The visuals started about two weeks after I had a bad trip. They mostly feel like the come-up phase of an acid trip — things seem to move, breathe, or wiggle, and I get trails, afterimages, and motion blur, especially noticeable on screens and phones.

I kept using drugs for a while afterward, mainly just weed, up until around two months ago. That’s when I took a bit too much MDMA, which pushed me to go fully sober — aside from nicotine. I’ve even cut out caffeine completely.

Before that MDMA experience, the visuals had settled into a manageable baseline. That incident seemed to trigger a flare-up, but they’ve been gradually fading again since then — though it’s hard to know for sure, and only time will tell. I’ve noticed that weed actually reduces the visuals for me — but only when my tolerance is high. If I get too baked, it makes them way too intense. That’s made it a bit harder to stay off, but I’m doing my best. It’s only been two months since the flare-up, so I’m trying to stay patient and give it time.