@@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.
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.
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.
@@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.
@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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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
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
@@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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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😂
@@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.
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.
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.
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
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
@@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.
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.
@@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?
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.
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💕
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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😳
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 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
@@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.
@@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 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...
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.
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*
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.)
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
@@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 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'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😒
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 *Immersive 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 "Immersive Daydreaming". Immersive daydreaming is the same, except the daydreams make you more confident and productive in real life, and while you still daydream around 7 hours a day, you can control when and blend it into some real world actions.
@@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.
@@YuraK25 My Immersive Daydreaming comes from childhood trauma (severe abuse) and (maybe? ) depression. I think all these daydreaming conditions appear due to some kind of mental stress. They're coping mechanisms after all.
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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
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
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.
@@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 .. ..
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???
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.
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 :)
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.
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
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💔😭
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
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.
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
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
@@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
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
'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.
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
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
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
My daydreaming addiction was all started when I am starting questioning myself, when I am tired of their expectations in me, when I can't accept who and what I am and when there are a lot of things I wish I did or had done.
I know it's late but i totally feel you. One of the newest comment on this video here is me talking about my experience if you wanna check, it's the same shit..and it's awful
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!)
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’m so glad MDD is coming more to light. I’ve struggled with it for years and always kept it a secret. There was never anything I could find online or people discussing it until recently. Hopefully the next few years will see it researched better and more information on treatment and classification will be available.
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
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.
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.
Maladaptive daydreaming really took a toll in my life it was such a distraction. Third grade I remember the first signs of maladaptive day dreaming I remember my Teacher kinda yell at me during Class say, “pay attention your always in your own little world.” But I realized how it was sort of a cure but distraction for my boredom in class. It became really addicting I’d always have these complex plots and be very detailed about everything. Everyday I’d daydream when I was bored or alone. School started to become a difficult task for me because I was always daydreaming. I felt a sense of guilt and regret in my mind for not doing good in some of my classes but for some reason I was ignorant. I’m 20 years old now and my addiction from daydreaming is slowly going away. Im a high school drop out. My depression is also fading away. I have to give thanks to Jesus Christ for coming in my life because he’s doing all this through me. Never did I think he could interfere in my life in such a way. I still daydream sometimes but I’m slowly being changed through Jesus Christ it’s not as easy as it sounds It’s actually pretty tough but I know he’s with me through my hardships. I need to share this because I know what it feels like to have maladaptive daydreaming and how it can effect your life... Me being greatly effected by it. I’m actually thinking of studying for classes and going back to school although I’m 20. All I wanna say is God bless you who ever is reading this and hope you get better.
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 do pace around while daydreaming. I can recognize my fantasy world from the real world. I feel embarrassed to let people know I have it. I enjoy it a lot but I hate it. It's extremely addictive, I can't resist it. I act out, I find myself crying, laughing, singing, talking to myself, even making love to my lover. I feel a strong urge to daydream. I immediately start daydreaming upon waking up and after being interrupted. I've become totally alienated from the society, I am completely isolated, I don't make friends because I feel uncomfortable, because I think they impede with my daydreaming (I feel embarrassed to daydream in public and among people of relatives or friends but I feel the urge to do so). I'm shy, introvert, emotional, have extremely low self confidence, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, I do overthink, I can't say no to people. I spend about 70% my awake time daydreaming, making plots, creating characters. Movies, TV shows, music, books, alone times, boredom, anger are tirggers. When I watch a TV show, I become the protagonist actor, I'm the hero of the show, I save the world, I become emotionally bonded to the female protagonist, make love to her, and I rewrite the story myself.
I’ve always referred to my daydreams as “making stories” because that’s what they were to me, stories. Unfortunately, I now know the personas and characters I dream through better than I know myself, which has been problematic. I’m only now actually realizing that I have no idea what I enjoy, who I am, or what I want to do in my life. It has made me better at telling stories though. Maybe I’ll be a writer.
