What does Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptual Disorder involve?

Hallucinogen Persisting Perceptual Disorder (HPPD) involves the experience of spontaneous reoccurrences of perceptual disturbances that were originally induced by a hallucinogenic drug. This condition is characterized by individuals experiencing "flashbacks," which can include visual disturbances such as seeing geometric patterns, halos around objects, or other alterations in perception without recent use of the drug.

These flashbacks can occur days, months, or even years after the person has stopped using hallucinogens, making it a distinctive and troubling condition associated with the use of drugs like LSD, psilocybin, or other hallucinogens. The nature of these flashbacks can be distressing and they often resemble previous hallucinations experienced during the acute phase of intoxication, which leads to the diagnosis of HPPD.

Other options do not accurately represent the core features of HPPD. For example, severe anxiety, euphoria, or severe depression following drug use may be symptoms related to substance use or withdrawal but do not specifically pertain to the hallucinogenic-related perceptual disturbances that define HPPD.