Title : Hallucinogen-persisting Perception Disorder after First Time Psilocybin Mushroom Consumption Case Report
Abstract:
Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is a poorly understood disorder which is characterized by visual disturbances, distortions, and flashbacks after hallucinogen consumption. This disorder is rarely diagnosed in the clinical setting, with very limited literature found; however, can cause significant impairment in patients’ lives. This is a case report of a 22-year-old female patient who developed persistent visual disturbances and distressing traumatic flashbacks after first-time consumption of psilocybin mushrooms. After outpatient treatment with risperidone, her symptoms worsened. She was diagnosed with hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder and treated with anticonvulsant medication. This report will explore a rare and underdiagnosed disorder, discuss possible etiology of HPPD, as well as elaborate on comorbidities with other psychiatric conditions. Possible pharmacotherapy, such as benzodiazepines, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2 agonists, and anticonvulsants, will also be discussed. What was once considered to be a fallacy in the 1960s to deter people from recreational drug use, may in fact carry clinical significance in the psychiatric and primary care domains today.
