Daydreaming is something we all indulge in. The term basically means indulging in one’s thoughts and fantasies while awake. We generally dream about something pleasant, such as accomplishing a set goal, doing a preferential activity, etc. However, what if it gets out of hand? What if daydreaming gets so persistent and intrusive that it interferes with your day-to-day life, from work to your relationship? There is a term for that, which is maladaptive daydreaming.
To understand it better, Onlymyhealth spoke to Dr Jyoti Kapoor, who is a senior psychiatrist and founder of ‘Manasthali’. The term first coined by Israeli psychologist Eli Somer in 2002, maladaptive daydreaming is the “name given to a condition of excessive daydreaming associated with disturbance in person’s life,” said Dr Kapoor. Somer believed that this could be a result of abuse or trauma, and a person might develop it as a coping mechanism.
Symptoms Of Maladaptive Daydreaming
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The thing with maladaptive daydreaming is that it is not identified and categorised as a psychiatric disorder in any major psychiatric diagnostic manuals. Also, there is limited research in this area, hence, the exact criteria and nosological status can not be defined. Still, Dr Somer has identified certain traits associated with maladaptive daydreaming, which are:
- Excessive fantasy
- Such daydreaming often replaces actual human interaction
- It also interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning.
Maladaptive Daydreaming & Mental Health Conditions
The traits of maladaptive daydreaming, which involves a person escaping from reality, can be quite similar to mental health disorders, which also involve such a dissociation. “Daydreaming is a common mental activity that people indulge in,” says Dr Kapoor. However, any normal activity when done excessively, affecting one’s personal, social, and work-life is maladaptive. “The anecdotal case reports are suggestive of a degree of excessive absorption into the fantasy life causing dissociation from reality with vivid experiences and a compulsion to indulge in it often,” the psychiatrist said.
These symptoms are generally displayed in certain personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorders and anxiety spectrum disorders like dissociative disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Maladaptive daydreaming is not associated with hallucinations or delusions, hence cannot be linked to psychosis.
Also read: What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder? Know Symptoms And Treatment Options
Can Maladaptive Daydreaming Trigger Any Mental Health Issue(s)?
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Any maladaptive behavioural or emotional pattern causes more stress than usual and hence leads to distress and consequent mental health pathology. And chronic stress in a person can lead him/her to develop anxiety, depression, mood disturbances. “The effect on social and vocational aspects of an individual’s life can also result in addictions and impulse control issues,” the psychiatrist added.
What To Do About Maladaptive Daydreaming?
If any behavioural pattern is affecting one’s ability to adapt to an environment, professional intervention is important to find the cause of the problem, said Dr Kapoor. There are certain personality issues like poor stress coping and subnormal intelligence that can make someone indulge in too much fantasy. To manage such issues, one needs to address such stressors and cope with stress itself. “Similarly, identifying avoidance response to anxiety can help in managing the negative coping strategies like obsessive fantasies,” the doctor added.
Also read: Daydreaming can make you Intelligent
In the end, it is crucial to note that daydreaming is not all bad. In fact, it has been shown to help with stress and in boosting creativity. However, indulging too much is a problem. Although maladaptive daydreaming is not recognised as a mental health disorder and there is no formal system of diagnosis, you must seek help if it is interfering with your real life. Also, it might be helpful to focus on the triggers, about what is causing you to spiral into the fantasy world. Chances are by addressing it, you might be able to control your urge to daydream. If it doesn’t help, you can always seek out medical help.
(With inputs from Dr Jyoti Kapoor, who is a senior psychiatrist and founder of ‘Manasthali’)