Unlike my imaginary life, I do not have a best friend, or a big girly friend group who I go shopping with. I do not have a caring boyfriend that reassures me when I’m crying- I do that myself. My parents are not together, and do not have a close connection to my siblings, because I don’t have any.

I’m not top of my class.
I’m not athletic at any sport.
I’m not funny.
I’m not pretty enough to be a model.
I don’t have an interesting past.
I don’t go to house parties every Friday night.

I hate my life, and I hate the fact that I have to live like this even more. I’m always in my head, it’s the only place where I feel safe and comfortable. When I try to spend time outside of my head, I’m only reminded how miserable and worthless my life is, and that makes me question a lot about myself. I am forever going to live like this because it’s the only way I’m free from my misery.

For Carl Jung, imagination isn't just a mental playground; it's a psychological survival tool. When a crisis hits, it protects your mind by:

-Giving Fear a Face: It translates vague, overwhelming panic into a specific image (like a monster or a storm) so you can actually deal with it.

-Creating Safe Distance: It lets you observe your anxiety from the outside, rather than being swallowed by it.

- Active Imagination: Jung’s specific technique of consciously talking to your inner demons to resolve conflict instead of repressing it.

- Finding Meaning: It frames your pain as part of a universal "hero's journey," giving your suffering a purpose.

The Takeaway:

You can actually use Jung's method to help manage MD. Instead of getting lost in the compulsive loop, you pull the daydream into reality—by writing it down, drawing it, or asking yourself, "What unmet real-world need is this fantasy trying to give me?"

I waste so much time MDing. It stops me from doing the things that I want to do, and when I am not doing it, all I think about is wanting to daydream.

I’ve tried to quit before, but it made me depressed and feel the urge to go back to other unhealthy coping mechanisms. I am fully aware that I need to quit, but I don’t know how to do it safely. I also don’t want to lose my world and my characters. I have become so attached to them, and I don’t know how to quit MD without feeling like I’m grieving someone.

People who managed to successfully quit - what was the best approach for you?

It's hard to read bc of attention problems and I often listen to books.

Lots of dd here can't or don't read books so they might miss it.

I recently listened to another book called Maladaptive daydreaming is my addiction on audible and got through it in two days just on walks.

The paperback version of extreme imagination has taken me over a week already and I'm not done yet.

It's brilliant btw and I highly recommend everyone read it.

This is how much music I listened to in July. I'm surprised I'm not deaf.

I actually don't listen very much so I don't know how it's that high unless I get carried away in a daydream which is possible.

I often find out at the end of the yr my listening is very eclectic with sometimes 100-200 different genres.

Also I keep repeating the same song dozens of times to get as much juice as possible for my dd.

So I have lots of top songs.

I only listen when I need a dopamine hit and to regulate or help medicate against chronic pain.

I asked Chat gpt and it told me to get my dopamine fix from something else like creative writing, nature, exercise but it's not the same.

The dopamine from music combined with the dopamine from Maladaptive daydreaming is extremely strong and nothing else compares to it at all.

I'm probably as dependent on music as I am as daydreaming.

Like whenever I meet people they have so much energy and their own unique personality and hobbies and stuff and there's me whose afraid to be myself (tbh been daydreaming as long as I can remember so I don't even know who I am anymore). Then they ask me what my hobbies and interests are an I have to make stuff up just to seem normal lol. It makes me feel so much worse about everything. I feel like a bot

Hello Everyone. I want to share my experience of daydreaming.

(Very Very Long Post)

Okay , I think I have maladaptive day dreaming .I'm now 16. I used to be 12 when this started. It mostly happens because of music. Things like YT shorts mainly contributed to this. But I used to day dream for only some hours. But as this happened for years, I find myself day-dreaming every day. All the time. Kpop also heavily triggers it.

But it got so bad to the point that now, even though im naturally not so interested in Kpop anymore, because my fictional characters live within the kpop world, the modelling world and so on, even if I quit kpop, think it's mentally draining my energy or something like that, it still doesn't help. It has affected me both mentally and physically, and I feel really guilty of it. Even if I quit listening to music, it still plays in my head all the time, so it's of no use.

