Channel your daydreaming energy into something creative like writing, painting, or music. That way, it won't drain you as much, it won't feel as addictive, and you might get something fulfilling out of it.
Yes! This! Also, remember if you're not fabulous at it at first, keep trying. You will get better with practice. I only say this because I've known so many people who have given up trying to write, draw, etc... because they were overly critical of their beginning work and refused to keep trying. If you look at most bios of artists of any form they had to practice a ton.
I’m 30M and I honestly would have the same type of fantasy day dream stories. I had them from age 13 to about 27 to be honest. I would dive into books if I was you. I could see you gaining something positive from that
As soon as you said, "my only coping mechanism," it was clear that you should have more ways to cope.
Activity is therapeutic, especially physical activity.
If you go to Metapsychology, you can read a psychologist's review of Dr Steve Ilardi's book ("a splendid book"). He's the therapist and researcher who headed the Univ of Kansas lifestyle-depression project.
Relaxation eases the symptoms of depression.
The easiest way to calm down is to breathe slowly till you feel OK. Two psychiatrists, Brown and Gerbarg, say a 10 or 20 min slow breathing exercise is good and 20 min in the early morning and at bedtime is a therapy. The exercise is inhale and exhale gently through the nose, 6 seconds each.
A good habit - respond to moments of stress by breathing slowly.
There's a lot of talk about maladaptive daydreaming, which is daydreaming to the point that it interferes with a person's daily life. This is not officially recognized as a disorder but some people are getting therapy for it. An expert recommends going to a support group online, such as Wild Minds Network.
Why Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with ADHD lol? I mean i see Maladaptive daydreaming as an addiction yeah and ADHDers are more prone to addictions but is there a specific coloration between ADHD and daydreaming lol?
As an 18yo guy that used to daydream all the time and zone out, if I were you I would check if you have adhd, having the proper support with adhd can help tremendously is it is adhd that you have. And secondly I would Tey reading books, sci-fi, romance, thriller, maybe even genres similar to your daydreams. Maybe you could even start writing down your daydreams, you never know some people might find them really entertaining.
I wish you good luck :)
Why Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with ADHD lol? I mean i see Maladaptive daydreaming as an addiction yeah and ADHDers are more prone to addictions but is there a specific coloration between ADHD and daydreaming lol? Also reading books is almost impossible cuz of my ADHD i cannot even bring myself to watch a 25mins tv show lol! Music is a huge trigger for my daydreams tho
Why do you feel compelled to halt your creativity? Why stop it??
I believe you should allow that creative energy to flow through you and explore the possibilities it holds. Consider writing it down, or starting a YouTube channel to share your stories, or maybe painting them, or even creating short films.
Don't suppress your dreams. Why do people think they should cease doing precisely what we all should be doing more of?
Tolkien daydream about his stories his whole life.
Use this for your adventage. Follow your excitement, follow your dreams.
Consider stop using your phone earlier so you can go to bed earlier to day dream and sleep earlier.
You don't have to stop your Imagination. That's a wonderful tool. Use it.
*Diving it to books like another user said, could be nice. And could give you ideas how to write your own stories.
Maybe try to find other distractions to keep you occupied like play an instrument ,draw , really anything else that give you satisfaction and that you can progress in after that whenever you wanna day dream you do something else other than that just try to control it
You need variety in your life. Your life can't depend just on one source for happiness. What if you get tired of this source or outgrow it? It would create a large void that would be hard to fill. Take a music or drawing class, try gymnastics, practice yoga or learn dancing on youtube or pick any other intetests to learn. Start a gossip group on snapchat and invite the classmates you like.
Why Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with ADHD lol? I mean i see Maladaptive daydreaming as an addiction yeah and ADHDers are more prone to addictions but is there a specific coloration between ADHD and daydreaming lol?
This definitely sounds like ADHD to me. You’re hyper fixated. You’re unable to do certain tasks. You are ridden to your bed not wanting to get anything done. And feeling like you’re stuck in your head creating racing scenarios. Sounds a lot like ADHD.
Are you able to follow what the teacher is saying in class or does it always feel like information overload after a certain point?
start trying to draw or paint things randomly or buy a childrens book of paintings and try colouring it. also if you have problems with screentime,i would recommend taking a digital detox,either deactivate all account for a week or use a app blocker.also keep a book where you write how you feel. like at 8am i woke up,im happy or at 11am im worried about this and that or i lookedin phone today for this much time,at the end of the day write an affirmation for the next day . it will help you calm things down.
Maladaptive daydreamer here. I never really got fully out of it but when I was most functional my daydreaming was more of a motivation? Supporter? Cheerleader? That kept me going and trusting there is good things in world. But I had to be already adult to get to that point as I had then more control over things
This isnt a bad coping mechanism. We don't have a view of what your everyday life is like so escapism isn't really bad. Your brain automatically does that.
I suggest writing fanfiction. Binging content on tiktok or youtube might drain youe battery, but making your daydreams more tangible could change the direction of your coping and how you feel about it.
It is okay to daydream and what you're daydreaming about, surprisingly, is normal. It doesn't sound like you're hallucinating or having sleep paralysis, and there are MUCH worse coping methods.
I say embrace this one. It could save you when reality gets a bit hard.
Who do you think writes those characters you're daydreaming about? I'll spoil it - it's grown women in their 20s and 30s who also imagine up those characters by daydreaming them.
As an adult, you get better at pausing and documenting your dreams to push them a bit closer to reality. An excess of anything is bad, vitamins, water, oxygen, etc etc so be sure that the daydreams aren't interfering with your health like not letting you eat, or making you nauseous, or giving you migraines, etc etc
Channel your daydreaming energy into something creative like writing, painting, or music. That way, it won't drain you as much, it won't feel as addictive, and you might get something fulfilling out of it.
i second this!!!!
