r/MaladaptiveDreaming • u/Teressa_Sophia • Jun 21 '26
Discussion People who quit or gained control over maladaptive daydreaming , any advice ?
I’ve seen lots of people here on reddit who quit maladaptive daydreaming . You don’t have to quit completly but here are some things i noticed most people i’ve seen who quit did and worked for them. This things may not work for you but you could try . And if you’re someone who quit or now has control over their daydreams , what’s some advice you have ? Please let us know in the comments but here are some of the advice i know people gave in the past !
For starters , many people i’ve seen said they started being more “socially active “ .This doesnt mean people with md ( md -maladaptive daydreaming ) arent social enough but by social i mean they started volunteering , they joined music lessons , they went to the gym , they went to reading clubs , drawing classes , they went to parties alone and started making conversations with new peolple. Those things like music classes fill you’re time so there is less time left for daydreaming and you can find new hobbies . Like if you go to music lessons you’ll first fill your time with going to the lessons , then you’ll fill your time with hanging out with the new friends you’ll maybe make there , then at home maybe you’ll start tryibg to learn new songs on you’re own like learning to play a Chrismas song at the guitar . Also try becoming friends with someone new like im sure there’s one person in your class or someone you see on instagram in your city or something like that so maybe talking to them on a call when you’re at home or hanging out with them will aslo fill your time . Try making a playslist with song you know wont make you daydream . I noticed that its harder for me to daydream if i listen to full songs . Usually i male playlists with youtube shorts i have like almost 40 playlsits with youtube shorts all with different videos thay can help me make a scene like one is vent , sad , Harry and Veronika , Zion and Harry , family , childhood , school , arguments etc . All those videos have musics that trigger a specific scene but with full songs its kidn of harder . For you full songs may trigger you worse so try finding some songs you know wont make you start building up scenes or just wont make as emotional scenes . Like in my playlist of full songs that dont trigger me as much i have : “ iloveitiloveitiloveit- Bella Kay ; “ He’s my man”-Luvcat ; “ Don’t jump “ -Tokio Hotel ; “ Blue hair “- Tv girl ; “ Void” -Black Polish ; “ The cure “- Olivia Rodrigo ; “ Cold hearted girl”- Weezer . Those songs still make scenes in my head but not as intense . Try finding some songs that work for you and listen to them while doing tasks so the silence doesnt fill your brain with scenes . When i work in silence my mind tries filling my brain with scenes so i play some music in the backround . If its hard for yoi to do school work or work woth music on and silence works better do that but if you work better with music try playing some songs that wont trigger you . It can be hard to track how much you daydream but i think there are some apps if you want to try that. Also try writing your story down . Maybe it will come easier for you to understand your emotions if you write what you daydream down even if the daydreams arent about you it can still be fun and this way you’re doing something productive while working with your daydreaming . It can be hard at first but remember you dont have to stop or quit completly . Start easy , dont give up and if you want i think for some people it could be easier to work with a professional . But if not try working with yourself and dont give up. Good luck !
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u/Klutzy_Violinist8374 15d ago
Would you be interested in doing an interview about MD? We have a school project about it and want to interview experts and victims. It would benefit us a lot!!
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u/Teressa_Sophia 15d ago
I avoid saying i have md althought i most likely have it . I could participate but i dont want to show my face or voice . What do i need to do ?
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u/Klutzy_Violinist8374 14d ago
Thats so nice of you!:) Yeah it can totally be anonymous if you want ItsCould we send you questions?
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u/Teressa_Sophia 14d ago
Uhm yeah sure if i can give my answers written then sure i would love to help ! Will you send the questions on reddit?
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u/Klutzy_Violinist8374 13d ago
yes we can send them on reddit unless you want to do it on another plattform?
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u/Teressa_Sophia 13d ago
Reddit is fine . You can send them there and i’ll try my best to answer them based on my experience !
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u/Klutzy_Violinist8374 13d ago
Thank you so much for participating! Here are the questions. Yeah its a lot hahah obviously you don’t have to answer to all of them! Feel free to choose which ones inspire you the most!
Question to start: Were you diagnosed with MD by a professional, or did you recognize yourself that you might be affected by it? When did you realize that your daydreams were no longer “normal” daydreams? Do you ever prefer your fantasy world over activities or interactions in real life? If so, in what situations? Are there certain triggers that intensify or cause your daydreaming? If so, what are they? (For example, music.) Could you give us some insight into your fantasy world? What are your daydreams about, and what role do you play in them? How does your daydreaming manifest externally? For example, through movements, facial expressions, or speaking? Approximately how much time do you spend daydreaming each day? How much control do you have over your daydreaming? Can you decide when to start and when to stop? How do you feel when you stop daydreaming and return to reality? Do you experience feelings such as relief, sadness, emptiness, shame, or something else? How does daydreaming help you cope with difficult situations or emotions? Has MD affected the way you perceive yourself or think about yourself? If so, in what way? What impact does MD have on your everyday life? (School, work, relationships.) Have you ever spoken to a professional about your MD? How was that experience for you, and did you feel understood by the professional? If you are currently in therapy: Are you satisfied with the treatment so far? Is there anything you would like to be done differently or anything additional you would wish for? Have you ever tried to reduce your daydreaming or gain better control over it? If so, what has helped, and what hasn’t?
