Is Maladaptive Daydreaming a Mental Disorder?
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- Опубліковано 15 лип 2024
- This video answers the question: Is Maladaptive Daydreaming a mental disorder? Also, I will discuss the relationship between Maladaptive Daydreaming and OCD, ADHD, and addiction. Maladaptive Daydreaming is a construct and not currently a mental disorder. It is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Maladaptive Daydreaming is characterized by highly structured daydreams, including those that have elaborate plots and fictional characters. The condition can yield enjoyment but also leads to a disruption of functioning, which has led to it being compared to substance use disorder. Some counselors diagnose individuals with Maladaptive Daydreaming with OCD or ADHD, because there is some overlap between Maladaptive Daydreaming and those disorders. There is no disorder in the DSM that features highly structured daydreams as a primary symptom.
Those with Maladaptive Daydreaming differ from those who have normal daydreaming in several ways. Those with Maladaptive Daydreaming spend an average of 56 - 57% of their waking hours daydreaming, compared to just 16% for those with normal daydreaming. Both those with and without the condition appear to have good control of the daydreaming when work or social demands would make the daydreaming extremely disruptive.
Over 80% of those with Maladaptive Daydreaming also have repetitive movements. Maladaptive Daydreaming is more strongly associated with obsessions than compulsions.
Bigelsen, J., Lehrfeld, J. M., Jopp, D. S., & Somer, E. (2016). Maladaptive daydreaming: Evidence for an under-researched mental health disorder. Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal, 42, 254-266
I feel embarrassed when someone sees me while I daydream...
I always lock my door and daydream in the privacy of my room so people don’t see me daydream, but I can totally understand
@@sneakysnickersnoopy I'm trying to make it stop. I literally found out about MDD yesterday and it's been holding me back for years. I have no desire to live in the real world anymore just in my dreams. Now I try to stop myself whenever I catch myself doing it.
Same
They say i look dissociative at work. I dgaf!
@@theduckyninja1086 I do it in my garden because there isn't enough space in the house
It makes reading extremely difficult because It will open a bunch of different ideas and I randomly start day dreaming
same
OH. MY. GOD. YES
dont... give my brain more ideas.... im literally rereading the maze runner rn
IKR! I have dyslexia too 😅 I struggle so hard to read around other people because I just want to go into a daydream but I know that everyone will think im insane lol.
SAME this is so weird
Finding out "normal people" do not spend 97% of their day daydreaming was a shock for me. I've had this as long as I can remember and thought it was normal. I am 32 years old and barely found out five years ago that it is not normal and has a name. The only time I am not daydreaming is when I'm sleeping or HAVE to engage in conversation. Only recently I have realized how much it has truly affected my life negatively. I'm ashamed but have opened up to my family about it.
44, and just finding out it's a disorder today!! Arg, my mom used to laugh about it, but also had a teacher that is wanted to fail me
@@claudinesteenberge4920 likewise. I'm 43, and have been doing it since my mom bailed when I was about 7. It's driven me to stay alone as much as possible, and definitely see how it's an addiction without doubt. I don't know how would continue functioning at all without it.
oh my god same!! i don’t daydream only when i’m talking to someone or sleeping! i put aside like 4 hours a day to daydream with music
@Neil nope. It's honestly not that easy especially when it's something you've unconsciously done for 25+ years. However, I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia back in April. Having both Maladaptive Daydreaming and Schizophrenia is extremely rare. My meds for Schizophrenia have helped immensely in reducing how often I daydream, but, have not stopped it completely. It's at least more manageable.
Holy fuck, thank god I found out when I’m 19
I am really tearing up. People get me here. Love this comment section.
Me either!!
this is awesome 😎
Omg this comment sections is like my safe place 😭
I'm crying 😭😭😭😭
Same!
Ah, it's so weird hearing you list all these secret things about me
Same 😭
Me four
Same here
I thought i was the only one haha xD
Honestly
I wish I could actually get bored like a normal person instead of having this 😒
SAME
And we never bored to do this we are writers actulley .every single person have this day dreaming some..some have when they hear music some have they they trevelling ...dont take it too hard ypu are not only one..i am also and i can feel it...
Same when I get bored I daydream
Never related to something like this comment before.
Man 😩💯
I cannot believe I found this. My life put into words. I am not crazy. I am not alone. I have tears in my eyes. Ohmygod. Thank you.
I wish I had known about this right after I developed depression. I wouldn’t have believed it was my fault.
As a cognitive expert, I see a lot of people I could help out and catapult them to successful lives. 🙏 🤲
Ikr! My family thinks I either have extreme adhd, autism, or that I’m crazy. I hope I can get my mom to look into this so she knows what’s up.
Me rn
i didnt know that either
So That’s why I like walking around listening to music and creating stories in my head ? 😳😳😳
I do the same thing walking around. I see other comments claiming the same thing. I wonder what the walking bit has to do with it all.
I think the walking makes the scenarios more realistic
@@masooma2488 walking takes me away from where I physically am at the moment. i can go to my day dream location and be that character
Omg yeees i always need to move while daydreaming to make it mor realistic 😭
@@mo0d911try to stop listening music. Half percent of MD is healed
for me, it’s like ocd within the mind..when i don’t get a scene right, i replay it for days, perfecting every moment. i can’t move on until i’m satisfied. it is tiring and i can’t help it
Omfg I'm about to lose my mind for that shit
Same same,all the dialogues and scenes and if sometimes in reality it's too much surreal to happen, I repeat it so much in by brain that I get tired but my imagination won't move on.
same with me
I have a library ov them, and pick one out for whatever mood im in, and change the characters and plot based on that. And so tediously replayed like a skipping record.
S K I THOUGHT I DID THIS. I wanna perfect it badly but at the same time I wanna continue the daydream it's like being stuck
Music is a huge trigger for my day dreaming. In fact every time I listen to music it takes my mind to fantasy land. This is happing for as long as I can remember from a young child.
I’m lucky, music isn’t a trigger for me, but I do need to listen to music to daydream. Usually movies or shows are a trigger for me
This is the same with me! Though most “scenes” I need music in the background
OMG same ;c
Shows,Movies, and Music for me. It’s annoying.
SAME
I hate it. I absolutely hate it. My husband “caught” me the other day and I felt like a crazy person.
Get a different husband. mine lets me go wild and totally accepts me without inducing shame ..but then again, he's got his own problems so we just try and cope with each others issues 😂
A least y'all have husbands that is my problem. I had so much trauma with seeing the women in my family had f up relationships, that I daydream of a perfect husband in my head. I don't trust men and stay away from them.
If he is your husband that might mean you love and trust him. Try to tell him what’s going on. Show him this video or other video about it. Even if he loves you I don’t think he’ll understand it but at least he’ll be aware that you know about it and you know it’s something to work on.
@@user-lj9ms7fy1w Don’t lose hope! I know there’s a good man out there who’s going to love you no matter what.
@@missisland1925 It's not normal, so it will be embarrassing. She never said her husband ridiculed her. She just felt embarrassed. I would not want to be caught acting out my daydream in front of my love ones either. They wouldn't ridicule me, but there is something about this problem that's not normal. I think that is why we are all listening to Dr. Grande explain what this issue is.
I’m 16 and all the time I spend alone I’m maladaptive daydreaming, which is almost the entire day. It got worst during quarantine. I feel like I’m not living my own and real life. I want this to stop, I can’t stand it anymore and I want to talk to someone about it so bad but I also don’t cause it’s embarrassing. I can’t seem to control these thoughts. All I want is them to go away, I can’t take it anymore.
same here...
Same :(
Samee I refuse to tell anyone
You're not alone.
I wish I knew how to help you, but I can't even help myself. I'm 20, and it's been happening all my life.
I’ve never related to a comment section more in my life.
I've just found out about this today. Im blown away. I thought i was alone.
Exactly
Same
Same :/
For anybody interested, there's a subreddit about Maladaptive Daydreaming.
I’ve had this condition (in a severe sort of way) since as long as I can remember and I am 30 now.
1- Yes it interfered with my social life,
2- made me value loneliness more than I should.
3- I believe I had potentials to be a more successful person if it weren’t for this condition.
4- no it’s not easy to let go of it which makes me believe it is an addiction.
5- I wish I just didn’t have it.
6- I think I got it from my childhood traumas.
7- my family thinks I am crazy because they caught me on a camera just pacing around the place (like I usually do when in a maladaptive day dream), occasionally talking to non-existent people.
8- and worst of all, “me” do not exist in these daydreams, I just become other characters and their spectators as well.