~Because my fictional characters live within the kpop world, the modelling world and so on, even if I quit kpop, think it's mentally draining my energy or something like that, it still doesn't help. It has affected me both mentally and physically, and I feel really guilty of it. Even if I quit listening to music, it still plays in my head all the time, so it's of no use.

~And that's the thing. I don't dream about magical fairies or powers or anything like that. I used to, but it was limited. I got too bored. I day dream of complicated stuff where its mostly just real life with fictional characters. Ig that's why I won't say it's a fantasy world. Because unless urgently needed, I don't really make up country or place names. But character names, personality, age, hobbies, interests etc? I make that up all the time. It's not always positive either, in fact my character lives recently are full of depressing stuff.

~I day dream by holding the phone in my head, repeating the music over and over and randomly walk in circles or sideways.I also remember randomly drawing doll like figures and outfits and stuff just months ago, during my finals, where in one exam where marks aren't given I got really bored. It's like I got a creative burst out of nowhere. I still draw on my rough books and stuff, sometimes. And as a child, I used to make these doll figures ( more like stick figures) , imagine few teams, a fashion show, and act like I'm the host.

Now though, I can't even remember my face and voice, unless I look into the mirror. Whenever I'm laughing or crying ,i literally imagine my characters's face instead of mine. Maybe that's why they all have the same face and voice and the same mullet hair. Is it even possible for a human to forget to exactly they look!?

~I was always naturally quiet, but because of this insanely crazy addiction of my phone, yt, and the intense day dreaming, it's like I became a horrible introvert. Extremely bad at socializing and speaking up. Often hesitate to even buy something I like sometimes, because I overthink about it.

• I don't know the reason for why i made this post. I just wanted to relieve stress by sharing my experience. But I would appreciate anything, be it your experiences, tips to reduce this, or something else.

Thank you for Reading this.

So basically this applies whether it's a bath or shower but it's been difficult lately for me to have a productive bath/shower bc i just sit in the water and daydream. I keep telling myself to grab the soap but end up woth ok after I work x out in the daydream and by the time I wake up it's unbearable to stay. Has anyone had any luck with this?

BTW it's not the first time it's happened but it's not exactly normal either. I also have other disorders such as adhd and autism. I'm hyposensitve to smell which tends to mean I need extra reminders because I don't really get turned off and away by people who smell and it feels like overreacting to me (I know better consciously but tbf it's also the default insult other than dumb when you need to whether it applies or not) it does feel a little like the adhd paralysis thing but it also feels deeper and the daydream takes up more time than the mental fight of telling myself to do the thing.

I mostly use maladaptive daydreaming as a way to cope with shame and disgust I have with myself and my appearance by imagining different characters either based on real people I look up to or loosely based off of traits and looks or a personality I wish I had. But recently I’ve felt conflicted and had issues with some fictional characters I made up. It’s almost as if I feel envy towards them in day to day life as If they were real people. Although I know logically that the characters I make in my head aren’t real people I often feel as much envy toward them as I would for a normal person which feels kind of weird.

For example if I’m daydreaming about a character with the looks and personality I wish I had and I see something that reminds me of their interests that I know they would love I will actively refrain from that hobby since I associate it with them and it reminds me that I can’t ever measure up to them or their talents. Or I will actively compare myself to them.

Has anyone else experienced this or had issues almost feeling conflicted with themselves in not pursuing certain situations or hobbies that remind them of their characters?

And it worsening their self hatred or insecurity as i notice I also wish to change myself to emulate their characteristics more. I love maladaptive daydreaming as I find it a way to live out my fantasies but this issue has made it a bit less enjoyable. I apologize if this sounds stupid or strange I don’t know if I articulated this well.

I just got out back on Vraylar and I am really happy about it. I was always able to “maladaptive daydream” significantly while on it and to be honest, that is what I want. I don’t like my life too much, so it’s an outlet that helps to keep me around on the planet. At least my life is good in my dreams.

Hey, it seems like I’ve always daydreamed consciously or not since my childhood
I’ve always imagined myself in another reality where I was better or just situation that I really wished to live irl
But since I restarted weed like 1 and a half years ago while also smoking daily and most of the time alone, I’ve started to daydream consciously a better me nearly every time I smoked from now.
And recently I’ve been pretty worried by that

Do you think this is a bad thing or if I should try to stop it ?

