I’m an obsessive person. Even with things I enjoy. Listen to the same song repeatedly Play a scene in my mind repeatedly Research one topic obsessively Maladaptive daydreaming The most embarrassing one is I get obsessed over one particular man at a time. I’ll Google everything I possibly can, watch the same YouTube vids over and over, compulsively look at Google Images of him, and (this is the freaky part) even reach out to him and interact with him if possible. I spent $240 to be able to interact with one guy on his livestream. Like, I can’t pickup my phone without looking at images of him. That’ll go on for a couple months or so and then I’ll move on to the next one.... ..... .....I’m really glad this app is anonymous. I’m beginning to realize I need to treat these enjoyable obsessive thoughts and compulsions the same way I treat the scary ones: “Ok. You can hang out in my mind. But I’m busy right now. Doing that compulsion doesn’t bring me closer to my values.” Please tell me someone else does this....

Thanks!

Seriously?? Even the obsessing over dudes part?

@Alyosha Actually more of the listening to the same song constantly, watching the same movie constantly, same show over and over, I’ll repeat a scene I enjoyed over a few times, I’ll reread something that either I wrote or someone else wrote many times

@Evelyn4416 Yes!

It is hard. Do you by any chance pace and listen to music while you daydream?? Man. One summer, I’d pace and listen to music while I daydreamed from the time I got home from work at 6pm until I finally went to bed in the wee hours of the morning (taking breaks to eat, shower). Then I’d do it in the morning as soon as I woke up and be late for work. Then I’d do it on my lunch break and be late back to work.

@Alyosha Yup, definitely, i think thats why is a bad thing, because we are not real living, i spend hours and houe daydreaming about things that could happend to me, with music, i love listening music, but its a bad thing, we can start to work out in good things that we can do in real life.

@sunflowers So what have you done to cut down on it? I know if I stopped obsessively looking at Google images and listening to music, etc., that this would help. But yeah...then I’d be faced with the emptiness that is my life. Which kinda sucks, but it’s not like time is standing still while I get my act together. I’ll give it a go tomorrow and tell you how it goes.

@Alyosha The first day is horrible, but the second day is mich better, is stop doing it and read more aboug md, is that we don't face

@sunflowers We don't face emotions, our emotions in real life

@Alyosha How are you doing without md?

@sunflowers Oh crap you remembered lol. It didn’t go quite as planned. I did manage to stay away from triggers for five hours but still got caught up in it. I mean, some of the daydreaming I’m fine with. I’m a storywriter, and so most of the daydreaming today was fleshing out a plot point in a story. The maladaptive daydreaming is when I create characters who interact in the real world with real people because I don’t like myself or my life, so I live vicariously through these fictional people. I’ve learned a lot about what I want out of life from these daydreams...now I just need to actually do it. Thanks for thinking of me ? how are you doing today?

@Alyosha The first day it's always hard, i cry a lot, and feel horrible but it worth it, i get to the conclusion that we shouldn't stay away from triggers, we should stay there and don't do nothing in that way we trained our brain or thats a theory that i have, but its great that you are trying to not daydream!!!! I'm fine, thanks for asking, i have been feeling with a lot of anxiety because i feel i have Schizophrenia but i just not analized, again thanks for asking!

@sunflowers Good! Glad you’re having a good day. And yes—we definitely should not avoid OCD triggers. I meant the things that trigger daydreaming (music, etc.). I realized after writing it “Oh that was confusing” lol. I think maybe what I’ll do is try to set certain times to daydream.

@Alyosha I mean i was talking about triggers to md, i don't know but i think that would make just worse to thw problem or avoid them when you have control over this and after just don't avoid them.

@Alyosha Sorry i think i didn't explain myseld very good, I'm talking about md and my theory is that we should avoid triggers until we have this in more control and then stop avoid them and fight from not doing the urge of daydream. I don't know if this is correct but thats my theory.

@sunflowers Oh! Makes sense. ?

@Alyosha Well, yeah but right now im freaking out, i feel that i feel my daydreams real sothat would mean i have Schizophrenia and aggggg

@sunflowers And i just got like i was desperate and i have a feeling that i should move really faster and i did and then i realize what just happend, i want to cry

@sunflowers ❤️ you got this. You’ll get through this.

@Alyosha Yeah, i still scared but I'm better now, thanks for the support ❤️