I swear to good it's more then 57% of my waking hours. I can't necessarily control when they start, but I have some control over when they stop. Like if I need to do something else I can kind of stop it. Most of the time I simply do not want to stop them and I choose to ignore whatever other responsibility I have. The daydreams are SO VIVID and have made up characters, sometimes people I know. Sometimes I'm in them and sometimes I'm not. I can control what happens, but I don't have to since they play out themselves somehow. They do affect me emotionally all the time. I know whats a daydream and what's not. But besides that, Im diagnosed with add and a lot of times people think I just can't focus. I feel dissociated quite often. The repetitive movements are definitely there. I do think that this is a disorder as it affects how I function in life, but I find them extremely enjoyable no matter how depressed they make me feel sometimes. It's like always having a movie running in front of your eyes. Wouldn't wish it upon anyone tho
@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
Disclaimer: I am not a professional and did no actual research, everything listen below is only my experience and ideas I came to while observing and analyzing my own behaviors, thoughts and feelings. As someone with complex PTSD I can state that my MD wasn't caused by it, I started developing those fantasies before the traumatizing period started, BUT my MD was definitely affected and "worsened" by being exposed to traumatizing events throughout years. I think about MD more as about addiction, and it might be added as a symptom of a various other mental disorders, considering that disorders themselves can affect MD. In short for me MD is a way to feel something I lack irl. All the details in those fantasies are a way to make it more interesting, more believable, more intense to actually cause my brain to react the way I want it to. And the more time I have this condition, the more detailed dreams become, more thought goes into the characters, the plot. Also worth mentioning that it is pleasant to think through all the details, visualizing everything. About triggers: anything that sparks my interest can cause a new fantasy to appear, it can be a movie, RU-vid video, a post in social media, a photo, a real life event or even my own thought/wish. Throughout the daydreaming time there can be uncontrollable movements such as moving my eyes, lips(as speaking), changing face expression, my posture or small movements in limbs, all of them are related to a fantasy that is happening in my head and any of them might come in unintentionally, probably because my brain is too caught in this dream and it starts sending signals to the body(at least it's my theory, considering that muscles that are being affected are also more subject to reflexes and unintentional movements on a regular basis). But there are also intentional movements that I can do while dreaming in an isolation, they are completely under control and again fully relate to what is happening within the dream, their purpose is mostly to further immerse my brain into the dream. Closing off outer stimuli also adds to immersion and enhances feelings I receive, for example closing eyes or dreaming in the darkness. Music ads a lot, it's hard to explain, but gives it a tone, ads to the mood, controls the pace, fulfills emptiness(worth mentioning that my daydreaming is based a lot on visualization, while other aspects lack the content), as well as music isolates me from noise outside that might interfere with dreaming. Just wanted to write that down here, but maybe someone will find this useful somehow c:
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 know how you feel, my family always thought there was something wrong with me, I thought I was alone, I'm so thankful there are others that are like me.
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.
Absolutely fascinating! I can’t help but to think Maladaptive Daydreaming is some kind of super power - to be able to disconnect yourself from reality and fully immerse yourself into your own fantasy! I can reason that Maladaptive Daydreaming may inhibit a person from being fully productive but aside from that it does seem so cool!