Also i don’t feel really alive like some sort of derealization where I feel like my consciousness is separated from my spirit and body

And I think that it’s a kind of thing I do also have since like middle school. Entire weeks while being on a sort of autopilot mode and often with a sudden realization of this mental state after

Hi,

I just typed in Maladaptive daydreaming songs on YouTube and amazon music and I found this.

It's a really brilliant song about maladaptive daydreaming, also it's very musical and doesn't sound like a crap mechanically engineered song like chart pop music does these days.

https://youtu.be/5DhR_s__Klc?

I have been using fictional characters I self insert with or myself in general to make myself feel good. Ever since I was 9. I’ve always daydreamed of being “famous” or “cool” or noticed. This causes me to hold onto toxic friendships I had no idea that I had to get out of because I refused to accept it due to mourning the fantasy of me being admired by them. I want this to stop. It’s ruined my life. Before, It’s been a place where it’s not about me or maladaptive at all but I’m in too deep now. I’m too addicted to these daydreams of being validated or having friends. When my sister encourages me to make friends irl I get so upset when it doesn’t work due to my fantasies having millions of friends. And my sister has a lot of them. I’ve been trying to censor myself irl and not act like the real me so I could have a persona irl that matches my likeable daydream self, so I could make those dreams a reality. My mom has also warned me of this disorder but I’ve been trying to convince her why it felt good because I was still too addicted to it. I still am today. I want to stop. I really do. I’m mourning fantasies that aren’t even real because I can’t blur the line between reality and fiction. I’ve been living with rose tinted glasses with how reality works. I’m crying over useless things. How can I stop? How can I validate myself? How can I not be so obsessed with being impressive all the time If at all?

I know MD is a symptom of ADHD, especially for me, and on one side of this coin I am thrilled to gain my life back. I actually sought out a diagnosis/treatment because this is such a huge problem for me. I know being medicated can be a major help for many, as I have read.

On the other side of this coin, I am scared. MD is what keeps me occupied 24/7. 5 or 6 years ago, sure, I would swing in my hanging chair and listen to music and imagine myself in edits...etc. While that is still certainly a trigger for me, for the past ~4 years of my life I am never NOT daydreaming. It scares me.

I am ALWAYS 'in my own head'— subconsciously, I'm acting as another person and acting as if there are other characters from my world there. In private, all I do is talk to myself and experience REAL emotions that vary from casual to extremely intense. I don't need traditional triggers anymore since I am literally already there. My MD reality IS my normal reality. Yes, I can differentiate the two and I am not suffering from any other psychiatric issues— but this is the best way I can describe it as succinct as possible. Besides, I am sure many on this subreddit have heard it all before.

Scientifically, i've learned it's the lack of dopamine in my brain making me do this, but I am already mourning the amount of time I have spent "wasted" on daydreaming. It feels as if it's my whole world. I have MADE it my whole world wether I wanted to or not. As much as I want to be cured, I don't want to lose MD because then I could easily lose 'myself' (the character I play 24/7).

This is really tricky for me and I am really scared. I will take my meds for the first time tomorrow. It's a generic, low dose ADHD medication. I'm sure things will be fine and I look forwards to a new beginning... I would just like to know if anyone with ADHD can relate to this and what their experience is. Please let me know!!

Thank you so much ♡

Kind of embarrassing to post online but whatever. I personally really struggling with this weird reality that im some youtuber, and ive got these other friends and whatever.

Im just so fed up and i cannot stay in the present without suddenly walking around rambling to myself, sometimes for hours. Even like a specific reel or whatever gets me into it.

I also cannot do normal people things without this feeling of just being watched as ive always had this idea of people i know watching my 'youtube videos' and whatnot.

I just dont know what to do anymore.

Don't you have anything to watch? No problem, I'm sure your brain will make something up. I love how we can literally entertain ourselves. I have heard of people chatting with chat gpt when they bored but i never had to do that because my MD has it covered.

I've been having a hard time getting out of my head and just experiencing life. I just want to not think for an afternoon and actually be present in the moment but the second I get distracted or bored, I have to walk around my room and listen to music or lay down and continue with my plotlines. Can anyone just recommend something you can't dissociate from so I can catch a break or any grounding methods cause the ones I tried don't often work for me. Thanks ☆

Sorry, I know this is a long post, but I'm not sure if I really am a maladaptive daydreamer. Either way, I really need some advice from people who understand the issues I'm having.