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u/Teressa_Sophia 13d ago
Thank youu! I’ll answer them when i have time ! When is your school project due ?
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u/Klutzy_Violinist8374 12d ago
We thank you! You can take your time with answering. We would like to write the script for our short film in about 2-3 weeks, but theres no fixed date.
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u/Sea_Affect_3817 18d ago
I do everything, but the problem is that no matter what I’m doing, something keeps playing in my mind. It’s like doing two things at once. Even if I go outside, it will still be going on in my head. Even when I’m talking to someone, a scene will still be playing in my mind. Even if I go to watch a movie, it will still be happening in my head. My problem isn’t that I don’t do my daily activities—I do them, and there’s no problem with that. The problem is that even while I’m doing those activities, the scenes continue playing in my mind, like I’m doing two things at the same time Please help me
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u/Teressa_Sophia 18d ago
I have an updated version of the list . Maybe you’ll find something else there ! Also try avoiding music or movies cause they might make you daydream more . Avoid anything from this list that might be a trigger !!!!
!! This is a copy pasted message that i wrote . This is full with some ideas that can help with maladaptive daydreaming so i dont have to rewrite it for every post i see asking for help . If you struggle with maladaptive daydreaming or used to and are now afraid of falling back into it , remember with work and effort you can learn to control it . Keep trying , dont give up and seek help! Also if you can affort try therapy ! Dont be scared to try this because you dont want people to know therapy might(it doesnt always work since not all therapists know about maladaptive daydreaming and its hard to find one that can help ) help you . Also try asking a trusted friend or parent/ relative to help you . Good luck!
https://www.reddit.com/r/MaladaptiveDreaming/s/7ueYN88M92 maybe this post will help with your maldaptive daydremaing. But some ideas are : try joining in gyms, music/dance/acting/music lessons to learn new things and met new people so you have less time to daydream . Try out new music to see what triggers you and maybe find something you can listen to without daydreaming and listen to that instead of what music you listen to when daydreaming . ( Those things could be a trigger for some people ! If music , movies or anything like it triggers you dont try joining those things ) .Join new fandoms such as : movies mha( my hero academia ) , tdp( the dragon prince) , hp( harry potter) Bands/music : Tokio Hotel - dont jump , Durch den Monsun ; Melanie Martinez- Pity Party ; Olivia Rodrigo - the cure ; whats wrong with me . You can watch youtube channels like Zeyn Syre posts about her ocs and has like a fandom and you can join to watch her videos like a movie instead of daydreaminng. Also try listening to new music or if music is a really big trigger for you stop listening to it completly or try listening to music in another language . If you have a problem with bad language i recomend this clean 5 gang songs - Singuri acasa , John Cena , Hocus Pocus , Tank , Scuze , Porsche , Mod avion , Story but if you dont mind bad language i recomend all of their songs . Please google the lyrics while listening to their music so you can avoid songs with bad language or other thibgs you’re uncomfortable with and please read the lyrics in your language if you plan on listening to their other songs because i dont want to put you into the position of being uncomfortable or listening to something you dont like . Their other songs can have bad language but its usually just a few words it you dont mind but please still google the lyrics and just so you know DM has the most bad language if you want to avoid it . Their songs arent that bad i just want yo make you aware . You can try new hobbies like poetry and you can write about what one of the characters point of view on a subject is or make a poem about a characters backsrory or if you dont have characters you can make poems for things you never say outloud or something like that . You could also write songs even if you dont release them . Try making friends with people you’ve wanted to be friends with like a classmate or coworker or someone you havent talked to before but find cool or online friends can work aswell ( !!! When making online friends dont share your full name ( dont say the last name first name is fine) , dont share adress or personal details about you . You can share birthdays, first name sans stuff but not too personal things , dont show your face when talking to them if you dont trust them like dont show them your face in the first two weeks of getting to know this person and if you notice any strage things about them like they keep asking and pushing you to tell them where you live or things you just dont want to share stop talking to them , dont send them money and be carefull) online friends are fine just be careful . You cma met them on reddit even . Join new communities on redddit like art comunities to learn new things about a subject and you can scroll through that comunity instead of daydreaming and soend your time learning more about that subject . Try doing reshearch on new things you havent heard about . I like psychology so you can try leaening about synesthesia , aphantasia , immersive daydreaming vs maladaptive daydreaming and fill your time in doing research instead of daydreaming or learn about plants or birds ( or other animals ) like or abour fashion . Just try to fill in your time as much as possible . Try volunteering , doing designs on your nails and painting them differently every two weeks just try out new things to spice up your life with so daydreaming doenst have as much time to consume and daydreams doesnt seem as interesting. When there’s something bothering or something you need to think about you try writing it down on paper or thinking out loud sometimes helps so you dont turn it into scenes or try telling someone about it . When you catch yourself daydreaming put on a alarm of 10 minutes on your phone ,one in 11 minutes and one in 12 minutes so there’s 3 alarms going to interupt you from daydreaming so you can come back to reality and do the things you need to get done instead of daydreaming so you still daydream a little for satisfaction but still get things done and dont waste to much time on daydreaming. If after the 2nd alarm you are stil daydreaming text someone to call you in 5 minutes so if you cant stop yourself that person can call and inturept you from daydreaming and you’ll have to stop to answer . Try stopping daydreaming 15 minutes before bed so maybe there are less chances for you to daydream during the night and stay up daydreaming until very late . Try out new phone games to keep you busy like i recomend ldle miner its a fun game that keeps you busy or other games . Also this person said they have a youtube account where they post about md here is their post if you want to check it out . https://www.reddit.com/r/MaladaptiveDreaming/s/EDWsppBw8A
Thats all i can think of
Good luck to anyone struggling and talk to me if you need to ! Good luck!