9- the only benefit is I am a pretty good novelist.
I am not even a good novelist, your lucky. I do the same things you describe.
same with me! My family has often caught me speaking to unreal people(of course i know they arent real, so i'm not hallucinating) and also #8!!! I almost never daydream about myself, which is kinda sad.
Damn you sound a lot like me.
One my mom told me to go to sleep and I told her " just give me 10 more minutes so I can finish this conversation" , she is already used to it but I never thought it was something out of the ordinary until I heard about this.
Hello actually my sister is going through the same is it possible to stop it
It's gotten pretty bad for me, I take time off while working just to daydream. The worst part is that my daydreams have less fantasy elements and are more and more realistic now
They got more realistic because you’re growing up and starting to have much more logical thoughts, as you by the pass of the time know more about the world and what is possible and realistic and what no
@@patrikdimitrovbut I want to stop them definitively I want to focus more into the real world what can I do?
@@cherychristopher7016 for me the underlying reason is OCD when I started ocd treatment it is now less frequent but I still do it when I am free and bored.
Give it to Jesus he can heal u
I feel lonely
Hence, I started imaging characters that adores me a lot
I got depressed, trauma, frustration, mocked, insulted, and what not during my teen life 😢
I don't really imagine myself I imagine different characters in my stories.And I might put myself in them a couple of times but ya I feel u. 😢
Me too
Mee too
A lot of the time I end up mumbling to myself and pacing around my room. I've always thought I was going kind of crazy, so thank you for this video 😂😅
Mine is so bad that I’ll just bluntly talk out loud. I have full scenario conversations that I practice just in case they happen in real life.
Same here sometimes i May catch myself talking and someone will be like what did you just say? Or Someone would be watching me and say are you talking? You were moving your lips.
Lol same once my cousin once caught me sitting on the stairs facing the wall mumbling
When my character cries I cry, I also hit my head when I am on a scene that creates anxiety, and once my dad thought I was talking to a sandwich.
Same here. Sometimes I move my lips and mouth when I'm not alone. I also sometimes move my thumb when I'm doing something in my daydream. Every time my mum mentions it I get embarrassed. But when I'm in my room, I listen to music and walk around in my room and talking to myself. Sometimes when I'm about to sleep, I just suddenly sit up in my bed and talk to myself as I'm daydreaming. Once, my friend asked if I'm a lunatic because I talk to myself😂
I’m 100% sure I have this and always have and although this seems like a pretty harmless disorder it destroys your life slowly. I spend every single moment that I’m alone daydreaming. I’m incredibly invested in these daydreams, something happened recently and I’ve lost my inspiration for my current plot and it’s as if I’ve lost something huge. I feel so empty it’s very bad... I don’t want to get into it here but it feels like a death. It’s incredibly distruptive in my life
Ane Arte Sounds like you’re just a writer. How has it destroyed your life? Are you on the streets or something lmao?
R H I will be soon probably lol. As to why it’s destroyed my life, it’s a long story and I wanted to keep my comment brief
I relate so much! I've been maladaptively daydreaming since I was a kid and I hate when a storyline gets stale, I'm always adding things and trying to keep it fresh. MD is such a big part of my life and I wish it had more recognition. I also wish there was a way I could explain it so more people would be able to understand. I feel like no one really gets how invested I am in my characters and how much it means to me
Ane Arte me
@@fatuusdottore Don't be so flippant and dismissive. If you're mocking it, you have no idea what hell it can be. Do you think it's a coincidence that so many writers have been depressed and suicidal?
My daydreaming got so advanced that i can literally daydream while driving in my car or during grocery shopping.
It's hard not to. Part of your brain drives, is alert, but you realize you don't remember much of anything other than the daydream while it was happening. It's a real problem on long drives.
When I'm walking I will feel like my comfort character is right next to me, talking to me, it's so hard to not make faces reacting to what they say
It’s hard to not daydream
Yes! Me too!
Wow. That sounds dangerous. It could potentially lead to an accident.
My younger sister saw me talking to myself, I was just acting, I knew it's daydreaming and I knew they weren't real but I can't help it, I got back to my senses when I hear noises in the real life.
Daydreaming is my way to escape from reality, I'm not abused nor in a trauma. I just can't live a life like this. A boring life.
Yes. Boredom is my main trigger. Then comes other fictional fantasies such as being a famous actor or footballer.
@@linguafranca7115 el aburrimiento me asusta
I honestly can't stand it. It gets in the way of everything. I could be minding my business studying or doing a basic task and I find myself veering off into a daydream. I can't help it at all.... and of course each daydream lasts at least a good 30+ minutes.
I hate it too. I am struggling to focus in class, and once the topic gets complicated, the daydream starts. I feel so detached from everyone.
Mine is usually an hour, and after I become fearful that it's a sign of schizophrenia, that's wat gets in the way of doing stuff. The fear of being schizophrenic
I have no idea how long mine takes each time. I just know that when I come to, I feel this massive disappointment realizing just how much of reality has passed me by.
Sometimes I mix my day dream with real word
Having attention deficit disorder with this is a living hell, im daydreaming almost all of the time and when I'm not I'm still unable to be present due to my attention deficit.
I would rather live in my daydreams than real life.
OMG, I wish i could too so munch. When i realise that i will never be able to, i get depressed.
@@Do-meEYES Me too :(
@Syno Fobhia it's probably the only time where anything actually feels real.
Same but I don’t get depressed about it, it makes me work harder actually as all the things in my dream can happen in real life
YES
I remember the day I discovered this thing existed, I started crying because I though “oh wow, this is real!? There’s more people like me???” I showed my mother and she laughed in my face, tried to explain to my father (a psychologist) and told me I was just making things up and that the only thing I needed was a schedule :)
That sucks, I’ve spent my whole life trying to hide it, not always successful, so I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to have your parents just disregard it and be so unsupportive, I’m sorry ☹️
damn thats a bummer. i always had to prove that i got flu or cold and disregarding didnt stop there so i know how terrible that feals. also it confuses you whether you really just need schedule or not which beggins another rodeo. just fuck man
The dismissive parent maybe the cause might be for me not sure what came first
I just found out I have this disorder. I can't stop daydreaming. I imagine myself in a world where I'm perfect. I keep imagining myself being a tall guy with billion dollars in the bank, handsome like girls are crazy for me, well-spoken, etc. Everything I daydream of is exactly the opposite of what I am in the real world. In real life, I'm 5'4, ugly, 25M virgin, don't have a job, and can't speak well. I also have a girly voice. Anytime I talk to someone who doesn't know me (customer service) through phone calls, they assume that a girl is talking. I'm jealous of everyone's achievements. I'm jealous of everything. To escape reality, I daydream. When I daydream, it feels so good until I realize it is just a dream. Then I get depressed. To escape from depression, I daydream again. It is a vicious circle. I have depression and health anxiety. I feel lonely when I am alone. I feel lonely when I hang out with friends. I always feel lonely and empty. I don't know what to do. Sometimes I wish I never existed.
💞💞💞💞💞
damn, are you ok now?
Strength brother, something similar happens to me. I am not particularly good at anything or a great person and imagining more accomplished and naturally talented characters gets me through the day, but I am also studying and doing what I can with my real life, still have dreams and hopes, just more realistic and humble per say, you can have both lives and have them both be happy and fulfilling, just try to aim for more realistic things in real life, step by step. I am sure there are girls out there who would love to have you, maybe girls with similar issues and interests
Same here 1000% this describes me perfectly! Every single word, absolutely everything💗 hope you're feeling ok right now I know how hard it is. I have epilepsy, depression, severe anxiety and other problems that I haven't spoken to a doctor about, I probably should but yeah, I know it's hard💕
Same, I hate when it falls sometimes
For years I thought I was alone having this "disorder". Mostly I enjoy it but I can see how it can distrupt life and every responsibilities
@Le Wats thats a more positive way of looking at it
@Le Wats It *is* a disorder. Please don't make it seem so light and happy, it only makes people take us less seriously when we need *actual* help.
@@lilacevergreen5476 yet, for some people it helps to think of it in a innocent way. Before I found out it's a disorder, I simply enjoyed it, I mostly did it just when I have free time, it was a way of dealing with stress. Now when I know it's a "disorder that might ruin your life" I feel so much worse.
@@mhm77887 Don't get sad bro. You were made like this. Everyone has something to deal with in life. Yours is this.
@@RetroHalon thank you, honestly. I honestly feel like an outcast knowing that I have this. Like I'm a creep, like I'm odd.
