verydistressed
- Date posted
- 4y
adaptocdadaptocd
- Date posted
- 4y
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.
SunflowerSunflower
- Date posted
- 4y
Hi! Does the ERP has helped you in your MD?
Faye JuneFaye June
- Date posted
- 4y
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!
verydistressedverydistressed
- Date posted
- 4y
It's not as bad as it was at some point and it's never really affected my life except maybe the aspect of me not being that present in my life. But I'll try fighting it and hopefully I'll stop
Daria AlexandrovnaDaria Alexan...
- Date posted
- 4y
@verydistressed Remember that trying nor to think makes you think more
verydistressedverydistressed
- Date posted
- 4y
Can this also apply to conversation? Like sometimes I have imaginary conversations imagining it's happening with my friends and stuff
Daria AlexandrovnaDaria Alexan...
- Date posted
- 4y
@verydistressed I do this too and I'm not sure that this is an issue
Daria AlexandrovnaDaria Alexan...
- Date posted
- 4y
@verydistressed I thin this is about having active imagination. Our brain constantly generates different outcomes off of different situations. And when you do this excessively I think it means that you are kind of bored
verydistressedverydistressed
- Date posted
- 4y
@Daria Alexandrovna I didn't find anything worth with it then I started doing it out loud and my parents told me it was weird. I also sometimes have a fear of developing schizophrenia so these thoughts and daydreams kind of cause me anxiety sometimes
Daria AlexandrovnaDaria Alexan...
- Date posted
- 4y
@verydistressed this fear is not rare in ocd community
Daria AlexandrovnaDaria Alexan...
- Date posted
- 4y
The best treatment from excessive thinking is action. Hobbies, active games, for someone - work and study.
Daria AlexandrovnaDaria Alexan...
- Date posted
- 4y
And communication. You can't daydream when you're engaged in the convo
Related posts
Anonymous
- Date posted
- 23w
Help🤍
Guys, I would like help with maladaptive daydreaming and impulsivity. What would both be in OCD? I've always had daydreams. But it was something I did because I liked creating stories. But recently I've noticed that sometimes when I'm stressed, if I think about a situation, it feels like I'm going to imagine it or want to imagine it. When I say don't do it, it feels like it's basically going to happen. I talked here the other day about what if I try to create a compulsion to get out of my subject? Yesterday I was so anxious and I did this counting thing. Then it came to my mind, "put something like, if you don't do this, someone will suffer harm." And I don't want that. And I don't even want to create this compulsion because I would know that it would be worse because I would never risk it. But the thing is, even though I had a clear idea, it seemed like I was going to do it. I just wouldn't let it happen. Is that daydreaming? Is that impulsiveness? This has happened to my OCD theme before. But I had the feeling that I wasn't taking things seriously. That I was being childish. But I don't do it on purpose, it seems like I can't get out of the habit. Thanks for the help!
emmagracee
- Date posted
- 19w
Help! URGENT!!
I’ve always struggled with maladaptive daydreaming I’ve stopped but I have harm ocd and my brain would hook onto a true crime story and I’d pretend to be a family member/loved one/victim of a k*ller and would make up elaborate stories abt it. That feels so disgusting I’m so scared this shows in a horrible person doesn’t it? And now my brain is telling me I have found k*llers attractive in the past I don’t think I ever did but what if I did I’m scared
Sofyyya
- Date posted
- 12w
Advice needed pls help (TOCD)
Does anyone else here daydream maladaptively? Well, I do a lot and my OCD has latched onto that as “proof” that my fear is real due to do contents of my daydreams. To preface I’m 14 and most of my daydreams consist of boys that I like so like 85% of my day is just me daydreaming about these boys in a fantasy world that I built in my head for them. The thing is I have ADHD and I’m super hyperactive and I require a lot of movement to engage in my daydreams (and with engaging in anything in general tbh) so I’m always just randomly walking/running around the house daydreaming. Anyway sometimes I’ll make the same faces my character makes in the daydream and also do like hand movements they do. And I’ve been ruminating about this for months because I’m like “does that count as imagining myself as a boy?” due to the fact that most of the characters in my daydreaming world are male and I panic. I would never imagine myself as a boy in that sense because it makes me uncomfortable, like ever since I got this theme, whenever I walk by a mirror I get these intrusive images of the boy I like starring back at me in the mirror and I get super uncomfortable. It’s like a punch in the gut. I don’t want to look like those boys at all and I know that if I was one of them I would hate my appearance and hate looking in the mirror, no matter how attractive they are. Or when I’m doing something my OCD will imagine ME doing it as a boy like in first person and with the intent of me being a boy and that also really triggers me because that’s not what I want and it makes me real uncomfortable. What I DO want is to daydream about boys, but not about being a boy. But isn’t that what I’ve been doing this whole time without realizing? Like I’m so wrapped in my daydreams that when I’m doing anything I go “Hm I wonder what [my crush] would do in this situation” and imagine him doing it but in a completely different setting and with some changes to the activity added. That really scares me because I go “what if that means I’m a boy” and I get really distressed because I don’t wanna be a boy. I don’t view any of the boys on my daydream as me at all and like, I don’t daydream with the intent to be a boy because that’s the least of my desires, all I do is want to think about boys because boys are cute ofc and I like them. But I’m still really scared. Is my OCD possibly twisting things or am I in denial? :(
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