To ask about your maladaptive daydreaming experiences

[Runningnewbie]

Does anyone do this? I am finding recently that I’m doing it whilst driving, which I’m now consciously trying not too as obviously it’s dangerous 😳

Also anyone that does it, do you also have OCD/intrusive thought’s? I’m wondering if there’s a link?

I was a maladaptive daydreamer for most of my life. It's interesting that other people are saying it's a dissociative state or that they use it in times of stress. I haven't done it in a couple of years due to a traumatic event when I researched emotional literacy and did a lot of work on myself. I was using it as an escape and a way to not deal with real life. I still have a vivid imagination but I don't miss it even though it was a huge part of life.

It's really immersive daydreaming, or maladaptive if it's having a negative impact or interfering with 'real life'.

I do it, but I write so I'm trying out different plots and scenarios, and it's sometimes, surprisingly, very involving.

Fascinating though. Look up terms like parame (yourself or representative) or para (your main, or other, character), paracosm (detailed world building). Basically anyway.

No, I don't have intrusive thoughts or anything like that. I need to feel really relaxed to do it and properly immerse. I started as a child when bored (car or train travel), or struggling to sleep at night.

I very often daydream/dissociate. Combination of vivid imagination and complex trauma for me.

Gosh, this is very interesting. I'm not sure if it's maladaptive, but like another poster I've a whole other world running parallel to my reality and have done from a young age.

I've never been diagnosed with anything but starting to wonder if I have inattentive ADHD, that's been on my mind for a while.

I've also never learnt to drive and part of the reason is fear of drifting off.

So interesting hearing those who also had previous trauma and a possible link.

thank yon for the blog post I will
check it out