*When you started daydreaming half way through-*
Meeeeeee
I started planning my next scenario- to do with the vid- ready to act it out at the end of the vid
Lmao
😩💯👌
Bruh me
It’s so crazy finding out that not only is there a name for this thing I’ve been doing secretly my whole life but that there’s others that do this as well
I was hoping to find a comment like this. I will go hours searching for pictures of luxury homes, lifestyles, certain people with certain features I’d want my characters to look like. I have an entire page on my notes app with first and last names for these people. Including ages. I have created backstories for each of them. I usually try to use music or certain soundscapes to get really descriptive in my imagination. I literally plan out certain events and situations to happen as soon as I go into it. I’ve had the same characters and daydreams for as long as I can remember. They usually change as I meet certain people or as I grow older. I get upset sometimes because the people I have created and my alter realities don’t exist and I’ve grown attached to my characters. So much so that when I create a certain scenery that is depressing, I often feel the real emotions and will cry so that my characters start crying. Is exhausting but It’s like an escape.
Same!
I just threw my phone. I finally have a name for this!!! I can't believe it. I have always been so embarrassed bc I feel like I NEED to listen to music and pace around my room thinking up stories for hours every day. It literally does take up a considerable portion of my life.
I’m so glad that this is an actual thing that is being researched, because I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t daydreaming. Honestly, even as I was watching this video and researching, I was half on my daydream world explaining this disorder to the characters in my other life lol. I thought I was just weird or crazy, but I always knew that the dreams weren’t real, even if I desperately wanted them to be. I’m so glad I’m not alone.
Girl same! The part about the daydreaming of explaining your MD to your other characters 😂
As i was reading some comments here, i was explaining this to my favorate teacher Lol
I gotta fight this!!
Omg I do this as well, I thought I was the only one.
IM CRYING RN Im doing the same thing I thought I was crazy
You ever felt like you have multiple personalities when the other characters Don't get the other characters and you have to explain to them.
I often imagine myself in a world where im better than myself,more confident, handsomer,richer,and so many more things
.im jealous of the other me the better ME and i always wish i was him.
I usually do this 1 or 2 hours a day while walking or just think about it mostly all day in my free times.
is it just me or there are others like me out there?
Me too. There’s this weird disconnect that leaves me spiralling when I point it out to myself. I daydream, naively, like a child, of being famous, a billionaire CEO, gorgeous, witty, and a genius, and of course, well loved by everyone. But then sometimes, after a few sips of wine, that can come crashing around me, and I have to realize that I’m just a young nobody, and that my life will be mediocre at best. I often feel like such a narcissist or something, but I want my fantasy life so bad.
me too:(
@@hopejuscenko8925 Same but with fuckin anime plots 😂, it was also a like a response to any anxiety, so when I satrted to manage my anxieties the daydreams followed in decline (to some extent). I used loathe myself for it, but there really is no point, even if you have no good qualities whatsoever upon which you can love yourself, then start loving yourself out of necessity or something, theres no way around it else the constant daydream and the constant unfulfilled crash will just repeat and repeat.
I do that too! I think that it's because of the abusive household I'm in. When my mother starts yelling or gets mad I run up to my room, plug in my earphones and walk around my room pretending to be or do various things. Like a model walking down the runway, maybe laughing in the face of a mean person, kissing someone... I do it for hours until it's time to brush my teeth or eat something. It's always when I listen to music and I HAVE to do it or else I feel... empty or incomplete?
@@Mx.Pickle Sounds like a horrible situation, best of luck to you in life!
For me it appears to be highly linked to this incurable feeling of loneliness. For all of the work I have done on myself... I still don’t know how to be alone. I have day long daydreams... that last for hours... where when I’m running errands the person I am thinking about is with me. I hate it. It’s not real. Wish I could atop
That does not sound remotely like maladaptive daydreaming... just an unhealthy obsession.
Mine does not feel like addiction but I daydream whenever I want to. Whenever I'm bored, when I can't fall asleep. I like the fact that I can continue my dreams whenever I wake up. I could be brushing my teeth but living in a good dream I woke up from. I like the fact that I could be a good novelist in the near future with the help of my daydreams, they sure give me good plots 😂
I've had this since I was a child. My family has caught me in the middle of daydreaming where I'm inside my inner world and talking to myself. It's embarrassing and I have no one to talk about this.
Same here. If you want you can talk with me. :)
Me too im glad i found this. Really good the know its not just me
I sometimes find people starring at me at public places like bus stops etc because I am in deep in my thoughts and moving my lips as if I am taking to someone or waving my hands around. Now I generally tend to wait in secluded areas away from public.
Same here ✋😂
Luckily I don’t talk out loud and I don’t move my lips when I’m in public although I still kinda talk I guess.... I mean I move my tongue as if I was talking but not enough or anyone to notice
I have it and it is very addictive... I got this when I were under depression... It helped me overcome depression but I have no way to overcome this disorder
you can do it! I was completely addicted few years back, since I can remember. When I managed to treat my depression and anxiety with loads of therapy and the help of a very open minded psychiatrist, I didn't have the urge anymore. Funny that as I got more real friends I would need less and less. It was hard, bc those characters were "real" to me in an emotional sense. It was like saying goodbye, forever. I still remember them as long time friends I don't see anymore. But, it was worth it, bc now I got to live that life, for real. if you want to talk to someone, feel free to hit me up!
@@brunandre please help me....
Maladaptive Daydreaming has destroyed my life...
All i do is day dream about overcoming all my Insecurities,
I am not able to study..
I am unemployed.
I escape rather than face reality.. Please help me...
@@brunandre how can i reach you...
Facebook.. Twitter or anything..
Help me please
@@herehere5754 try maladaptive on subreddit.
I love your profile pic :))
I relate to these comments so much 💀 I feel like I’ve found my people lmao
Same.
This comment section make me feel less alone
My daydreams are not even about me. I'm afraid I'll be in an accident and not remember myself... Start living as one of my characters.
I thought I was the only one who had this fear. While I am extremely addicted to daydreaming and find pleasure in it. I’ve always had this slight fear that someday, for whatever reason, I wouldn’t be able to jump out of it like I usually do.
Bruhhhh that’s so me.
The Art of MMA me too.
my daydreams about me and sometimes people that i created
That’s literally me sometimes, I’ll create these characters giving them a history , feelings and emotions even loving families and I’ll slowly start to take on their persona and who they are and how they act and basically change who I am, I don’t really mind it cause I find it relaxing and I can’t really help it , the only time I try to stop is if the person I’m changing into is bad or has an ‘evil ‘ persona like one time after watching the joker I kept making scenarios about him then found myself randomly laughing uncontrollably a lot and acting realllly fucking weird
I have suffered with Maladaptive Daydreaming for 10 years. My brain just latches onto certain scenarios and it can take weeks to move on. Music is a huge trigger for me as is TV shows/movies. Up until a couple of years ago I honestly thought I was just crazy
Did you get rid of it 💔?
@@ryma1880 Why would you need to get rid of it? The best is to contain it so it does not become a substitute for your normal life. As long as you have friends, family, work and you do not skip those for the daydreaming its completely fine to daydream while listening music pacing in your own room.
@@rapsody230 The problem is that I have become so addicted to it that I spend a whole day imagining and not studying and doing useful work
@@ryma1880 My suggestion for you is to start not by reducing it but changing it in something else.
Try to change the place where you walk during your daydreaming. Since the daydreaming is a sort of escapism, and as such your home or your room are "safe" places where you feel comfortable in daydreaming and to escape you need to separate slowly the safety of your room and the pleasure of your dreams.
I for example started to daydream ONLY outside, walking or going by bike.
It will take time but if you manage to separate your home/room/study or your workplace from the daydreaming you will start to be more productive when at home or at work.
I been daydreaming since I was 12 I’m 20 now and just now figuring out what it is
As a fantasy writer, my "maladaptive" daydreaming is my favorite part of myself and I wouldn't change it.
Edit: I've actually discovered since it's more of a gift than a curse in my case, the correct term is *Inmersive Daydreaming* . I wonder why it's even less talked about, hearing only about MD and that it HAD to be bad left me very confused until I discovered the term "Inmersive Daydreaming".
