Hppd + Ptsd

[dip]

[paranoid]

[El Calico Loco]

Hm. I'm no psychologist, but my friend Swim has been through a lot. I've read enough psychology on his behalf that I think Colin Ross's dissociation/trauma model is better than the one currently used by the DSM-IV (borderline/narcissist/ptsd/etc). I have yet to read the full text, however.

Did your friend have the PTSD symptoms before he began psychedelic use, or does he think the drugs caused his PTSD? Are you willing to tell us what drug(s) in particular he was using, and in what amounts? It might help others avoid similar troubles.

I don't think PTSD and HPPD are related; plenty of people have one without the other. No reason they couldn't be comorbid, however. In your friend's particular case, both could be a side effect of neurotransmitters that were just plain depleted.


ECL

[dip]

[paranoid]

[El Calico Loco]

Hm. I'm an amateur, but I'm tempted to blame the PCP in particular - especially if it were combined with weed and ethanol. My friend has done lots of DXM, and he knows how easy it could be for someone to have an unpleasant psychotic break (he's had plenty of pleasant psychotic breaks, but has enough self-control to just sit down and enjoy the ride).

I think it best to just lay off drugs entirely for awhile, til your friend feels back to normal.


ECL

[dip]

[paranoid]

[dip]

The question is, would he have gained HPPD from his psychedelic use if he wasn't in a stressed mood with "pre-disposed psychosis"?

Has anyone abused psychedelics for fun/exploration/socializing/boredom/partying/ect. ... any reason that would not be negative- and recieved no HPPD?

If SWIY has gone on an 'acid binge,' when after did you notice HPPD ?

I think HPPD is innevitable? - but could be longer-lasting and more powerful as a side effect from poor psychedelic use.

[PolyFractus]

I don't think auras around lights are a good measure of HPPD. Everyone sees these especially at night time. What kind of other visual disturbances does SWIM suffer from? Waving objects, patterning on white walls etc?

[dip]

Originally Posted by PolyFractus

I don't think auras around lights are a good measure of HPPD. Everyone sees these especially at night time. What kind of other visual disturbances does SWIM suffer from? Waving objects, patterning on white walls etc?

yeah, dotted skys, tracers, ect. would increase.
araus would appear more clear and abstract with increase in use.

[Nagognog2]

The writer does not sound like his/her monkey is suffering from a psychosis. Such would be obvious. Rather a fear of a psychosis. It's one of my favorites - being paranoid of being paranoid!

Nothing to worry about unless the visual effects are distracting and/or persistent. In which case, see an eye doctor for an exam. Everyone should do so every year anywho. Sometimes tripping can make a person more aware of what was there all the time. So see an eye doctor if this bothers you to make certain their isn't some physical problem. You'll feel better.

If you tell the eye-doctor you took a psychedelic and that's why you are seeing him/her, and they laugh - well you made their day!

Some monkey I knew had to wear dark glasses at night for a year. It was SO BRIGHT! But it faded. Damnit! That poor monkey....

[dip]

Originally Posted by Nagognog2

The writer does not sound like his/her monkey is suffering from a psychosis.

Was.

Originally Posted by Nagognog2

Such would be obvious. Rather a fear of a psychosis. It's one of my favorites - being paranoid of being paranoid!

I really wouldn't say that. There was a severe impairement of social functioning, loss of contact with reality, delusions, ect..
Definiantly paranoid though, he's paranoid no matter what mental state he is in.
The HPPD doesn't really bother him.

[OccularFantasm]

I must say I do not beleive in HPPD from psychadelics. In fact, probably 90% of the DSM IV is totally inaccurate. If you read the book and take it literally every person on the planet suffers numerous undiagnosable disorders. The great majority of 'diseases' in that book are just the same old list of symptoms usually in different orders orperhaps plus or minus 1 symptom. It has become clear this is just their way of explaining what they do no understand.


On a different note with the HPPD I did notice a lot of effects after smoking salvia extract multiple times daily for a few weeks, but all symptoms subsided within a month or so.
I also have PTSD and thus was drawn to this thread.
SWIM has also done PCP laced on cannabis (allbeit unknowingly) but had no lingering effects after the trip and thus must agree with Dip's remarkt hat it is unlikely PCP would come back 3 weeks later. I also agree with the comment that pcp is different from a bad trip, as SWIM recalls vividly the only negative thought swim had was "I'm lost I'm gonna be here forever." Of course this was smoked at a concert, so that feeling could be easily understood especially if one did not expect any such effects.
SWIM have tripped many times for fun and came to the conclusion that the only difference with state of mind is that the hapier ad mroe clear headed and optomistic you are, the better the trip; much like being in a dark place vs a light area.
I am confused as to how auras are related if they are to psychadelic use, as they occur regularly with most migranes. I personally have always seen aura in great detail in day or night, long before SWIM ever even used pot much less pills or tryptamines. I also saw the auras long before i suffered form migranes. I was wondering if perhaps it could be related at all to colorblindness or seeing floaters, as I have always had those dispositions. Also perhaps if poor night vision or poor depth perception could be a factor, as I also have those as well.
I personally throroize (with no proof so if you oppose this thought please let me know) that perhaps it is merely perception that is the so called HPPD. For instance while tripping one see's everything differently. Some people have difficulty transferring everything from trippy-vision to nontrippy-vision. Some peole have had trouble deciphering things back into non-trippyvision, whereas the majority, can never trip as hard again and their vision returns to normal.
I have never taken acid, although SWIM is plannng on it soon, so I have no basis of thought on that particular drug; but SWIM has done mushrooms countless times either for fun, mind exploring, or for migranes, and personally beleive that has not caused such an illness.