It must be emphasized that individuals without HPPD will sometimes notice visual abnormalities. Likewise, bright lights in an otherwise dark environment may generate trails and halos. Most people don’t notice these effects, because they are so used to them. A person fearful of having acquired HPPD may be much more conscious about any visual disturbance, including those that are normal. In addition, visual problems can be caused by brain infections or lesions, epilepsy, and a number of mental disorders (e.g., anxiety, delirium, dementia, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease). For an individual to https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/hallucinogen-persisting-perception-disorder-hppd-symptoms/ be diagnosed with HPPD, these other potential causes must be ruled out.

• Moreover, it is especially important to see a professional given how little we know about the condition.
• Every person who has visual disturbances as a result of HPPD experiences them slightly differently.
• Darcie believes in collaborating with her clients, tailoring interventions to suit their individual needs.
• HPPD can affect mental health and cause ongoing stress and concern.
• Outside of work, she’s a devotee of Krishna, and her friends call her Karunya Shakti, which means compassionate energy.

What are flashbacks?

These are particularly helpful in treatment of HPPD II with co-morbid anxiety disorders11. Non-pharmacological management could include brain stimulation treatment, but this has not been fully substantiated or investigated. The substances that were identified most frequently as triggers of HPPD were LSD (37.1%), cannabis (13.4%), and MDMA (6.2%). In 6.2% of the cases HPPD developed after the use of combinations of two or more substances but, since it was not reported whether the symptoms were indicative of a specific substance, it was difficult to pinpoint the likely trigger. Lastly, in 23.7% of the patients the trigger was unknown mostly because there were multiple possibilities.

7. Brain Stimulation Treatments

An examination of the demographic data within the two control groups revealed notable disparities in age, lifetime consumption of psychedelics and other prohibited substances, as well as on the history of psychiatric interventions (Supplementary Table S2). Overview of visual symptoms reported by two or more patients, sorted by the number of reports from left to right, with the most reported symptoms first. For those experiencing a given symptom, occurrence frequency was assessed on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (never) to 5 (more than once per hour). Symptom duration varied from 0 (a few seconds) to 5 (constant).

HPPD Symptom Causes

Despite all participants noting no usage of psychedelics in the past three months, cognitive long-term influences are plausible even in the absence of perceptual symptoms. A recent meta-analysis revealed that various psychedelics might have distinct post-acute neuropsychological consequences, with LSD being linked with decreased executive performance and ayahuasca being linked to increased executive performance24. Notably, the majority of the HPPD patients reported using LSD and none ayahuasca. However, the performance of the digit symbol test in psychedelic-users without HPPD, which also reported use of LSD, did not differ from Alcohol Use Disorder that of the non-using group, making the use of LSD as the sole explanation unlikely.

Signs of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)

In 2023, Jordan joined the clinical team at AspenRidge Recovery. Jordan describes her approach as eclectic but most beneficial and includes a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and family-oriented practices. In clinical practice, establishing a diagnosis of HPPD hinges on proper history-taking, which in turn relies on an adequate insight into the condition’s wide array of symptoms. Obviously, if substance-use problems are present, substance-use counseling is necessary. In addition, a psychiatric and neurological examination are indispensable, as well as blood work (including toxicology) and a medication review.

Only on indication do we recommend an EEG, a head MRI, a lumbar puncture, and/or a neuropsychological assessment. Although its main focus is on changes in perception and consciousness in HPPD, the current study may also have several implications for our ideas on pathophysiology. As yet, the pathophysiology of HPPD remains to be fully elucidated.

• Researchers have recognized two forms of HPPD (type 1 and type 2).
• A person does not have the disorder simply because they’ve taken one of the drugs that cause it.
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• It must be emphasized that individuals without HPPD will sometimes notice visual abnormalities.
• Furthermore, the long term recurrence of hallucinations that can be seen after withdrawal of stimulus could be the result of reverse tolerance or sensitization that emerges following exposure to LSD16.
• The mental disorder affects a small percentage of people with a history of psychedelic drug use.

General Health

Attaining a suitable control sample in the realm of psychedelic research represents a notable challenge24. Nonetheless, the meticulous matching procedures employed in this study, combined with the norm-based appraisal of individual neuropsychological profiles, enabled us to gain a first impression of the possible neuropsychological sequelae of HPPD. Therefore, additional research is needed to further explore the neuropsychological implications of HPPD. HPPD is most commonly seen after the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).