Exactly. They want to make everything a disorder these days
@@jerometruitt2731 dude I agree
@@jerometruitt2731 okay that's bs. Now maladaptive daydreaming comes from either ADHD, anxiety, depression or even OCD. As a day dreamer myself, i know about my ADHD and OCD. I cannot focus on anything. Literally, it ruins my life. My room looks like a dream, everything lies perfectly on its place, while my head is a complete havoc. I am jealous of people who can afford themselves not to have this. The dreams of grandiosity washed my ego up to the sky, and all i had to realise was just that it's all a dream. I am still coping with this, and i cannot stop falling into daydreaming, be it studying math, machine learning, or be it piano.
Same
@@YuraK25 My Immersive Daydreaming comes from childhood trauma (abuse and severe bullying) and (maybe? ) deppression. I think all these daydreaming conditions appear due to some kind of mental stress. They're coping mechanisms after all.
This honestly made me so happy. For a while I just didn’t know why as a kid I couldn’t just stop fantasizing and pay attention to my school work. And now as an adult I make these dreams that I catch myself in after realizing that these fake things are causing real feelings. But mostly I make a world where I am a better me than I could ever be.
Me: *doing something really important for my life*
My mind: Okay hun, time to go back to that last scenario.
Me: I'm in school... This is impor-
My mind: *goes back to that scenario and completely ignores real life*
Oh i just cant believe I relate to this on so many damn levels
😭😭😭
Me: Daydreams and Studies...
My test scores: B+ and A
Higher Level Test Scores: C and B
Collage: Drop Out
Me: "It's 2021. Why would I waste my life for this dead weight world? I've already spent half of it for what? Nothing! And even this era is outdated to where I exist. But none of that matters now. Mankind is set for termination and everything will restart again... Unfortunately."
Reality: "Now we have a human who understands what the Hell is going on in this very cosmos!!!... But you know... Just as this human puts it! There will be no one of mankind who can alter the course of history! And even if someone dare change the world! The people of mankind will find a way, subconsciously or consciously, to revert the whole damn world back to the ara of old! Or even worst, to a fate more terrible than extinction itself!... Dare I say it?!... Mankind is their own destruction! The only species who had a chance in Hell in order to even do what their progenitor planets failed to accomplish!... Ha ha ha ha... ... ... Because if humans truly understood "us", then they will fear and cower under their delusions of "life" in their fragile societies."
Me: "Calm down, Mr. Reality... We have entire existences to oversee before I end it all. If mankind is extinct by then. I will move on without the human race... Regardless, I'm sure humanity will understand once they leave Earth."
(Humans... It is your choice... Live in oblivion? Or, change the world?... If "choice" is even beyond Fate?... Honestly, "I" hate observing a meaningless dimension but it's not like I have many options... Mankind, Children of the Stars... Prove me wrong or be undone.)
That's why my grades are terrible as of right now. Iit doesn't help that the semester is ending in 2 days.
My triggers are music, walking/pacing, cool things that remind me of my daydreams, boring activities like sitting in school, or if I feel anxious/ feel the need to escape the reality, I even do it when sitting in the car looking out the window.
We are the same person wtf is going on 😅
OMG .... I can't believe that. .I'm exactly the same
Mines are movies, series etc
Hah! We have the same triggers,just with big spaces not being included
same 😭😭😭
I never knew this was a thing. For a couple of years I wondered if I had hypersexual disorder, since most of my daydreaming involved sexual situations (although I've never had sex with anyone) and was a big part of my day, but i slowly realized I would lost myself -sometimes on purpose- on this nonsensical plots that I've had for months, then years, I thought these were stories that I'd like to write one day but, nonetheless, I kinda wanted them just for me and for spending time alone. When I'm by myself and play music (often to "focus" on my hw) i would just want to pace around instead, imagining how my life would be in a certain situation and create different outcomes of it and go along with what I liked the most. I would get stuck in a scene i want to change, and slowly the day just passed by and hw was forgotten for a big chunk of time:/ I've recently found out more research about adhd and I've been wanting to tell my parents that I'd like an official diagnosis... Haven't told them yet but maybe someday, but i fear that tbh I just want to justify myself but in reality I'm just a VERY BIG procrastinator that wants to project herself.
Pls tell your parents or someone that you trust. It will help, I promise you. And also pray about it. You can ask Jesus to heal you from it.I hope you take my advice
I literally thought maladaptive daydreaming is NORMAL, so you're telling me not everyone spend their 50% of average walking hours having maladaptive dreams. WHATTTTTTTTTT???
I find maladaptive daydreaming to be much like watching TV, playing video games, listening to music, or reading a book. It serves as a way to escape the moment, to pass time, or to entertain. I would say that it also certainly holds a level of comfort to daydream due to the familiarity (perhaps even nostalgia if it's the same content you have daydreamed about for years) and the sense that it's something you have control over and that you create. I'd be very interested for further videos on this topic :).
Nick Y yes, it's very similar to those examples, I think the most problematic aspect is that you don't need a TV or any other device to indulge in your 'addiction' so it can become uncontrollable... I remember a person describing it as you being the addict and the drug dealer at the same time and I think it describes it very well
@@sandralaguna3343 Sadly enough that's true, that's why it's sometimes tough to stay focused for school et cetera.
Ss sure
I use mine as a form of entertainment
Nick Y Yeah. I can definitely relate to everything you said there. And the point about giving you something that you have control over, I never thought of that part before but it is so true.
My movement during daydreaming is walking... Which is kinda a positive side since I'm doing exercise 🤣🤣🤣
Ahmed A same, I like to walk and smoke a zoot but I can MD and do that for hours the other day it was like three hours 😬
@@Sylvie98 I don't know how bad your situation is but I spend like many hours daydreaming to the point where I actually start to feel that I actually live in that world.. I keep going untill I don't feel my legs anymore 😂😂😂
Ahmed you are not alone I do it less now I have a job and I go to uni but in secondary school I would come home and do it for hours it would freak out my mum because I would usually do it in my kitchen
@@Sylvie98 lol.. Bad place to daydream 🤣🤣.. I daydream in the guest room so no one is there😜... But this daydreaming thing remindes me of a known anime called Naruto...where an evil character is sick of wars and reality .. So to achieve peace.. he performes a ninja jutsu that affects everyone on earth and puts them in coma where they experience an eternal alternative life using daydreaming where they can have their own perfect lives .. ..
Ahmed A decent sorry it took
Me five months to reply but how your daydreaming been?
As a person who used to do it alot ,I have found that reading books really helps because it doesn't give your mind a free will to structure the story,the story is already structured itself .I would recommend that if the is a certain type of maladaptive daydreaming you dream,try not to read that genre because after you close that book,you mind will be back at it again.For example if you md about romance read fantasy where the main character does not fall in love or read fiction based on true stories. I hope this helps someone. Be blessed and enjoy the rest of your day.
That wouldn’t help me at all. I wouldn’t care if the book was already structured, it’s my mind so I’ma change it however I want 😂. And if I like the original storyline, I’m going to make an alternate universe in which I can manipulate and have the two universes meet each other. I’d say most maladaptive daydreamer’s don’t care about the original structure of a story or movie, etc. Also, if I like a character but not the book, I would sap that character out of that storyline, and put it in one I’d enjoy better. Or, if I hate both the storyline and characters I will take the characters that I’ve made in my current storyline and make them bully (and sometimes torture) those characters. (I don’t always do this. Most times, I just don’t incorporate the other characters and story at all when I dislike them.)
@DabiDabiDabii I am here to shamelessly admit that this technique no longer works for me😭.I am now like you DabiDabiDabii🫡🥲 and now I need help cause wow💔😭
@@naome22 whenever I try to read I have this strong urge to stand up pace around and daydream
@@SHREYAKUMARI-hd1gj so true, I could be so tired but I must walk and daydream it's life de-stress
I never knew this was a thing. I always thought I just had an over active imagination in imagining lives and people I wish I lived that sometimes I put these things on paper to feel grounded.
When I study or do something I find myself thinking of the storylines in my head, there are so many stories, and then my favorite past time is to lie in bed and imagine the various storylines i form in my head. Sometimes I would just find myself stopping everything to organize my thoughts and let my mind go back to my "stories" hearing people converse in my head. My "characters" are my favorit people and I always feel like a spectator watching their lives unfold anf listening to their dialogues, I'd cry or laugh depending on what they are experiencing or doing in my head, it is crazy how intense and real it feels while being completely aware that it is all in my head. I probably spend 90% of my daydreaming time thinking of my characters and their stories and experiences and other 10% is imagining the life I want for myself.
Music also makes me imagine various storylines and scenes that would play with it. It was my escape. I can imagine while doing normal activites but I often prefer to stop everything else and just let my mind wander because it feels like an itch that I have to do first because i feel like it will just distract me for the rest of the day if I don't entertain it, which ends up counter productive since I would just daydream for a long time.
