Differentiating Daydreaming from it's Maladaptive counterpart + my experience with it



I find this article to be the best description of it "Maladaptive Daydreaming - What is it?" on Medical Daily (I can't post the link, but you can Google that)

However, if you can't find it or be bothered to read it all, here's my take-away, + what's relevant/accurate to my experience with it.



"We've all been there — one moment you're diligently sitting behind your desk being productive, and then the next moment, you catch yourself in a daydream.



Now what happens when day dreaming goes too far? You find yourself missing days and hours of time daydreaming. This is known as maladaptive daydreaming (MD) — an extensive daydream that replaces human interaction with extensive fantasies that people envision in their own minds. Although it is not a medically recognized term, the concept was first coined by Eli Sómer, Ph.D., in 2002. Somer believed that the trigger for this excessive form of daydreaming might be from trauma or abuse. However, further research is needed to quantify this theory.



Many people with MD find that their condition can cause them to be unproductive and can actually be an extreme hindrance to their everyday lives. Time is passing while they are processing these extensive dreams, and before they know it, a whole day is lost to their fantasies.



Theorists have also attributed MD to dissociative personality disorder, because with such disassociation, the person is often similarly detached from his or her immediate surroundings in both the physical and emotional aspect.



Symptoms Of MD:



Daydreaming excessively in a way that is often compared to an addiction.



This excessive daydreaming often begins in childhood.



Books, movies, music, video games, and other media may be a daydreaming trigger.



The daydreaming itself is often detailed and elaborate, sometimes compared to a movie or novel.



They may sometimes talk, laugh, cry, gesture, or make facial expressions as they daydream. People suffering from this know the difference between daydreaming and reality, and do not confuse the two; this makes them distinctly different from psychotics or schizophrenics.



Some people will lie in bed for hours daydreaming, and may either have difficulty going to sleep because of this, or have difficulty getting out of bed once awake. They may also neglect basic functions such as regular meals, showering, and other daily activities because of their daydreaming."





I've found many people claim to experience MD, describing it as clearly normal daydreaming, and since a viral Tumblr post, I've noticed the misconceptions in an increasing spiral across the web.



I've been an avid Maladaptive Daydreamer since early childhood. Until said viral Tumblr post promted me to research MD, I never even questioned it being an abnormaly, assuming everyone experienced it. I experience normal/typical daydreaming too, just never realized there was an official difference between.

I can slip into one, exiting after what feels like 20 minutes, to find 5 hours have passed. Some days it's so severe, that no matter my efforts to stay out, I'll loose the whole day. According to other articles I've read, some people can be snapped out by others, but if I'm one the full-day, I'll just keep slipping back in. I can also go long periods without experiencing MD, which actually causes me get antsy & want it, but I can't provoke it during these periods. It used to be a large hinderence, but now, I only loose a full day maybe once a month, and I'm fine with that amount as I have developed some dependence on it for recharging as an introvert. Additionally, I can experience anything through MD, much like book-worms describe living many lives - not only can I expereicne genuine emotion during MD, but physical stemulous too, like a breeze or even pain. My most common symptom is always mouthing words - I used to snap out mid-word & pause, wandering if I had been speaking aloud; given no ones' confrontation about it, I assume I was silent.



...but yes, to my understanding, Maladaptive Daydreaming is very different from normal daydreaming, possibly varieting in magnitude