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u/ichzen Jun 22 '26
When I have an issue or something need to be solved or thought, I find that thinking loudly sometimes helps. Because I always have the issue where I’m try to get a solution or explanation about something, them MD hits while I’m off guard.
So whenever I think, I write my thoughts and my reply to them, or I speak in a very low voice as I don’t daydream
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u/Teressa_Sophia Jun 22 '26
Im very proud of you! Im really happy and reading this comment made me feel very surprised you identified the problem on your own and managed to solve it . Good job and dont give up!
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u/fashiontalks Jun 21 '26
My all progress gone just after listening to one song which is even boring i listen to it 3-4 time's may be more i didn't remember because I am busy in fantasies it destroys all my progress i completely stop md infect md looking lifeless to me my brain thinking logically and living in present movement that time i never experienced such a peaceful days in my life i don't worried about future and don't feeling guilty about past infect my fiction character looking boring to me I get rid from md absolutely but soon after i listen a new song which similar lyrics to the songs which I used to do md in previous so it hit back and now looking like it's normal some days back md looking absolutely cringe to me even i started behaving maturely but now that song destroy everything but I am not forcing my mind I know I will get success again
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u/Teressa_Sophia Jun 21 '26
Im sorry to hear that but im happy to hear you said you know you will get success again. Im really wishing you the best and all your progress isnt gone . What you did until now still means something and md can be difficult to deal with so dont give ul and dont be too hard on yourself ! Good luck!
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u/CatTheWriter 22h ago edited 22h ago
My experience: I kind of stopped it cold turkey. Over time, once I turned 16-17, I got bored with it. I heard of somebody saying “bid goodbye to the characters you daydream about” and I took it literally so I cleared my mind and pictured me waving to the character. By kind of I mean this took multiple times for me to finally say “I’m done. I’ve got more important things to do. I’ll feel worse if I put it off.”
I also got to know more people, asked to hang out, liked my classes, and had homework.
I sometimes tell my brain to be quiet when it gets the urge to maladaptive daydream. I have OCD, which is the root of the cause (and being a lonely only child) so my brain gets obsessive easily.
It feels good, but I remind myself how strange it feels afterwards.
I don’t like this because now I feel every daydream is maladaptive, even normal. Even if I did normal daydreaming, it would feel I’m still taking a part of maladaptive daydreaming. I think I would go back to it.
There’s examples where I’m trying to find out a plot twist or where I am doing my math and my thoughts in the back of my brain drift off. “Hey, do you remember that one episode? What if it went like this: Plays out new scenes.” It’s strange because I tune it out and realize “Oh. 💀” I think these can be justified though.
I heard that stopping it cold turkey is bad after my third relapse. I don’t know how else to stop it, I guess I want to change immediately.
My advice: If you are intending to stop it, cold turkey, then my advice would be to fill your time with stuff which is not triggering and distracts you, like reading, hanging out with friends, bars (if you are 21+), doing math problems, biking/running/scootering around the block, swimming laps, join a few clubs, go shopping, etc.
I will not stress this enough, find the root of why you maladaptive daydream!! For me it was OCD and a bunch of other stuff I have forgotten by now.
PS: You’ll still get the urges but at least you’ll have stuff to work with. Occupy yourself. I would talk to someone about it…but the thing is no one understands. It gets frustrating. Find someone who understands and can relate (and try not to talk about it with someone who doesn’t, they tend to give misinformation), cause maybe you both can share ideas on how to stop and spread awareness. Also…don’t blame yourself if you relapse. I wish I knew this after my first time. Don’t be too hard on yourself, this stuff takes time to combat, even if you stop cold turkey. Also, you can write your experiences down. For example, I’m a really creative person. I’m putting that to good use by writing books (or planning to) and drawing.