I'm super obssesed with these stories in my head and make beleive worlds and characters because they feel real to me while I am aware that these are all just in my head. I thought it was just normal for me to feel so attached with these stories because I just understand where they are all coming from. That is why writing helps me.
Writing helps me cope with it cuz sometimes in the day I woulld get so emotionally invested in it that I need an outlet otherwise I would be so bothered by it.
I thought i was just procrastinating my irl committments because I always push other things just so I can day dream. It all just seems so much more interesting.
I love obsessively researching my (non)disorder😂
🤣🤣🤣
Right
I literally became my own doctor by piecing together this damn disorder. It ruined my life.
@@taylorh.3484 omg same well I always do this in my world talking to characters n explaining them abt md
Maladaptive daydreaming helped my stories, art and characters.
EXACTLY
👍exactly the same for me
Same
Yes I liked writing my stories.
Saame
I cannot express how much this is accurate. All of this explains it from start to finish, and I’ve been doing this since I was roughly 13 (I’m 23). There are these characters , six of them, all have names, lives, I know every little detail and when it get intense, if one cries, I start to cry. If they laugh, I start to laugh. It’s like I’m the puppet and they’re pulling my strings; but it’s particularly “one” of them that does it the most. I truly wish this was fully announced as a disorder because this has been going on for a very long time
Wow, I’m so relieved. I believe this is my way of coping shyness as I was growing up. I wasn’t fully nurtured by my parents in a healthy manor. So I day dreamt to feel better, it felt good to be someone else or at a different scenario. This unfortunately solidified as an adult. I truly believed I was on the verge of psychosis because of this intense urge to be somewhere else. Thank you, I’m glad I’m not alone.
my friend once asked me why my music taste is so depressing, and i now just realized that it’s because those songs are the perfect background songs for my daydreams😳
Hell yes!
This!!!
YES
@@distantnative2478 mine get as grandiose as of creating a global movement, started by music
Yes! I dont even care about the music but its great when the characters say things my maked up characters say😅
i am literally shook. I've been daydreaming my whole life, pretending to be other people or celebrities with imaginary life's and now at fifteen years old I find out it's not normal but it's a fucking disorder?
@@meganhey2582 u dont know this persons experiences so stop judging. I am 15 and i have had it my whole life and just found out last year. I have all the symptoms. Why do u refuse to believe teenagers? It has affected my life and i have cried alot because of it.
@@meganhey2582 Bro why are you so goddamn mad ? You could have just approach this so differently.
I am fourteen and cant get rid of it
@@meganhey2582 ok that’s me and I’m 15
Me too. I have been doing it since when I was a kid. Imagine having both OCD and maladaptive daydreaming.
MD is what saved my life once imagining someone caring for me and supporting me telling me it was going to be okay made me feel okay
Love the pfp and same. I keep watching my bf asmr and literally imagining a character and stuff and I’m too obsessed now and I don’t feel good now thinking ab it. No one really is here for me irl so I watch my bf asmr and feel better 😭
Like I watch the asmr and I start to day dream. It’s really sad honestly
It’s so nice to know I’m not alone... I felt like such a crazy weirdo...
Don't go to Jesus he can heal u
I have maladaptive daydreaming and my mom gets angry every time I bring it up because she thinks it’s fake
It would be good to think about why it is important to you to convince your mom. If you can focus on what is best for you to be a productive person, to have purpose, that seems to be most important. If you need your mom's help to go see a psychologist or counselor, then you may have to work on convincing her. Check out the video Eli Somer titled "Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD): Pathways to an Unrecognised Mental Condition" posted in Oct-18. Give her a link to that and a link to a video on the Wall Street Journal you tube channel titled "Can You Daydream Too Much?" Hope it helps.
That One Nerd Same here. I have a good relationship with my mom and I have tried to tell her about all the weird things I do and that they aren’t normal. I just found out about Maladaptive Daydreaming and it describes a lot of the stuff that I have been doing since my early childhood. But I’m pretty sure if I bring it up to my mom she’s just not gonna believe it and she’s gonna say that I’m perfectly fine and nothing is really normal. And the only thing I wanna do is see a therapist or someone who will understand my feelings etc
thats sucks man, what an ass for not being understanding, my mother always talks to me about these sort of things.
@@blindocean1472 Please add me. I can't find anyone who suffers with the same thing and I'm scared its destroying my life.
@@pineappletv625 You don't have to say every detail of what you are going through to your mum. I think they get scared, like TMI. I had the same problem when I was a teenager and depended on mine to get professional help. It's too much for them at that time, it's weird, and it's a sign you are not ok. Mums don't want their kids to have problems, specially mental ones, bc they love us and want protect us. Try telling her the other feelings you have, that makes you daydream, probably anxiety. I guess it's gonna be easier for her to accept this reality. :)
I wonder how many novelists have this and use it to their advantage. Also wonder if it is connected in some way to PTSD.
Jill Teresa yes
I write stories and have this. I love it but god do I want it to stop.
Thing is that when i start to write i get distracted by daydreaming and overwhelmed by the influx of components of the story
Usually when this happens, it's when I fall down the rabbit hole of reminiscing my dark past.
As someone who loves to write novels, yes I can confirm it's very helpful. It's easy to make plots and characters and such. The problem comes in when your too busy daydreaming to even write... also as soon as you start to write, you suddenly have a new obsession you now want to write about.
I’ve been maladaptive daydreaming for years, about me becoming a hero in a fantasy world, or me becoming the next Steve Jobs creating inventions to save the world, or just alternative futures of what I want to see for myself someday. These dreams feels so beautiful that it hurts knowing the fact that they can never be true, these daydreams are easy for me to control now compared to before, and I’ve learnt to love to maladaptive daydream. I am a very extroverted and clingy person, I’m also a very obsessive person and I start to lose people because of how unhealthy my obsession with them was, so I learn to love my MD and the more I do it the less I obsess with ppl and obsess with my fantasy characters more to put a balance. I’ve learnt to love MD and I hope others too would learn to accept it.
I first noticed it was more than imagination when I was around 11, I’m now 24 and I haven’t stopped. I do it constantly, talking out loud to “those around me” that are part of what I “see”. It feels almost like it’s a damper on my feelings when they’re negative. It’s been an important part of my life for so long.
I think that maladaptive daydreaming should be treated like a disorder on it's own, instead of being treated like a symptom of other disorder like OCD or ADHD. I suffer from maladaptive daydreaming, yet I don't have neither of those. I have a serious obssession about daydreaming, yes, sure, because is like a drug, but I'm not impulsive, I don't have compulsive behaviour other than walking in circles when I daydream, and I don't have hyperactivity, since I don't have the need to move. I'm sitting down more time than I'm on my feet, and I can concentrate in a single thing for hours. If I had a problem with maladaptive daydreaming, and doctors told me that its a symptom of a bigger disorder, and gave me pills that would be for something that I don't have (or some kind of treatment or therapy), then that could be bad for me or my health. That's why, to not making mistakes, maladaptive daydreaming should be a disorder on it's own.
Yes, it should be classified as a disorder.
I agree.
Along with my Mdd I have shown symptoms of adhd and have even been asked if I have adhd, and while I believe there may be a connection, it could also just be due to how many people have ocd or adhd, I have heard that medication for adhd can help with mdd but that might be for the people who have mdd and adhd
I've had MDD since I can remember, then BPD then bipolar 1. Lithium and anti psychotic ease it but dont rid. Lot less now tho
Yes I do feel the same that it's high time to consider MDD as a separate illness than classifying it as symptoms of another disease. It should have it so own separate medication and counselling
I’ve literally had this my whole life. I didn’t even know it was a thing o.o i day dream constantly like all the time.
Raventimberwolf your whole life? Did it affect your life negatively? Because I started ed to have this when I was 12 and I just turned 18 two months ago and Imma flex that the plot to my story is getting really interesting and everyday I wake up I look forward to continue plotting and I spend most of my days pacing around the living/dining room while listening to music. It’s hard for me to focus on my studies, 5 minutes in and I anticipate for some MDD lol. I really hope when I get older this doesn’t affect my life because I don’t wanna get fired due to drifting into daydream
@@masteroogway6339 listen to me when I tell you this. Break you headphones/earphones if you were doing this since you were 12 and ur 18 now this is the only way cuz if you just put you headphones down all ur gonna do is suffer and be depressed and get em right back and listen to music and feel "good" I'm telling you right now listen to me break you headphones cuz you at addicted. you are just like me, this is a challenge for us I don't listen to music anymore but everytime I go to my cousins house or something I try my hardest not to ask for her earphones but then I start suffering and next thing you know I ask. You might think it's easy to stop listening to music but try it. It's one of the hardest thing in the world but one of the BEST things in the world too, it's basically a drug cuz we can't stop and everytime we stop we suffer and get depressed and have anxiety but just saying tell your mom or something to hide your headphones
Hènnessy kills you’re is self improvement.
