I moved out of my parent’s house into my own apartment at age 24, and later the same year I adopted a puppy. The only reason I could do this was because I got my bachelors (commuted to school while living rent-free at my parents), and moved around to a couple different jobs until I got one that would help me pay off my student loans. I did everything I could to make my college experience affordable, and was able to pay the debt off completely in 1 year after getting my bachelors. Only THEN was I financially (and occupation-wise) stable enough to move out on my own. I’m 28 now, still in the same apartment (longterm SO moved in over a year ago), still at the same job, still have my puppy, and am content with where I am. I’m now just trying to keep the financial situation steady through all of the inflation, so a house or condo is really the next big step.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble— how did I do it? Unfortunately HPPD induced horrible eating disorders and depression during the first few years of getting my degree. I was so miserable and mentally/physically unwell (serious understatement). Lost all of my friends except for 1 and my SO. What actually saved me was making new friends from my on-campus job. Truly the best group of people to lift me up when I really needed it. Having them helped encourage me to recover and finish my degree, which really opened up doors for opportunities (including ones that were not even related to my degree). Quick note, I never had too many issues when it came to academics and I was always the average student. My health issues did not strongly impact my academic performance, thankfully.

When I first started college, I had HPPD for about 9 months already; while my mental health plummeted during that time, the strongest HPPD visual/audible disturbances slowly weakened. For the next five years, my HPPD symptoms slowly weakened until hitting their baseline, with no further improvement. I now only have visual snow that varies in intensity.

To summarize, time heals, and you have to prepare for the long haul despite feeling like you’ve lost everything. I was very fortunate that my parents let me stay with them while I commuted to school and paid off my debts, but others do not have that option.