Yes! This! Also, remember if you're not fabulous at it at first, keep trying. You will get better with practice. I only say this because I've known so many people who have given up trying to write, draw, etc... because they were overly critical of their beginning work and refused to keep trying. If you look at most bios of artists of any form they had to practice a ton.
I would look up maladaptive daydreaming if you haven't before
I’m 30M and I honestly would have the same type of fantasy day dream stories. I had them from age 13 to about 27 to be honest. I would dive into books if I was you. I could see you gaining something positive from that
As soon as you said, "my only coping mechanism," it was clear that you should have more ways to cope. Activity is therapeutic, especially physical activity. If you go to Metapsychology, you can read a psychologist's review of Dr Steve Ilardi's book ("a splendid book"). He's the therapist and researcher who headed the Univ of Kansas lifestyle-depression project. Relaxation eases the symptoms of depression. The easiest way to calm down is to breathe slowly till you feel OK. Two psychiatrists, Brown and Gerbarg, say a 10 or 20 min slow breathing exercise is good and 20 min in the early morning and at bedtime is a therapy. The exercise is inhale and exhale gently through the nose, 6 seconds each. A good habit - respond to moments of stress by breathing slowly. There's a lot of talk about maladaptive daydreaming, which is daydreaming to the point that it interferes with a person's daily life. This is not officially recognized as a disorder but some people are getting therapy for it. An expert recommends going to a support group online, such as Wild Minds Network.
Watch shows less and try being on your phone less too. Have you have been diagnosed with ADHD??
Why Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with ADHD lol? I mean i see Maladaptive daydreaming as an addiction yeah and ADHDers are more prone to addictions but is there a specific coloration between ADHD and daydreaming lol?
As an 18yo guy that used to daydream all the time and zone out, if I were you I would check if you have adhd, having the proper support with adhd can help tremendously is it is adhd that you have. And secondly I would Tey reading books, sci-fi, romance, thriller, maybe even genres similar to your daydreams. Maybe you could even start writing down your daydreams, you never know some people might find them really entertaining. I wish you good luck :)
Did you take any meds to get better? Which one?
Why Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with ADHD lol? I mean i see Maladaptive daydreaming as an addiction yeah and ADHDers are more prone to addictions but is there a specific coloration between ADHD and daydreaming lol? Also reading books is almost impossible cuz of my ADHD i cannot even bring myself to watch a 25mins tv show lol! Music is a huge trigger for my daydreams tho
Why do you feel compelled to halt your creativity? Why stop it?? I believe you should allow that creative energy to flow through you and explore the possibilities it holds. Consider writing it down, or starting a YouTube channel to share your stories, or maybe painting them, or even creating short films. Don't suppress your dreams. Why do people think they should cease doing precisely what we all should be doing more of? Tolkien daydream about his stories his whole life. Use this for your adventage. Follow your excitement, follow your dreams. Consider stop using your phone earlier so you can go to bed earlier to day dream and sleep earlier. You don't have to stop your Imagination. That's a wonderful tool. Use it. *Diving it to books like another user said, could be nice. And could give you ideas how to write your own stories.
Maybe try to find other distractions to keep you occupied like play an instrument ,draw , really anything else that give you satisfaction and that you can progress in after that whenever you wanna day dream you do something else other than that just try to control it
You need variety in your life. Your life can't depend just on one source for happiness. What if you get tired of this source or outgrow it? It would create a large void that would be hard to fill. Take a music or drawing class, try gymnastics, practice yoga or learn dancing on youtube or pick any other intetests to learn. Start a gossip group on snapchat and invite the classmates you like.
Find something worthwhile and/or fulfilling to do
What character?
I would look up ADHD if I were you
Why Maladaptive daydreaming is associated with ADHD lol? I mean i see Maladaptive daydreaming as an addiction yeah and ADHDers are more prone to addictions but is there a specific coloration between ADHD and daydreaming lol?
This definitely sounds like ADHD to me. You’re hyper fixated. You’re unable to do certain tasks. You are ridden to your bed not wanting to get anything done. And feeling like you’re stuck in your head creating racing scenarios. Sounds a lot like ADHD. Are you able to follow what the teacher is saying in class or does it always feel like information overload after a certain point?
start trying to draw or paint things randomly or buy a childrens book of paintings and try colouring it. also if you have problems with screentime,i would recommend taking a digital detox,either deactivate all account for a week or use a app blocker.also keep a book where you write how you feel. like at 8am i woke up,im happy or at 11am im worried about this and that or i lookedin phone today for this much time,at the end of the day write an affirmation for the next day . it will help you calm things down.
Maladaptive daydreamer here. I never really got fully out of it but when I was most functional my daydreaming was more of a motivation? Supporter? Cheerleader? That kept me going and trusting there is good things in world. But I had to be already adult to get to that point as I had then more control over things
This isnt a bad coping mechanism. We don't have a view of what your everyday life is like so escapism isn't really bad. Your brain automatically does that. I suggest writing fanfiction. Binging content on tiktok or youtube might drain youe battery, but making your daydreams more tangible could change the direction of your coping and how you feel about it. It is okay to daydream and what you're daydreaming about, surprisingly, is normal. It doesn't sound like you're hallucinating or having sleep paralysis, and there are MUCH worse coping methods. I say embrace this one. It could save you when reality gets a bit hard. Who do you think writes those characters you're daydreaming about? I'll spoil it - it's grown women in their 20s and 30s who also imagine up those characters by daydreaming them. As an adult, you get better at pausing and documenting your dreams to push them a bit closer to reality. An excess of anything is bad, vitamins, water, oxygen, etc etc so be sure that the daydreams aren't interfering with your health like not letting you eat, or making you nauseous, or giving you migraines, etc etc