Mine is literally the rope I hang onto. That’s my lifeline. If I let go, I’m dead.
What is else is going to keep me from the void that constantly stares back, mocking the miserable existence that is put forth.
Sometimes I feel bad cuz I honestly like having this. I’ve had it since I was a very young child and I didn’t even realize it was called maladaptive daydreaming. It feels like a very personal thing and at least in my case it’s a huge comfort and has gotten me through a lot of things. No matter how it’s affected my life or how much of a freak I feel like when I’m pacing around my kitchen and my family catches me. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s my personal safe space and without it I would be left out in the cold.
I feel this. It is my safe space. I don't think I could ever give it up completely.
i remember pacing around my room for hours because i had to daydream. i had to find an ending to my story, i had to perfect my plot, i had to make sure everything was perfect. my legs were all sore and my stomach was rumbling but i didn't care because i had to keep going. i procrastinated on so much work that i had to pull an all nighter to finish it that day.
maladaptive daydreaming is weird. i love having it because i completely adore my characters and the worlds i build, but it's tearing me down in the real world.
Ya, it is like that, and it's sometimes cool or not
Every time I wake up, I look forward to pace around the living room, dining room or the kitchen while listening to some music and continue plotting my story
Thank God I'm not the only who have this problem 😊
Yes dear I am also the one🤣
its rude
Nhi nhi bohot log hai Don't worry ✋😂
@you are right you are right...esa lagta h ki tum perfect ho daydreaming me but reality me kuch nahi....
Yes me too 😭
It’s so mentally tiring...... replaying the same scene again and again,repeating the same dialogue again and again and again, it just leaves you so mentally tired and you’re mentally tired allllllll the time and even if you try to stop you don’t even realise when you’re drifting into your fantasy world again 😓
The only thing I have gained from this daydreaming is that I am hella good at acting 😂 I have gained experience from repeating that one emotional scene again and again.....
I thought I was the only one who used daydreaming as a coping mechanism.. This is exactly why I'm so excited for therapy. I would usually do well and try to make my real life exciting and not just live in a dream, but at some point you understand that you day dream to help escape and dissociate from trauma.
I think this is a huge problem for me, I daydream all the time, every day, even in the middle of activities, I don't go out a lot cause I have social anxiety and I'm a very depressed person I could say. I tried not daydreaming once and that day I had my first panic attack at night, it was one of the saddest days in my life. Daydream can make me smile, cry and laugh, it can make me feel so many things and its hard for me to stop, almost impossible. I feel like this is a very dangerous addiction because you cannot take away the ability to daydream of a person like, I'm addicted to something in my head, and I'll always have my mind..
It is possible! I did it, and so can you. going cold turkey in any case of addiction it's not the best way to go.
First, we must stop feeling ashamed of it. It's our minds helping us cope, it's a mechanism, a tool. It's special, and I still have the ability to be creative and make huge plots if I want to. But not as I used to, being inside the story, leaving this dimension. It's a gift.
What helped me was having talk therapy, and finding someone I felt comfortable being honest and sharing the biggest secret of my life. Also, having the assessment of a psychiatrist with the right meds for my anxiety and depression (that seems to be a common denominator between us, professional daydreamers)
I started analysing the "dreams" as in, why this is the plot I most enjoy? What is this character a reaction to, from my real life? Those "clues" helped me understand myself better and dissolved them. The hardest part was saying goodbye to those friends. But it's ok, bc they are happy for me :)
Bruna André I’m really want to stop this but I’m 30 and I feel like it has completely taking over my life. I can’t really see a therapist at the moment due to money. But I really want to quit, please help me :)
I've been doing this for years . I think it's due to loneliness. I'm afraid of it becoming so severe that I will eventually lose touch with my reality 😔 and Quarantine has doubled it😒
I have those same worries
All I can say is write bro, write and put your work out there!!!!
I'm addicted to thinking how my life should be and how i can help it. It distracts me from Actually doing something. I am sick of it but I can't help it.
When I was younger, maybe middle school to high school age I would put pieces of music together in playlists and pretend I was the person who created/ordered them that way and imagine how other would perceive listening to the album/knowing I was the one who created it. I would literally walk circles in my kitchen without even realizing how vivid the daydreaming was until either of my parents asked me what I was doing. I still do it, but with less stimming and it usually happens for a much shorter amount of time and the day dreams themselves are much less based in a possible reality.
I am 19yo..and I remember from when I was 16 I ENJOY closing my room's door, start listening to music and pacing back and forth... and dream about a place I could be in! A marvellous situation where I am the hero!..having a great dancing and singing skills!.....
and I really get furious when someone interrupt me😠
I do it about 3times minimum per a day! And I start pacinga nd listening to music till I get tired! If I don't ..I wouldn't mind doing it for a month without stopping! ..yesterday I have googled that thing :is pacing back and forth in my room while listening to music normal?! And I was shocked buy the amount of people that they do that
sara namjoona i do that 😑😑 but its embarrassing if someone get to see that !
I JUST TURNED 18 TWO MONTHS AGO AND I CAN RELATE COMPLETELY I AM SHOOK-
dua dua I do it anytime I have a chance to daydream I hope when I die that I get to live that life that I daydream of
19 and mdding since 10
Woaaaah u do this as well. My family think I'm weird for doing this, especially at night.
I think it’s a great thing. I embrace it. It gets me through rough times. Helped me through tough conversations. It is there. It is mine and I make it work for me. It’s just me enjoying my own company. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Try to be more social if it’s controlling your life. Love yourself first.
Maddie Moskala
That’s when you can control it. When you can’t is when it becomes a problem in your life. You must have it to a lighter degree if you see it this way. I do get what you mean though.
But it isn't always like that for everyone. I personally cannot control my daydreams, meaning I daydream through almost all of my life, to the point that I can't remember any detail of my day to day life. Anytime I've tried to stop daydreaming for an entire day, I have gotten dizzy and sick and it genuinely felt like I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms. It's not just something that's always easy to control, that's why it's considered an addiction
i wish i could relate but i cant control it, im failing in tones of subjects yet i have no motivation nor desire to try and control my daydreams. i hate it.
Now I don’t feel comfortable continuing my 4+ year story in my head :(
I started daydreaming ever since I started medical school. The stress, demands, and mistreatment I have experienced in the past 4 years have been taking a toll on me. I experienced my first panic attack a few weeks ago. My chest felt heavy, my heart started palpating irregularly, and it felt like I was about to faint. I began daydreaming excessively during class, and sometimes I would lay down in bed and day dream anywhere from 30 minutes - 2 hours. These daydreams bring me great joy and happiness and it usually involve my boyfriend and I traveling the world with made-up pets and companions and these are full of adventure. Some of my daydreams involve past times that I thought were enjoyable (I don’t do these as often). Sometimes I would also day-dream about being in the star trek universe. I would daydream until I fall asleep usually. But I don’t think I do it enough for it to be considered maladaptive daydreaming.
Wow same a about the amount of time. I mean 55% of when your awake is like 8 hours a day. I mean I have a busy schedule. I just distract myself. The amount of time differs a lot, because of a lot of reasons like how busy I am or how I feel for a period of time, or how much the daydreams fit my life atm. But I think I differ from 2-4 hours a day. AlsoI feel like it is not disrupting my life or feel like an obsession/addiction. I still make my hw (i also like hw, so that is easy), I still participate in daily things with people. Like also I guess I could stop doing it, but it really feels good and it is so interesting. Idk pfff for the rest it is a perfect fit, the walking (also trigger), needing music in the daydream, talking/laughing crying/ , the fantasy and science fiction. Pff idk, i would still see myself as Maladaptive Daydreamer, but not in a distrupting way. I feel a lot of shame tho....
I personally love my maladaptive daydreaming. My "daydreams" are a big part of me. They sometimes get in the way of tasks, but I would be lost without them.
