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Post by ajmd123 on Jul 22, 2020 12:24:00 GMT
Hi all, I have been a big on daydreaming for as long as I can remember. It started off as little day to day scenarios before I feel asleep at night. Then it developed into multiple realities where I created complex story lines from different aspects of my life associated with my hobbies where I generally excelled and become ‘the best’ or somewhat famous at the certain hobby/activity. Then, over time these story lines sort of merged into one where i now have one major story that I have details of dating back to when I was about 8 years old. I can’t really remember when it started, but at some point I began to daydream in public, for example on the bus on the way to school and I had to catch myself from mouthing conversation and making facial expressions so I didn’t look weird. I guess my trigger was really anytime I was bored or needed to fill the time. However, it started to become irritating to me when I would prefer to live in my fantasy world than talk to actual people. I have always been somewhat introverted but I sometimes actually get annoyed when I am deep in thought and someone tries to talk to me or distract me. I suppose it doesn’t truly hinder my day to day activities because I am still able to get things done but it seems to always be in the context of my story and has gotten to the extent where when I am doing random activities I will pretend that I am doing it I’m my alternate reality. However, having said that, it does lessen when I am busy and occupied with other people but I’m a starting to realise I have no long term ambition because truth be told I would rather be living this alternate reality I have created for myself. Therefore anything I do in real life isn’t comparable and just doesn’t seem as exciting. It’s difficult because as much as I want to stop and start properly enjoying my life, I like daydreaming and it brings me a sense of comfort.
I guess I just want to know if this is something I should actually be worried about or just accept that this is something I will always do.
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Post by Sam on Jul 22, 2020 17:08:35 GMT
If it doesn't really interfere with your life then it might just be immersive daydreaming rather than maladaptive daydreaming. However, if it causes you distress then it's still something that you might want to work on. You mentioned that you mainly do it when you're bored or have extra time. Non-MDers do this as well, but your preference for daydreams over real life is something that MDers often have.
Learning to respond differently to your triggers is a main part of treatment. For you, that might mean choosing to do something other than daydream when you're bored. Could you pick up a new hobby or something that you can use to fill your time? If you're concerned about your habit of imagining yourself doing your real life activities in your daydream world, look into mindfulness. It helps to teach you to continually come back to the present moment.
Make sure you keep an eye on your responses to strong emotions or unpleasant situations. Many MDers use MD as an unhealthy coping mechanism, so making sure you aren't daydreaming excessively during those times and are instead relying on other, healthier coping skills a good portion of the time is important.
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