Do you engage in maladaptive daydreaming?

[SentimentalTrip]

I find that life is so unbearable that this is practically the only thing that keeps me going. I'm in college (at 25, sigh), and so on the days I don't go to class, I usually spend all day in my room, doing assignments and wishing for a better life. And just generally engaging in escapism. But the difference between the person I am in my daydreams and the person I am in my daydreams is so jarring that it makes life feel worse sometimes.

 

[four_walls_girl]

I used to, then I kinda lost the ability to keep it up when I developed this weird ass brain fog and depression lmao. I really want to again but every time I try my mind either goes blank or I keep becoming aware of how I'm trying to escape and end up getting frustrated (@￣ρ￣@)

 

[Unknown21]

I always imagine a perfect life with my perfect version of me, living everything I dream of and want and have been deprived of in this life. It is the only escape most of the time. I can waste the whole day imagining this while I walk around the apartment in circles And of course, while listening to songs or music.

 

[dumbnhappy]

Yes!! I love it so much. Whenever I get into a new show or game or book etc I always daydream that I'm a part of it. Sometimes its the best part of my day. Its also my experience that I'm a different person in these daydreams, and I'm also never the main character. I think it has to do with low self esteem

 

[TragedyBornCrimson]

All the time since I was 7 years old. I am always pacing around throwing a pencil up in the air daydreaming, living a life that reality can't give.

 

[savory]

Yes it's awful glancing at the clock and realizing how much time I just wasted.

 

[yellowsouled]

YES. Always. It's the one and only thing in my life that's given me a consistent escape and the only thing that's ever kept me going. Any time I have to "come back to reality" or pay attention to IRL events is irritating to me.

 

[VoidBlessed]

YES. Always. It's the one and only thing in my life that's given me a consistent escape and the only thing that's ever kept me going. Any time I have to "come back to reality" or pay attention to IRL events is irritating to me.

100% agree. Daydreaming has always been my escape from a world that is actively hostile to me. I daydreamed this whole fall away until a few days ago when the last daydream that still gave me hope dissipated too, exposing my life for the wreckage it really is. I've resolved to stop daydreaming now. I accept that my life is probably unsalvageable and don't want to live in a state of suspended animation, thinking I'm somewhere else, anymore.

 

[Pluto]

 

[amerie]

Yeah. Its downsides are overstated tbh, it's better than doing crack or being a gambling addict.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Yes, paired heavily with limerence. Sometimes, I don't even think it's all that detailed. Just my mind drifting off into a state that isn't entirely conscious of reality. I'm not sure I could make it through without it. It's a very comforting coping mechanism.

 

[SentimentalTrip]

Big typo in OP, meant to say: "But the difference between the person I am in my daydreams and the person I am in real life is so jarring that it makes life feel worse sometimes."

I fuck everything up!

 

[MercenariesofMidgar]

I used to, but I turned that into a passion of writing. Nowadays its come back as pure escapism, but not as frequently as before

 

[ringo99]

Yes. It's one of the few things keeping me from slipping into complete madness

 

[Tuonetar_]

Yes. I used to daydream about my "ideal self" in different situations, but nowadays I mostly play out little stories in my head with different characters. At the very least, it's helpful when it comes to writer's block lol

 

[Electra]

I wonder how many people do it and just don't know that it's called maladaptive daydreaming.

 

[derpyderpins]

I definitely have a lot throughout the years. Right now I wish I could unplug and daydream. Been having some success with actual vivid/lucid dreaming, and I'll tell you if I could shut everything off and live in my dreams I probably would.

 

[krqnet]

I've been nonstop maladaptive daydreaming since I was 9. It often feels suffocating

 

[Forveleth]

Yo! Been a hardcore daydreamer since I was a kid. Did not realize I was using it as a coping mechanism until adulthood. Have definitely deprived myself of sleep daydreaming and have wasted entire workdays daydreaming. It is a great coping mechanism!

 

[ceilng_tile]

Yes. I wish I could stop.

 

[JesiBel]

Yes, daydreaming is an escape from reality either in times of high anxiety or simply when I am not comfortable in a certain environment.

But I am not part of those imaginary stories, but the characters I have invented (by drawing). Where they are always happy or live their lives peacefully (:

 

[geo]

Yes- I do it to escape but really I'm just closing my self off from the real world. Avoiding the inevitable chore of life

 

[BojackH]

All the time. It's just me, my headphones and a world where I'm happy.

 

[darkenmydoorstep]

I find that ultimately, day dreaming hurts me because you always have to come back to earth with a bump. So when I catch myself doing it, I try to curb it. Just makes the gap between the experience you want and the one you have that much wider. It's a form of comparison.

 

[dyingofanxiety]

Same as OP. I find it almost impossible not to daydream, and then I lose hours every day just doing that. Would love to know if someone has found some effective ways to prevent it.