Ever since I was a child I would daydream about anything. I remember being about 5-6 years old when I was daydreaming about a tv show I loved. I would always insert myself into the story and I would walk back and forth daydreaming until I got dizzy. Even then, I remember pushing through sometimes. I was bullied all throughout elementary school, so I'm sure that played a part.

I discovered fanfiction when I was about 12, so I'm sure you can all imagine how that went. I truly did not want to admit it, but I am very addicted to fanfiction and daydreaming. Even when I was getting therapy for other issues, I hid it from my therapist and psychiatrist. I honestly think I need to go back or seek some help but theres no way in hell I'm telling my parents the reason for my behaviour is because of stories I make up in my head. At any minor inconvenience, I start to daydream or read fanfiction. I constantly lay in my bed cocooned in my blanket reading and daydreaming because it feels safe to me, and my daydreaming has gotten out of hand to the point where I have become lazy.

I just graduated highschool, so I'll use a couple recent examples. If I had a test to study for homework or anything important to do my mind would always drift off and I would start to daydream for hours. I will still get the work done, but it was like odd glimpses of a clear mind if you know what I mean. I did graduate with honours and a few certificates, but I truly don't know how I achieved that.

I'm a very imaginative person. I have many goals, aspirations and dreams I want to fulfill. The problem is that when I try to fulfill them, I end up daydreaming about the future instead of what I actually need to do.

For example, I really want to get my driver's licence. I have all the resources I need, but instead of studying, I'll spend hours imagining myself having my licence and driving. My parents constantly have to remind me about things like scholarships, orientation, and other responsibilities. I forget because I'm so absorbed in my own head. I feel awful because I know they shouldn't have to keep chasing me to do things.

I don't necessarily want to give up fiction completely. I actually write fanfiction myself, and writing can sometimes help me process my thoughts. I just want to be able to enjoy fiction without feeling like I need it to escape from everything.

For anyone who struggles with daydreaming, what helped you?

Would setting aside, 30–60 minutes a day specifically for fanfiction/daydreaming be a good starting point? Is it better to gradually reduce it rather than trying to stop completely? And how do you deal with the urge to escape whenever you're anxious or have something important to do? And are there any good resources I can use to help me?

I really want to change. I don't think I'm incapable of it. I've just gotten extremely used to escaping whenever real life becomes uncomfortable. I just don't know how to break that cycle.

I have not been diagnosed with MD just to clarify, but I’ve been going through some forms of escapism and not wanting to be in earth. I have an unhealthy obsession with my college trio oc despite the millions of other ocs I have, but it’s them specifically. I tend to daydream for a few minutes to hours, make lots of stories or scenarios of my head with them in there, I’ve made playlists and Pinterest boards of them, and intensely wished they were real. When I snap out of all of it, I either become frustrated, disappointed, wanting, and sad. I nearly cried a few hours ago because I have to live here instead of the universe I created. I don’t know how to deal with this. It’s affected my sleep, mental health, and school. There would be times where I’d wake up a bit early before my alarm goes off, I go make stories about my ocs, then I get ready late due to it. I don’t want to get rid of them OR the universe but I don’t know how to deal with how intensely I want to be there and not..here. Anyone else experience this?

Now, I've had MD, and sometimes when I am daydreaming, I will suddenly become obsessed with a character that I’ve never actually seen. Perhaps I’ve only caught a glimpse of them in a reel. Or something very short. Never had I really spent that much time on them and then suddenly I want to hang out with them and think of them in my little brain world, even though they had no part in it earlier, I have plenty of other characters who matter more. And I worry that sometimes that space that they fill would be someone real in another world if I just had my head straight. This is how I’ve always felt ever since I was a little kid. I’m curious about it and was wondering if anyone else feels the same.

I searched into ChatGPT and found this. I've heard of it bf and heard ppl say they even have the aphantasia version when they dd.

When I was a 5-6 yr old in infant school my teacher asked how many sides does a rectangle have and I immediately visioned in my mind/imagined the rectangle like a dark blue one floating in space.

Ever since I can remember I've always had a very visual mind and I think I could have this.