I'm not diagnosed with anything but I like to daydream a lot and usually my daydreams are with celebrities or fictional characters and sometimes I have sexual fantasies with them but I really want to stop so does anyone here have any advice on how I can stop doing this? I know this is weird and not OCD related but I don't like it anymore and it's become part ofy normal thought process so I would like to stop it

Hi there, Maladaptive daydreaming has limited research, but has been documented to have a correlation with obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is a spectrum disorder, and while MDD isn’t formally listed under it, the disorder has been proven to have a high comorbidity with a variety of other mental disorders. I’ve lived with MDD since the age of 3. The MDD can be treated in the same regard as OCD because you’re dealing with a compulsive behavior in response to obsessional thinking. Just like doing ERP, you can overcome the maladaptive behavior by exposing yourself to triggers (books, movies, music) and resisting the compulsion to daydream. It’s common to have physical compulsions while you daydream (rocking, pacing, jumping etc). And resisting these physical compulsions can help in limiting your mental compulsions. I don’t foresee myself ever fully eliminating my MDD, especially since I’ve managed to function with it. That being said, in recognizing how my OCD has manifested in other ways, I’ve found it beneficial to be mindful of managing it too.

Hey! This is called maladaptive day dreaming. I’ve experienced it to some degree, and it has a lot to do with certain psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression and developmental disorders, predominantly ADHD. From what I know, it’s safe to say MOST people, regardless of whether they’re struggling with mental health, do this. It’s when it becomes excessive and gets in the way of functioning that it’s an issue and becomes termed as maladaptive daydreaming. I haven’t experienced it to this degree, but I know that even though it feels good to fantasise, focussing on the external world and your REAL life is so much more valuable, and ultimately it is wasting your time. When you feel that urge to slip into a maladaptive daydream, fight it. Think about something else you would like to do, and before you know it, you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing that you don’t even think about! But other than that, do some research on it and see what you feel is best for you!

The best treatment from excessive thinking is action. Hobbies, active games, for someone - work and study.

And communication. You can't daydream when you're engaged in the convo