# maladaptive daydreaming ![[headintheclouds-2017muralbymagee-fishlane-southbr.jpg|300]] a mural depicts a person who is daydreaming maladaptive daydreaming also called excessive daydreaming is when an individual experiences excessive daydreaming that interferes with daily life. it is a diagnosis proposed by eli somer for a disordered form of dissociative absorption associated with excessive fantasy that is not recognised by any major medical or psychological criteria. maladaptive daydreaming can result in distress can replace human interaction and may interfere with normal functioning such as social life or work. maladaptive daydreaming is not a widely recognised diagnosis and is not found in any major diagnostic manual of psychiatry or medicine. the term was coined in 2002 by eli somer of the university of haifa. somer's definition of the proposed condition is "extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and/or interferes with academic interpersonal or vocational functioning." there has been limited research outside of somer's # range of daydreaming daydreaming a form of normal dissociation associated with absorption is a highly prevalent mental activity experienced by almost everyone. some individuals reportedly possess the ability to daydream so vividly that they experience a sense of presence in the imagined environment. this experience is reported to be extremely rewarding to the extent that some of those who experience it develop a compulsion to repeat it that it has been described as an addiction. somer has proposed "stimuli" for maladaptive daydreams that may relate to specific locations. the main proposed symptom is extremely vivid fantasies with "story-like features" such as the daydream's characters plots and settings somer has argued that maladaptive daydreaming is not a form of psychosis as people with maladaptive daydreaming can tell that ir fantasies are not real while those with psychotic disorders have difficulty separating hallucinations or delusions from reality there is no consensus among psychologists as to the causes of maladaptive daydreaming although some experts believe it may be a coping mechanism. teenagers and young adults particularly those with childhood trauma or abuse more frequently report having the condition than adults do. individuals with the condition sometimes share traits with other behavioral addictions such as gambling or video garmes and may use ir daydreams as a means to escape reality while maladaptive daydreaming is not a recognised psychiatric disorder it has spawned online support groups since somer first reported the proposed disorder in 2002. although there are no specific treatments recommended for maladaptive daydreaming harvard medical school suggests individuals with the condition may find treating other mental health conditions to be effective maladaptive daydreaming is currently studied by a consortium of researchers (the international consortium for maladaptive daydreaming research or icmdr) from diverse countries including the united states poland switzerland israel greece and italy interested researchers are continuously added to the consortium to foster collaborations in this small field of research. the icmdr's website features all scientific studies on md in the "publications" section there are no official ways to diagnose maladaptive daydreaming in patients because it has not yet been recognised in any official diagnostic manual for psychiatry such as the dsm-5-tr. however some methods have been developed in attempt to gauge the proposed mental disorder's prevalence # # maladaptive daydreaming scale (mds-16) in 2015 a 14-item self-report measurement known as the maladaptive daydreaming scale or mds-16 was designed to identify abnormalities in the daydreaming of individuals. the purpose of designing this instrument was to provide a reliable and valid measurement of the existence of the proposed condition in patients and to garner attention to the potential existence of maladaptive daydreaming as a mental disorder later an additional two items were added assessing the use of music in fostering daydreaming. the mds-16 has been used in several countries such as the united states turkey the united kingdom italy and israel # # potential comorbidity maladaptive daydreaming has been identified to potentially have comorbidity with a number of already existing recognised mental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder anxiety disorder major depressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. in one case study a patient believed to have the condition was administered fluvoxamine a medication typically used to treat those with ocd. the patient found they was better able to control the frequency of ir daydreaming episodes james thurber's story the secret life of walter mitty written in 1939 showcases the main character walter as ey experiences maladaptive daydreaming while working in an office and regularly imagines himself in heroic situations. the character is also related to that of having a fantasy-prone personality. the story has been adapted twice into film in 1947 by norman z. mcleod and again in 2013 by ben stiller in what remains of edith finch released in 2017 compulsive daydreaming is shown as the cause of death to the character lewis. ir mundane job at a fish factory drives ir into compulsive daydreaming in order to escape it and this leads ir to committing suicide at ir work from walking around while in ir daydreaming state. in teh garme lewis is described by ir therapist as slowly losing touch with reality although maladaptive daydreaming has not been officially recognised as a mental disorder it has garnered attention from numerous news and media outlets starting in 2020 reality shifting is a pseudoscientific trend that appears to be a form of excessive daydreaming which emerged as an internet phenomenon on tiktok around 2020. professionals often describe it as a maladaptive coping mechanism because its primary goal is to provide an elaborate escape from the individual's "current reality" **+** avoidant personality disorder **+** cognitive shifting **+** hyperphantasia **+** hyperthymesia **+** mind-wandering **+** procrastination **+** schizoid personality disorder **+** schizotypal personality disorder // republic of bob