything. Wearing sunglasses helps lessen the difference between the two environments.
• Avoid stimulants! This includes caffeine. Caffeine and other stimulants can aggravate your symptoms.
• Stop thinking about your symptoms; don't stare at blank walls! Dr. Abraham notes in his 1983 study that some of the participants reported that they could intentionally induce visual aberration by staring at a blank wall. Thinking about your symptoms seems to make them worse, so just let them be.
• Try meditation and relaxation! Meditation and relaxation can help improve your mood and reduce your symptoms.
• If you are feeling depressed about your HPPD, try some self-nurturing activities! Here a few suggestions: Take a warm bath, get a massage, visit a zoo, go rent a funny video (watching TV is a great way to forget about your symptoms), go shopping, bake or cook some food, or go for a walk.

*These tricks really can help alleviate symptoms. In SWIM's personal experience, he had to give up drinking coffee because it would make his symptoms worse. SWIM also noticed that if he thought about his symptoms, they would get a LOT worse. If he was staring up at his white ceiling and trying to fall asleep, his visual distortions would also increase. Doing stuff that you enjoy and trying not to think about your symptoms is the best way to alleviate them.