Darryl Learie it has it perks it makes me a good actor/writer but there’s more negatives than productivity level for instance it keeps me from hygiene and relationships it sucks on the reality side of it but creativity wise it’s great I guess
I've had MDD for 11 years now and if I had a chance to go back in time and prevent myself from developing this condition, I honestly wouldn't change a thing about it. It's a part of who I am. I mean come on, not everybody has the ability to keep themselves entertained like that. Oscar winning movies got nothin on my daydreams. It's okay, embrace it and discover new ways to utilize it, and stay productive throughout all that imagining. I swear we have immense power, life is too short to regret having some extra abilities to think beyond given circumstances, especially since we CAN differentiate between reality and daydreaming. You're fully in control of that 'switch'. I know it's really really hard but trust me, once you get the hang of it it's like you've fallen into a healthy everyday routine. Good luck. ;)
I have had this since the age of 3 or 4. I am 21 now. I walk and act out daydreams so I need a closed room. In my childhood it was much more rampant, but I still had actual hobbies. It is that in childhood individuals have so much time and energy. Growing up as an introvert this helped me in practicing speeches, learn better, imagine much better than my peers. I was good at drawing because of that. I write poetry and it sets my imagination to such lovely imageries, it's vivid. Helps me in weaving better prose and poems. When I am angry I imagine this scene inside my room where I shout and argue with the people who made me angry. I imagine debates and discussions on gender equality, politics; romantic fantasies anything I am passionate about. I do not spend excessive amount of time doing this tho now. I 100 percent prefer to participate in life events than daydream in my room. But for me it is more controlled hence less problematic. But it creates problems while studying without a deadline, as my procrastination gets a fillip with daydreaming. My structured daydreaming has added to my creative process but also taken some amount of productivity. But I hope those who have it bad find more people like them and find the help. If you want to control it drinking water, or distracting yourself from that trigger such as going out (not possible in certain areas due to the pandemic), calling a friend, keeping a thought journal or writing the daydream might bore you and move your mind away from the exciting trigger of that daydream. And if it is not excessive don't stress out. Either way you probably would've watched Netflix or something to pass time. Through daydreaming you get to spend time with your deepest intentions and desires. Make it a means to know yourself and others better. A means to be more sensitive and kind. Have a great day!
Yes, but what a waste of energy and Time ... I really Wonder why some people get into that ... Is it a lack od love and attention that makes children , teens and later adults to live in a wonderful parallel world ...
@@_______.____._______ AMEN!!! I almost feel bad and should top these daydreams but reality is just so freaking boring. Or I feel like life is either bad or boring. IT's mostly predictable. I'm never impressed with anything. thank god life is not bad, but reality on earth is not fulfilling enough.
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!
Music is the trigger for my daydreaming as it increase my enjoyment and help me to feel good but it's too much with me even in groups I daydream alot...the reason i daydream is something that I want to do in reality but I couldn't☹️
@@tokamak9286 Well I talk to myself a lot, which i think is pretty normal. I would be acting out my daydreams in my house or outside, almost like how you would act if you were a character in a play. It's like i'm a character in many different stories.
@@tokamak9286 This has been a huge problem since i was a little kid. But I only realized that it was really a problem when I turned 13 and 14 and continued daydreaming an unnatural amount. It's almost like its become a part of me, and i can't stop doing it.
@@_hqlcyon_436 I see what you're saying. Truth be told, I tend to talk to myself all the time, yet it has never impacted my life negatively. However, when the maladaptive daydreaming "disorder" struck me out of the blue at about the age of 18, that's when it started to gradually mess up my life. You see, my "daydreaming mode" is triggered solely by select music, which I very much enjoy listening to. That's when I'd delve into my fantasy world, where everything revolves around me. Since I'm quite the introvert in real life with a myriad of unfulfilled wishes, I tend to create a perfect version of myself (the exact opposite of the real me) in my imaginary world. In real life for instance, I'm a shy and average looking person with very low self-esteem, who has never had a chance with any girl, thus you can fathom who I'd be in my own world ;) Although, I'm very much aware that these thoughts are merely daydreams, they have decreased my already non-existent self-confidence and happiness in life. Once you become overly attached with your perfected alter ego, you will grow to hate the real you and thus become detached from the real world, which in my case, resulted in depression and an overall emotion of sadness and despair.
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.
This is fascinating. I don’t daydream at all, to the extent that I’ve wondered if I was odd or impaired in some way. I’m not even entirely sure what daydreaming feels like. It seems like virtually everyone daydreams to some extent. I don’t & I don’t know why. It’s really interesting to learn about the other end of the spectrum from my experience.
For me, personally, it really feels like reading a book, just that you can control every single action. I don't "see" the people and things in my daydream (like halluzinating), but more like the idea, similar to reading a novel. Atleast, that is how it feels to me. It is interesting to see both sides of this spectrum!
