Jump to content

Maladaptive Daydreaming


Stevie

Recommended Posts

Definition from Medical Daily:

 

Now what happens when day dreaming goes too far? You find yourself missing days and hours of time daydreaming. This is known as maladaptive daydreaming (MD) — an extensive daydream that replaces human interaction with extensive fantasies that people envision in their own minds. Although it is not a medically recognized term, the concept was first coined by Eli Sómer, Ph.D., in 2002. Somer believed that the trigger for this excessive form of daydreaming might be from trauma or abuse.

 

I found this while poking around online, and I figured that it was something that maybe some people here could relate to: daydreaming as escapism. Maladaptive daydreaming is marked by very complex inner worlds that the daydreamer finds themselves slipping into near-constantly. Sometimes, it's accompanied by repetitive movements (pacing, walking, throwing and catching things, etc) and can be triggered by media, conversations, or any kind of stimuli that reminds one of the daydream.

 

Maladaptive daydreamers often report incorporating new events or knowledge into their daydreams, making them ever-growing and changing.

 

Here's an Atlantic article with a little more information, and a first hand account by the author.

 

Recurrent themes, according to the wiki article, are: an idealized self, violence, power and control, captivity, escape and rescue and sexual arousal.

 

What do y'all think of this? It's not a medical disorder, do you think that by trying to make a "daydreaming addiction" into an actual disease, that people are just trying to label and pathologize things that don't need to be? Have you ever daydreamed in such a way for an extended period of time? Where do tulpas fall into this? I'm wicked interested in hearing your input.

We're all gonna make it brah.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there is such a thing as too much daydreaming, but I'm a bit wary of anyone telling people where the line is. For someone living alone out in the middle of nowhere, talking to trees a lot of the time can be fine -- actually, I believe it can help to keep a person sane.

 

On the other hand, for someone living in the midst of human society, not being present in reality can be unhealthy and even dangerous -- particular when moving vehicles are involved.

 

I believe tulpas can have a place in nearly any life without being unhealthy or dangerous, but imposed wonderlands should be used with more care and moderation.

 

As for me, I guess I design more than I daydream. I can sit in silence for a long time, creating worlds in my mind, but there's no narrative to it -- or at least, when there is narrative, it's something deliberately constructed to meet the needs of the plot, and not something that just happens.

"Some things have to be believed to be seen." - Ralph Hodgson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

OMG! This is huge! This is so me! Oh and in my opinion it is definitely a disorder of some kind. I have personal experience to back up my opinion on that trust me. This sort of behavior or compulsion definitely affects a person's ability to function normally. Trust me, I know!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like just another attempt to define introversion as a mental disorder to me.

Currently share myself with four other entities.

Noriko was created on December 15, 2014.  Sabari was created by Noriko on January 22, 2015.

Anzu was reborn on May 23, 2016.  Xiri returned on June 16, 2018.  Both had been inactive since 2012.

Progress Report | Ask a Question Thread

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

 

@Akinkinit

 

Extreme introversion, to the point where a person does not function normally, is at least unhealthy if not an actual disorder. In my personal case this certainly was true. Introversion itself is not necessarily bad, but anything taken to an extreme can be unhealthy.

 

EDIT: I would like to add that, if you read the articles, you find they are talking about compulsive and extreme day dreaming. The day dreamer cannot stop and it is all consuming and inhibiting or wrecking his or her life. Maladaptive Day Dreaming isn't just day dreaming a lot, it is a type of addictive, compulsive and obsessive dissociation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

FUCK I HAVE THIS.I SWEAR TO GOD I COULD WRITE A BOOK WITH THE STUFF IN MY DAY DREAMS.Wait,why haven't I done that yet?

 

You and I are soul mates then! YOU SHOULD WRITE THAT BOOK!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been daydreaming most of my life, for me it's to escape reality, I wouldn't go so far to call it a disorder, perhaps at some point it can be, when daydreaming while walking, driving or other outdoor activities I think it could be dangerous, accidents happen very easy and if not thinking of where you are going or driving might end with an accident.

I never daydream outside of my house, I like to keep an eye on what's going on outside rather than daydreaming, there have been many times I've seen my sister walk out in traffic while she's been away somewhere in her mind, had to save her a couple of times from getting hit by cars. <<

**Proud to be a drug free thoughtform!**

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like just another attempt to define introversion as a mental disorder to me.

 

Wanna elaborate a little on this?

We're all gonna make it brah.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[Hail] This is me, as I have been saying for a bit. Until about 1.5 years ago, I was an absolutely excessive daydreamer and I did do the repetitive stuff. Was actually the realization that I had made several innerworlds/wonderlands and several tulpas and soulbonds that got me to try to stop (didn't want to make more) and it was hard as hell to moderate. I still have a problem and the draw and compulsion is still there 1.5 years later, but I am a bit more free of it. Stopping really screwed with me because I didn't know how to live without all the daydreaming. I was at least lucky that I could do come things while daydreaming, like walking, riding a bike, and driving a car. Now, before you all freak out on that last one, I should state that at the time where I could daydream while driving, I was actually partially merged with my sister (and the original) S giving us some ability to do two things at once. I will always miss something about those old days of daydreaming all the time even though I am healthier now. There was so much to escape then, and frankly, so much now but I am stronger. Also, when Tri is in control of the body, it is really hard to daydream (actually, hard to think at all).

 

My method of making innerworlds is completely based off of daydreaming. Tri has done it as well with success. They actually wrote up a small mini-guide on it: Wonderland Creation Via Daydreaming.

Tri = {V, O, G}, Ice and Frostbite and Breach (all formerly Hail), and others

System Name: Fall Family

Former Username: hail_fall

Contributor and administrator on a supplementary tulpamancy resource and associated forum, Tulpa.io and Tulpa.io/discuss/.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...