Daydreaming is a psychiatric phenomenon among people which is common and not so harmful but when this normal daydreaming is converted to excessive daydreaming it is known as maladaptive daydreaming.
In this blog we will be talking about the various causes, problems faced and how to treat this psychological condition of maladaptive daydreaming.
What is maladaptive daydreaming?
Maladaptive daydreaming is a psychological condition or in easy words a type of fantasy in which people make stories in their minds some being fictional and some being non-fictional and some are so impractical that even you know that it is not possible in life but you think about it for internal satisfaction.
How maladaptive daydreaming increases with age?
During childhood
During childhood, this condition is very common, in school when teachers are teaching you a subject you seem to be in a different world whatsoever, and suddenly when the teacher asks you something related to the topic, you become completely blank. You were in a state of maladaptive daydreaming at that time. You were thing about something else instead of listening to what the teacher was teaching.
Teenage
Slowly growing up to your teenage life, you start to daydream about your crush. This is common among both boys and girls. For example, they daydream about the fact that the world is about to end, he/she is going to save his/her crush and will become a hero in the eyes of their crush. This sounds silly but this is true. Teenagers have this common maladaptive daydreaming problem.
Adult
Later when you become an adult, and you are focusing on your career, problems start rising. For example, you go for a job interview and before results you start daydreaming about the fact that you already got the job, you will change the entire scenario of the company, you will become rich and goes on and on.
Maladaptive daydreaming also has positive points
- Creative people get a lot of benefit from this maladaptive daydreaming since their main work is to create.
- Songwriters and lyricists need to be creative.
- Maladaptive daydreaming plays a vital role in the life of artists and painters.
- Might lead to new creative ideas.
Trigger points of Maladaptive daydreaming
- Songs and lyrics
- Movie scenes
- Speeches
- Sports bikes and cars
- Wrestling scenes and physique
What are the problems faced due to maladaptive daydreaming?
- Breaks your concentration power.
- It is the main reason for distraction.
- Memory becomes very weak.
- Irritation and stress.
- OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) problems may develop due to prolonged daydreaming.
- Delay in work, keeps postponing your work also known as Procrastination.
- This leads to negativity in the mind.
- Anxiety.
- Social anxiety and impractical.
- Insomnia – due to maladaptive daydreaming at night.
- Mood swings.
- Prolonged maladaptive daydreaming lead to depression.
Treatment of maladaptive daydreaming
There are no official ways or medication to treat maladaptive daydreaming. But there are a few great solutions to this condition which actually works
- Try increasing your will power.
- Meditation is the way that you can surely treat your maladaptive daydreaming problems. Meditation also increases concentration power.
- Be practical, what is meant to happen will happen.
- Believe in yourself, instead of daydreaming, find a way to achieve the dream and work hard for it.
- Be busy with your work, since this leaves no time for your daydreaming process.
Conclusion
Maladaptive Daydreaming is not a crime but this affects your mental health in so many ways. If the daydreaming is low then it wears away with time but if it is maladaptive it increases with time and will lead to depression. If you feel you are witnessing daydreams very often or for a prolonged time try connecting to a doctor who can diagnose this problem.
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