Psychology Facts

▲ Maladaptive Daydreaming ▲

》Maladaptive daydreaming describes a condition where a person regularly experiences daydreams that are intense and highly distracting.— so distracting, in fact, that the person may stop engaging with the task or people in front of them.

》Maladaptive dreamers may dissociate from reality to absorb themselves completely in their daydream and may unknowingly act out the behavior or speak the dialogue of characters in their daydream. The content of daydreams can be richly detailed and fantastical, while others feature an idealized version of the daydreamer.

》What's the Difference Between Daydreaming and Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Daydreams are a normal part of existence. They're typically pleasant, though they can sometimes be annoying. While they can distract us from the task at hand, they offer several benefits, such as the ability to plan future events, relieve ourselves from boredom, find meaning in our life's story, and boost our creativity

While maladaptive daydreams can be pleasant as well, they are more likely to involve themes of violence, power, control, sex, captivity, or rescue and escape scenarios. Unlike traditional daydreams, maladaptive daydreams commonly enter the realm of fantasy.

》This can result in distress, can replace human interaction and may interfere with normal functioning such as social life or work.

》Maladaptive Daydreaming was first identified and christened by Eli Somer, Israeli Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Haifa, during his study on dissociative behaviors in 2002.

》Experts believe that MD is, generally, a coping mechanism in response to trauma, abuse or loneliness that leads the maladaptive daydreamer to conjure a complex imaginary world for them to escape into in times of distress, or loneliness, or maybe, even helplessness in real life.

》Maladaptive daydreamers may spend 4.5 hours of their day distracted by their daydreams. They may become so absorbed with their inner world that it becomes harder to ground themselves in reality.

》Somer's Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS) is a self evaluation that may help determine if you relate to the primary characteristics of the disorder which include,

highly vivid and immersive daydream's

abnormally long daydreams that are hard to escape

an inability to carry out daily tasks

daydreams triggered by external events or stimuli, such as watching a film or listening to music

sleep disruption and insomnia

repetitive and unconscious movements when daydreaming, such as rocking back and forth or twitching

A person can exhibit one or more symptoms of maladaptive daydreaming, including:

Intense, vivid daydreams that present as a story, with characters, settings, and plotlines

Daydreams that last for several minutes to hours

A strong or addictive desire to keep daydreaming

》Some common triggers for MD include:

Boredom or being stuck in a job/task that doesn't require critical/creative thinking.

Being stuck in situations one often finds irksome or troubling such as long traffic jams, meetings, long speech etc. Many consider music to trigger dysfunctional level of daydreaming.

Trauma and abuse, as mentioned before, are strong indicators of a higher probability of maladaptive daydreaming

》Experts still do not know what causes maladaptive daydreaming, and there's no official method of diagnosis. While it has been linked to social anxiety or previous trauma, people may develop maladaptive daydreaming without any prior trauma. There is also some evidence that maladaptive daydreamers tended to have active imaginations as children.

》Due to the nature of the symptoms, maladaptive daydreaming can be confused with schizophrenia; however, these conditions are very different. Most notably, individuals who experience maladaptive daydreaming know that their daydreams are not real, while those with disorders like schizophrenia have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy

》There is no standard treatment for maladaptive dreaming. However, there are some techniques derived from anecdotal evidence that may help manage the symptoms:

Reducing fatigue

Being aware of symptoms:

Identifying and avoiding triggers

Therapy

Medication

》Maladaptive daydreaming is most common in people with conditions that affect their mental health or certain types of brain functions. The conditions that are common with maladaptive daydreaming are:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Anxiety disorders.
Certain types of depression.
Dissociative disorders.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).