I will tell you sir as a person who struggles with MD and ADHD that your research is 100% spot on. Thank you for this and Much respect to you
Ive been excessively daydreaming since 8-9 years ago, the scenarios really messed my memories so bad that i cant even remember whats real and whats just a dream, i become sort of delusional. I wish going to the therapist wasnt so expensive, i really need help
the thing is, i love my daydreams, it makes me feel safe and happy however my grades are failing and my relationships with friends and family are falling apart because of my daydreaming and yet i refuse to help control them..it is an addiction but i dont want to be 'cured'. its a love/hate thing.
a lot of daydreams can be violent and disturbing but i can't help it, it's scary.
it's hard to explain via the comment section
Same here but i hate when people catch me talking to myself or catch me moving my lips
Yeh I also love my day dreams
When I am alone I didnt feel lonly at all becoz in my mind there is other world and I definitely enjoyed it
@@trapnslayy8732 yeh that's true
My mom always scolds me that why are you sitting alone came and sit with all family members
But I like to sit alone
And I don't like to be distracted when I am busy in my daydreams
@Miya J do u feel like...your brain is slowed down..kinda off?like not that smart or sharp....I'm pretty sure it affects some way...but couldn't find any research work on that
@@me-qi5fj I think my brain has developed rust by too much of MA. My memory power is zero I can't even memorize a line. My focus ability is zero.
I always thought I was just weird because I often will have incredibly large scale daydreams, lots of characters, typically fantasy-based, sometimes wish fulfillment.
Sometimes it can be disruptive, but I have learned to carve out time for it.. like when I go running or something. I guess I just considered it part of my creative process or something. I had no idea there was a legitimate term for it.
ProlificBanana It’s just a creative process as far as I have seen, and unless I’m given a case study where I can see someone actually suffering from daydreaming, then I’ll change my mind on its existence, but not its prevalence.
Psychology likes to push the envelope sometimes and their targets are usually people who aren’t cookie-cutter. It honestly disgusts me, and I strive to be a different and compassionate type of psychologist when I get out on the job. I hate people who judge and label others, because I was bullied during most of my teens and I know what it feels like to fear that kind of treatment, especially from someone you’re supposed to trust.
There are things which do present legitimate problems, but the field can’t pretend like it doesn’t have a history of going after marginalized communities simply because they don’t fit social norms (i.e. considering homosexuality and transsexuality mental illness, which they later took back because they realized they were being judgmental assholes.)
And this “maladaptive daydreaming” just sounds like needlessly stigmatizing creative people. Not everyone is super-social and likes sports. Some people like introverted hobbies and IMO as long as they can control them and it’s not something invasive like you’re daydreaming in the middle of an important presentation or something, then what exactly is the issue?
I’ve even used my creativity to work out some feelings I’m not able to address personally at the time, as a way to explore them through the lens of a character I consider dear to me. I’ve used my characters as patients/case studies in my psych papers, also. I’ve chosen my research papers to have a connection to topics relevant to my characters because it’s what I’m passionate about, and I love writing.
It’s helped me cope with not having my physical health (I’m disabled) and it’s lifted me out of horrible depression before. Honestly, things like partying or watching sports should be considered maladaptive, since you’re not even doing anything worth doing and most of the time they lead to arguments or even rape. Yet the psych community won’t ever do it because it’s normie shit.
@@fatuusdottore Talk to me, I will tell you how it's a curse. And if u can help me please do. I will give you my contact. It has ruined my life.
It's worse than an addiction, I can actually give up on something I'm addicted to, like I got extremely addicted to this game PUBG, but I was able to get rid of it the day I decided to, similar with anything like that. Anything that involves physically controlling something but I simply can't give up on this one.
Each time I try to escape, I realize how I wasted my time and start day dreaming and fall into this abyss again
And I assure you it's not creativity, it is inspired by real life. It's like a perfect version of everything around you, just like you want it to be.
@@fatuusdottore Its so bad I don't even wanna sleep. My sleeping time is very random.
I swear to god in my life I have had at least 200 different story’s some longer then others, I could always choose to end them if I wanted my problem was that was I didn’t know how to and I felt like I had to end it with an amazing plot
Sneasel It seems like “extensive” or elaborate daydreaming can be both adaptive (like your example) or maladaptive or perhaps on a spectrum.
So many people here are 20-30 (some I see are older) while I'm over here as a 13 year old I'm glad you all figured out what's "wrong" with ya. There must be so many who think they are insane/crazy.
I’ve been watching a lot of your videos for some time. I want to thank you because upon watching your videos, I’ve realised there are traits within myself that I can definitely and have been working/improving on.
Would also like to say that this video has also helped me. I believe I have this. It really affects my studies sometimes because it’s so easy to drift off in the fantasy and I get quite obsessive with it too. Thank you for giving us so much insight :)
As soon as I saw this title, even though I’ve never heard of Maladaptive Daydreaming, I KNEW this was going to relate to me. I always wondered if there was something abnormal about how elaborate and frequent my daydreams are. I’m happy to know I’m not alone now, so thank you for this video. My daydreams are often based in reality, but they get crazier/less real the longer they get lol. I often start out trying to overthink a real life situation, and then before I know it I’ve daydreamed a month of scenarios that all occurred because of the initial daydream, and then I snap out of it like “uhh what was the point of this daydream again?” (P.S. Of course I’ve been diagnosed with OCD, ADHD, and Tourette’s, that golden trio lol, and I have addictive tendencies, so this is all tying together beautifully haha)
I recently discovered I have the same thing. Been doing it since I was a kid. Maybe from loneliness or too big a fantasy, or combination of both..it's an addiction, no doubt about it...addiction to your own projections of the mind. Also, what a relief to know I'm not crazy (although....:) but it's just a condition you can have...wonder how to cope with it...
peter boshuis After seeing this video, I’ve been more aware of when I’m daydreaming too much. If I catch myself in a *useless* daydream, I try to focus on what I am doing in the moment. Instead of zoning out, I almost meditate on the reality in front of me. I try to let my thoughts go one by one, using balloons to visualize the letting go. So far that’s all I got haha
@@bekkahboodles Good tips. I'm going to be trying mindful awareness of the present too.
'My daydreams are often based in reality, but they get crazier/less real the longer they get lol. I often start out trying to overthink a real life situation, and then before I know it I’ve daydreamed a month of scenarios that all occurred because of the initial daydream, and then I snap out of it like “uhh what was the point of this daydream again?”' All of this.
Anna Cunningham ❤️❤️❤️
I suffer from maladaptive daydreaming, and since this video talks about it, I decided to write about my own experience:
Since I was a child, I started daydreaming. At first, it was just a couple of minutes, completely harmless and innocent, right? But somehow, it started to develop. Instead of dropping my fantasies and stopping doing it, I just did it more often. In highschool, I started to daydream in the middle of the class out of boredoom. Some teachers noticed and told me to wake up and pay attention instead of "having my mind on the clouds". At first I could control it, but soon I noticed that I couldn't control myself anymore. In class, I'm daydreaming the 90% of the time, which are hours and hours of daydreaming instead of paying attention to class, and I only waked up when we were going to do homework or when someone talked to me. Then, I don't know when I started to do it, but I started daydreaming while being on the car listening to the radio, or when listening to music in general. It was so appealing that, inside my house, I would put music in youtube and daydream. At first I would be sitting on my bed, but I started to walk in circles. Nowadays, I put headphones on my phone and walk in circles in my room while listening to music. I even jump and run when I get excited inside my dreams. Not only that, but whenever I walk through the streets, specially when I'm alone, I start daydreaming. I don't know how, but I think that I don't collide with other people. Not only that, but I wake up whenever I'm in front of a crosswalk, and I never strayed from my path. Though, when I wake up, I usually get confused a little since I don't remember going to that place, or where to go from there.
When someone interrupts me, I often get angry because of that interruption. There were days when I almost didn't go to eat lunch, because I was busy daydreaming. I do it after waking up in the morning, and before going to sleep at night, and I'm more than half of the time doing it, being able to walk in circles in my room for 3 to 6 hours straight. In the end, in a normal day, I would say I daydream between 12 and 16 hours out of 24 per day, more or less. If you think about it coldly, it's more than half of my life wasted on daydreaming, precious time that could be spared doing many, many things. But the worst part, the part that makes it an adiction, it's because it makes you feel good. Daydreaming makes me feel happy, happier than talking to my best friend sometimes. And if I don't daydream, I get nervous and anxious. If someone told me that I had to get rid of it to be able to live "normally", I wouldn't do it. I need it, I can't live without daydreaming. I prefer to spend most of my time daydreaming than doing anything else, because is something that gives me joy and keeps me away from sad thoughts and events that is happening in our world daily. For me, it's a distraction from all the cruel things that happens. It's my safe place.
