Are you a maladaptive daydreamer?
Most people daydream and can spend a lot of time doing it, with research suggesting that as adults, we spend over 50 percent of our time conjuring up fantasies in our heads.
Some people can even experience daydreams that are so vivid they can feel like they are in the imaginary environment of their creation. Though this is a commonplace ability, depending on the severity, frequency and other factors, some daydreamers may be experiencing a psychiatric condition called maladaptive daydreaming, or MD.
Maladaptive daydreamers will feel compelled to switch to daydreams during the day, leading experts to believe it is a behavioural addiction much like any other.
Since it is still an evolving area of research, it is yet to be formally recognised as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, or DSM-5. But, some experts believe it is a real disorder that can have a significant effect on a person’s daily life.
What is maladaptive daydreaming?
Though daydreams are a common and enjoyable experience, when the daydreaming interferes with a person’s social, academic, or professional life this is considered to be maladaptive, especially when human interactions are replaced with fantasy. However, maladaptive daydreamers also usually know that their daydreams are not reality and are still in touch with the real world in some way.
Why does it occur?
Though experts are unsure what causes MD, Professor Eli Somer, who first defined the phenomenon in 2002, believed that it develops as a result of trauma, abuse or loneliness, acting as a coping mechanism that a person could use to escape from their reality.
In his study, Somer identified six survivors of sexual assault who would regularly escape into an imaginary world they created and would fantasize about themselves in empowering storylines that were missing in their real lives.
Symptoms
In a 2011 review by Cynthia Schupak and Jayne Bigelson that studied 90 self-identifying maladaptive daydreamers who fantasize excessively, they found several common behaviours.
The researchers found that 79 percent of subjects reported physically engaging with their fantasies, such as making faces or performing repetitive movements while daydreaming.
They also found that participants struggled against the compulsion to daydream and were concerned that their fantasies interfered with their real-life relationships.
Additional symptoms can include:
- Extremely vivid daydreams with an evolving or complex story, characters and other detailed story-like features
- Daydreams triggered by real-life events
- Daydreaming for lengthy periods, from many minutes to hours
Can I be diagnosed with maladaptive daydreaming?
Since it is not currently recognised by the DSM, you cannot be formally diagnosed with maladaptive daydreaming.
Experts have developed a diagnostic tool called the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS) to help people determine whether they are experiencing symptoms of it. But, this should be treated as an indication rather than a formal diagnosis.
Can maladaptive daydreaming be treated?
There is no official treatment for MD.
One study found that fluvoxamine, a common treatment for OCD, was effective in helping an individual control her daydreams.
Experts believe cognitive behavioural therapy could help people manage their daily life and address their need to daydream.
“Maladaptive daydreaming still isn’t an officially recognized condition, but it’s clear that people around the world are experiencing the same symptoms: the hypnotic movements, the plots and characters, and the crippling inability to focus on the real world. As a researcher, I hope to find out much more about this condition and help the medical profession learn to address it,” Bigelsen said.