Maladaptive daydreaming

[bluebellas]

Has anyone else got this?
I spent my entire childhood sitting cross legged on the floor swaying from side to side while listening to music.
It started with a swing in the garden when I was tiny and now I’m a middle aged woman with a husband and child who don’t know, I just walk for hours in my spare time in a world of my own.
Interested to hear others experiences as I only recently discovered it was a thing.

I often have to pretend I'm talking to the cat after realising I'm speaking out loud the imaginary conversation going on in my head.

I’ve always done intense daydreaming but I would only say it was ‘maladaptive’ at certain points when I was a child and teenager. It doesn’t adversely affect me now.

Ha yes same

I don’t think I’ve ever talked out loud but I’m sometimes aware I’m making facial expressions.

I can still get wrapped up in my own thoughts, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was in my teens and twenties. Very intenses daydreams, lasting intermittently for days. Probably not healthy. Used to go home early from nights out to continue daydreaming.

I put it down as one aspect of ADHD.

Ohh that's interesting! For a long long time when I was younger. Actually for as far back as I can remember up until my early 20s I'd very intensely daydream about a whole another life as another persona. It was the sort of glitzy life of Barbie initially and then as I got older it evolved into something more mature. I could spend hours in my head. I thought it was because I grew up quite poor with very little to do and not allowed out to see friends.

I'd be a little bit wary of viewing yourself through the lens of a particular term that you have recently discovered. Just because someone uses a phrase to describe some behaviours it doesn't mean to say that they are offering any insight into the behaviour, or a fertile way of looking at it.

It sounds like you have always known that you were a bit of a daydreamer. I am too. I think many people dive into abstracted, semi-dissociated states if they are unhappy, or anxious, or if there is something difficult in their past.

I have ADHD too.
I don’t know how I’ve got to mid 40s without anybody ever realising I do this. At least I don’t think anyone has realised.

Yes, definitely happens more at certain times. We had to move out for some renovations a few years ago and I was supposed to be getting us packed (SAHM to school aged children) and I spent hours and hours laid on the couch day dreaming.

Yep me too. I’ve done it as a child and I’m still doing it now, I also walk for hours in a world of my own, whole fantasy worlds or scenarios.

theres been periods of my life where I’ve not done it, where my life has been happy, busy and fulfilled but as I’m not these days then my free mind is away somewhere else 😂.

it doesn’t affect my day to day life.

I did have an unsettled, stressful childhood so I think it was a response to that.

I also have ADHD so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it.

Yes I go through periods of this usually when I'm bored with my actual life tbh. Or when I'm really sad. I too have ADHD. The fantasies I have are so much more wonderful than real life could ever be.

I'm really happy atm and living life fully so dont seem to have the needs for it right now.

I have done this for decades, I only found out recently it has a name. It was definitely maladaptive when I was younger, much less so now but I still do it.

DD also does it.

Movement is really important, and often music as well. When I was a teen/20s I always had to have both, and very very very loud music at that. It’s why now have tinnitus.

Yep.
Did it a lot as a teen, a lot during a period of great stress mid 30’s, and now spend hours in my fantasy life after bereavement.
My make believe life is far better than the real world tbh but I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to end up stuck there and unable to function irl.
I have DCs with AuDHD and I strongly suspect I am too but totally unable to find out. Reality is sliding from my grasp and my daydreaming is starting to creep into my work day, my driving to/from work etc

I agree but then I used to spend 8-10 hours a day daydreaming and swaying to and fro while putting off plans all weekend to daydream so I guess if there’s a name for extreme daydreaming then I’ll take it especially as I thought I was only person to ever do it to the extent I do.
I only don’t now because it’s effected my knees and too painful. I just pace around instead.

I daydream a bit, the only time it was out of control was when my DD died and it was very obviously an escape from intense grief.

I’m so sorry for your loss

Isn't that just having an imagination? I'm always daydreaming scenarios, love going to sleep to my day/night dreams

I’ve always done it.
I find it helps me sleep or is a good distraction while exercising.
It’s never impacted my day to day life and I quite enjoy it!

I did this for many years - partly, in my case, made worse by PTSD although it pre-dated the traumatic event that caused PTSD. I totally recognise what a PP said about leaving nights out early to go home and daydream. That said, I don’t really do it anymore and I hadn’t realised until I read this thread. I wonder if it’s a side effect of the antidepressants that I’ve been on for a bit.