Also, my daydreaming is just like watching a film. Imagine that you watch TV. Well, that's how it is for me. Even when I read books or write them, it's as if a film was being played inside my head, if that makes any sense.
Hi.
I also experience the same too. And that's how exactly it started a few minutes when i was little and now it happens so often i even try to wonder how did i start day dreaming in the middle of what i was doing.
I am the same. Especially the part with the music. When I daydream I pace and listen to music on my headphones. When someone interrupts me I feel more confused than angry. Like I don't know where I am and what I was doing.
I'm 8 months late to this, but I'm the same way. I get irritated when I'm brought out of a daydream too, and I'm up till godfuck hours of the night daydreaming for hours on end. My sleep schedule is absolutely messed up because of this man
Wow I can relate so much to this
I'm 12 right now, and I started daydreaming when the coronavirus started. I think it was from loneliness. I barely interact with my friends, and I spend about 5 - 7 hours daydreaming every day. Some times I daydream during class, and I feel really depressed because I used to be a straight A student but now I'm failing.
Music is huge trigger to my day dreaming
I never knew that there was a name for this. This is very helpful. I engaged in MD for most of my teens and twenties. It took over my life. I had a friend who was also doing this and so our what we called “secret lives” became an almost waking reality. I have bpd caused by my mom who had depression and verbally abused me. I think my daydreaming had to do with escaping from her. The daydreaming became less frequent as I grew older. Since my mom passed I have no need of fantasizing. I believe it is a personality disorder and should be researched. It can be a crippling thing that affects your whole life. Thanks Dr G. As usual a great talk. This one really made me aware of something that I didn’t know had a name and that there are others who experience it.
I have it since i was a kid.
My dad and sisters have it too. So, i guess it maybe genetic. It definitely is an addiction.
I guess my brain use it as a defence mechanism to avoid depression.
I'm pretty sure excessive dopamine is being secreted while DD.
Cognitive therapy is not working for me. Maybe we need medications that stabilize excitatory neurotransmitters level.
تعرفي يا اسراء انا اظن ان كلامك صحيح واللي مدايقني أنه نادرا ما تلاقي حد من الأطباء عنده علاج كيميائي للمرض ده
انتي على فكره بتفكري بنفس طريقتي لان ممكن يدركون لها علاقة بالنواقل العصبية
@Le Wats yes you speak Arabic?
@Le Wats are you Arabic
I have medication and it is helping. I use bipolar meds
I never new that this had a name all this time I been thinking that I was going crazy, I actually want to cry right now
When I found about it, I was relieved that I am not crazy but I cried because I can't do anything about it but understand my triggers and manage my triggers. So understand your triggers that will help you. It is a year late but I always find encouraging words helpful.
I am so happy to find that you did a video about this!
I don't know if this is the case for anyone else but i know that my mother and brother have it too! I caught them daydreaming multiple times and they caught me as well! But we never talk about it. I think we are all too embarrassed about it!
My dad is schizophrenic! So i thought it might be genetic!
My family went threw alot of trauma because of my father's mental health.
I get triggered by music movies/tv books even by something exciting happening in my life! Even though I know my triggers i can't get away from them because it's addictive (my brain literally starts telling me to listen to just one song it will make the daydream "smoother" to make up! And then stop! But once i start i can't stop!) and it's also hard to leave every form of entertainment there is!
The main characters of my daydreams only change every 3 to 5 years. Usually it's the same character in different scenarios! The characters only change if i come across new ones in a book or a movie... That i relate to/like more than the previous ones.
I will repeat the same scene in my head for days if i have too until it's perfect which is so frustrating and annoying.
I tried filling my time with hobbies and work but it's too strong and i end up procrastinating my work and causing my self alot of stress because i was too busy daydreaming. (i don't know if this is related but my cortizol levels are usually high and i have PCOS)
It's highly disruptive specially in my social life i tend to distance myself from people because i am too ensecure about! And scared they will catch me having a daydream! My uncle caught me once and said "Oh no! Not you too" referring to my Mom while laughing, and i wanted to die right there that was so embarrassing i don't want to go threw that ever again! And my social anxiety doesn't help! I am 26 and i never had a relationship before beacause of it!
I am just wanting to see if anybody can relate to this and maybe discuss this with someone who is suffering from it too. Because for me it's really torture i wasted my life because of it. I am lonely and i hate myself because of it!
Plz Excuse my English it's not my first language!
Me : Pls I need to do homework and study
MD : No ♥
I'm surprised it isn't linked with dissociation. I've been a maladaptive daydreamer as long as I can remember and I guess I didn't realize everybody didn't daydream like I do. What if someone daydreamed exactly like you describe, but it doesn't have negative effects on their life? I know the worse that's happened to me is not hearing a word said in class during school. But it hasn't stopped me from doing things. I daydream while I do them. I can be in my daydream and in the real world interacting pretty much at the same time. Interesting about the repetitive movements, I didn't know that was a thing associated with it but it makes sense. My most vivid and emotionally charged complicated daydreams have taken place over the years while (age under ten) jumping on a small trampoline for over an hour at a time easy, (ages 11-25) swinging on a swing, and since then the elliptical machine is my go to. Oh, and I always have music or audio of some sort on headphones for this kind. But that's just for the funnest daydreams. Otherwise I can be riding in a car, doing the dishes, taking a walk, laying in bed, taking a shower, pretty much anything. Multiple fantasy worlds with years of complicated backstory. And each of those worlds have multiple storylines I might use. I am a character in these daydreams always. And I can say that I feel emotions in my body (physically) the strongest while I daydream intensely. And I choose to have them as part of the storyline. And not just for my character but other characters as well. It's fun. Luckily I've never not been able to stop.
Your daydreaming sounds exactly like mine, right down to having the daydream and the real world running alongside each other and being interwoven. I too have never experienced the daydreaming as compulsive in the sense that I wish to stop but can't. It doesn't exact a negative toll upon my life in terms of getting me into trouble at work or disrupting my activities. I see it as problematic only insofar as I think I daydream as extensively as I do as part of an overall withdrawal from social relationships. (See reply to David Mitnick below for more details!)
@@MoonyAJ That makes sense to me. I'm the same way.
I think it is associated with dissociation because ur blanking out and arent present in the real world but extremely in your mind
So that means you have daydreams but it's not a disorder in your case dpgood for you
Maladaptive daydreaming needs more research for now! If affects too much of your life and it is so stressing when not occurring. You addressed very well the topic, thank you for posting the video.
This made me subscribe to you. I was getting into attack mode, ready to listen to you invalidate it but instead you put it into better words than I could have. Thank you.
I literally had to pause the video to stop and talk to a character ....👀
😆👍
I used to tremendously suffer from this mental disease during my teenage years. Now that I am almost 20 I can say that I have managed to regulate my impulsive fantasy daydreaming and feel way more connected to reality. So whenever I am daydreaming (way less often) it is essentially reality based and I would pinch myself whenever I feel a daydreaming is making me feel bad. Mindfulness & discipline is key. I see it as a primarily elusive coping mechanism from whichever thing someone is dealing with, have it be failures, problems at home, insecurity.. So I would recommend disciplining oneself to stay away from triggers. Trace your thoughts and see what triggers it for you. (music, image..) and stay the hell away from it. Obviously it will be super hard and you will inevitably relapse but at least try it for a whole day, then a week.. And so on. And social media is also a really really bad trigger. Practice mindfulness, pay attention to the little things surrounding you. Try actually facing your problems, actually acting out on your own reality, and life would surely be way more interesting than fantasy. Just try
Ik I’m a year late but this was really helpful, thank you
I see my mdd as a symptom of my depression. It helps me cope. It does get in the way but it has gotten less intrusive as I’ve gotten older.
I just heard about this, I never thought this had a name, I thought it was normal behaviour. Thank you for helping me discover I have this.
This helps a lot! I have ADHD but I don’t know if it’s to do with it, I often do a lot of imagining, making up my own characters but these characters are fantasy and fictional characters but they relate to people in my real life. I make the characters fairy-tale like and I imagine my own character to be a bit more confident like I wish I was in real life and I was embarrassed to tell anyone but I really enjoy doing it even though I’m 18. I never knew this was a thing. Thank you!
I start day dreaming when I watch a movie or anime and I put my character in the episodes or movies creating my own episodes
YESS NOW THIS RIGHT HERE.
Same!
ya I do it toooo
Are you my twin or something?