"Individuals with maladaptive daydreaming have high levels of dissociation.
Inversely, individuals with dissociative disorders have high levels of maladaptive daydreaming."
"Maladaptive daydreaming may help us understand cases of dissociative identity disorder with large numbers of 'personalities'."
(Source: https://prcp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/appi.prcp.20190050#:~:text=%EF%BF%BD%20Individuals%20with%20maladaptive%20daydreaming,large%20numbers%20of%20'personalities)
What is Maladaptive daydreaming?
Maladaptive daydreaming usually occurs as a coping mechanism in response to trauma, abuse or loneliness. Sufferers create a complex inner world which they escape to in times of distress by daydreaming for hours. It is a vicious cycle of addiction; maladaptive daydreaming inevitably creates an emotional attachment to the characters and the life created, which often replaces the painful real-life interactions between family and friends. It also interferes with studying, working and looking after one's hygiene and wellbeing, which then further hinders daily functioning. At this point, daydreaming about a fulfilling life is a more appealing than dealing with the depressing reality.
(Source: https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-29/december-2016/maladaptive-daydreaming)
Causes of Dissociative Disorders
Most mental health professionals believe that the underlying cause of dissociative disorders is chronic trauma in childhood. Examples of trauma included repeated physical or sexual abuse, emotional abuse or neglect. Unpredictable or frightening family environments may also cause the child to 'disconnect' from reality during times of stress. It seems that the severity of the dissociative disorder in adulthood is directly related to the severity of the childhood trauma.
Traumatic events that occur during adulthood may also cause dissociative disorders. Such events may include war, torture or going through a natural disaster.
(Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/dissociation-and-dissociative-disorders#bhc-content )
Supporting a Friend with Dissociative Identity Disorder
While it can be challenging to know the best way to help someone with dissociative identity disorder, making an effort to understand your friend's experiences and seek out advice is a great first step.
There are a few key ways you can help someone with dissociative identity disorder:
1. Stay Calm During Switches
In many cases, switching between alters happens very subtly. However, sometimes the change can be more dramatic and disorienting. One moment you're talking to your friend and in the next moment, it's as if an entirely different person is inhabiting their body. While this situation may be stressful and surprising, remaining levelheaded and meeting your friend where they are mentally can be enormously helpful. As confusing as witnessing a switch can be for an outsider, it's often even more upsetting for the person experiencing it directly, especially if they are met with hostility or fear.
2. Learn How to Recognize and Avoid Triggers
For people with dissociative identity disorder, personality shifts are brought on by "triggers," or external stimuli that cause them to switch between alters. Individuals with this condition may be triggered by anything that elicits a strong emotional response, including certain places, smells, and sounds, senses of touch, times of the year or large groups of people. These triggers are highly individual and can vary dramatically depending on the specific trauma that caused a person to develop dissociative identity disorder. Your job is to find out what triggers your friend — either by asking them directly or observing their behavior—and help them avoid those triggers when possible.
3. Take Care of Yourself, Too
Being close to someone with dissociative identity disorder can be emotionally taxing. It can be difficult to stay vigilant of triggers and different alters. Often, people with this condition have been through intensely traumatic experiences, usually in childhood, and hearing about these experiences can be difficult. The best way you can serve your friend is to make sure that you're tending to your own physical and mental well-being.
(Sources: https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-disorder/related/how-to-help-a-friend-with-dissociative-identity-disorder/)
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