Maladaptive Daydreaming: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Tips

What Is Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Sometimes known as daydreaming disorder Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , maladaptive daydreaming describes a condition where a person regularly experiences daydreams that are intense and highly distracting Trusted Source American Psychological Association (APA) APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 121,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members. View Source  — so distracting, in fact, that the person may stop engaging with the task or people in front of them. These daydreams may be triggered by real-life events Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source or stimuli, such as a noise, smell, conversation topic, or movie.

Maladaptive dreamers may dissociate from reality to absorb themselves completely in their daydream and may unknowingly act out the behavior or speak the dialogue of characters in their daydream. The content of daydreams can be richly detailed and fantastical, while others feature an idealized version of the daydreamer. Maladaptive daydreaming may develop as a coping strategy in response to trauma, as the inner world may feel safer than the experience happening outside. For example, people found themselves maladaptive daydreaming more frequently Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source during the COVID-19 lockdown, when they felt a greater urge to daydream and the vividness of their daydreams intensified.

Maladaptive daydreaming was first defined in 2002 and is not yet recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The prevalence of maladaptive daydreaming is unknown Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , but the condition appears to be more common among people with anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over half of maladaptive daydreamers have a mental health disorder.

Symptoms of Maladaptive Daydreaming

A person can exhibit one or more symptoms of maladaptive daydreaming, including:

• Intense, vivid daydreams that present as a story, with characters, settings, and plotlines
• Daydreams that are triggered by real-world events or sensory stimuli
• Unconscious facial expressions, repetitive body movements, or talking or whispering that accompany daydreams
• Daydreams that last for several minutes to hours
• A strong or addictive desire to keep daydreaming
• Trouble focusing and completing daily tasks due to daydreams
• Trouble sleeping

Complications of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Maladaptive daydreams can be so immersive and lengthy that the person dissociates from the world around them, negatively impacting their relationships, work or school performance, sleep, and daily life. Studies of medical students have found that those who engaged in maladaptive daydreaming reported a significant decline in their GPA.

Maladaptive daydreamers may spend 4.5 hours of their day distracted by their daydreams. They may become so absorbed with their inner world that it becomes harder to ground themselves in reality. Due to the all-consuming, immersive nature of their daydreams, people may end up neglecting their relationships and responsibilities in the real world, causing them emotional distress. Unfortunately, despite the strong desire to daydream, people generally feel worse emotionally after doing so.

In general, people who daydream are more likely Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source to have troubled sleep. Poor sleep can cause sleep deprivation, which impairs one’s ability to focus, concentrate, and pay attention — all symptoms of maladaptive daydreaming. This may explain why a night of disturbed sleep tends to be followed by a day of maladaptive daydreaming. In addition, some of the mental health conditions linked to maladaptive daydreaming, such as anxiety and depression, are associated with poor sleep.

What’s the Difference Between Daydreaming and Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Daydreams are a normal part of existence. They’re typically pleasant, though they can sometimes be annoying. While they can distract us from the task at hand, they offer several benefits, such as the ability to plan future events, relieve ourselves from boredom, find meaning in our life’s story, and boost our creativity Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source .

While maladaptive daydreams can be pleasant as well, they are more likely to involve themes of violence, power, control, sex, captivity, or rescue and escape scenarios. Unlike traditional daydreams, maladaptive daydreams commonly enter the realm of fantasy.

Finally, normal daydreaming occurs entirely in the mind, while maladaptive daydreaming is an immersive experience that is often accompanied by repetitive movements, facial expressions, or verbalizations.

Maladaptive Daydreaming Diagnosis

Experts still do not know what causes maladaptive daydreaming, and there’s no official method of diagnosis. While it has been linked to social anxiety or previous trauma, people may develop maladaptive daydreaming without any prior trauma. There is also some evidence that maladaptive daydreamers tended to have active imaginations as children.

Early researchers developed a test known as the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS) Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source to further study and define the characteristics of MD. This 14-part self-assessment can help doctors determine whether a person is suffering from maladaptive daydreaming. A person rates the severity and frequency of their symptoms, answering questions like:

• What takes place in your daydreams? How vivid and detailed are they?
• Can you stop yourself from daydreaming? Do you want to?
• Do your daydreams interfere with your daily life?

Due to the nature of the symptoms, maladaptive daydreaming can be confused with schizophrenia; however, these conditions are very different. Most notably, individuals who experience maladaptive daydreaming know that their daydreams are not real, while those with disorders like schizophrenia have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) The NIMH is the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. View Source .

There is some overlap between maladaptive daydreaming and other conditions, however. Individuals with maladaptive daydreaming exhibit more symptoms of depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, and dissociation. They are also more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source , and depression.

Treatment for Maladaptive Daydreaming

There is no official course of treatment for maladaptive daydreaming. Fluvoxamine, a drug commonly prescribed to treat OCD, was found effective in a case study Trusted Source National Library of Medicine, Biotech Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health by providing access to biomedical and genomic information. View Source of one patient. Typically, treatment focuses on reducing the likelihood of experiencing a maladaptive daydream through better sleep and symptom management.

Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

Adopting better sleep habits can improve your sleep quality and potentially have an impact on maladaptive daydreaming.

Set and follow a regular sleep schedule every day of the week, even weekends

• Provide yourself with enough time to enjoy at least seven hours of sleep
• Establish a calming bedtime routine to help you relax into sleep
• Exercise daily and eat well

Reduce Fatigue During the Day

Expose yourself to natural sunlight throughout the day, especially in the morning. Consider consuming caffeine for an extra boost, but avoid having more than 400 milligrams per day and schedule your last cup of coffee at least 6 hours before bed.

Understand Your Symptoms

Use a small notepad or the notes app on your phone to record what you were doing before you had a maladaptive daydream. Once you know what your triggers are, you can take steps to avoid them or understand why they’re triggering you.

Get Support

Explain your symptoms to people you trust, like family members and friends. This will help prevent your daydreams from straining the relationship while also enabling these people to help you by interrupting you when they notice symptoms occurring.

Consider Therapy

A therapist can help you process any underlying trauma and perhaps identify what’s triggering your maladaptive daydreaming. They can also recommend specific strategies for managing your symptoms. For example, grounding techniques can be helpful. Some therapists may also recommend changing your daydream’s plot endings from good to bad to make the daydream less rewarding.

If you feel addicted to daydreaming, or like your daydreams interfere with your daily life, talk to your doctor. They can provide recommendations for controlling your tendency to daydream and provide tips for better focus and better sleep.