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  • What is maladaptive daydreaming?

  • Have you ever sat through a boring class, only to find yourself drifting into a daydream?

  • Maybe you have dreamt about laying in paradise, minutes before checking out of a shift.

  • In most cases, we daydream when we wish to be elsewhere, but can't change the current setting or situation just yet.

  • It sounds harmless, creative, and fun right?

  • But too much of anything is always bad for you.

  • Here's what you need to know about maladaptive daydreaming.

  • What is it?

  • Maladaptive daydreaming is a term first coined by Professor Eli Somer.

  • It is a psychiatric phenomenon that can interfere with your ability to carry out daily tasks including your academics, work, and other regular activities.

  • Professor Somer found that maladaptive daydreaming occurs in people's lives that have suffered from severe trauma.

  • As a result, they would daydream in order to escape their harsh painful realities.

  • What's interesting about maladaptive daydreaming is that it actually isn't represented in the DSM handbook that psychologists often refer to when diagnosing patients.

  • However, some professionals believe it is a mental disorder that can severely affect the individual.

  • What are the symptoms?

  • People who experience maladaptive daydreaming often get triggered by real life traumatizing events or mere reminders of them.

  • They usually have very vivid, detailed daydreams that contain rich, imaginative plots.

  • You might whisper during these daydreams, which can last for hours and affect your ability to finish tasks.

  • You might have trouble sleeping at night too.

  • Maladaptive daydreaming can also coexist with other psychiatric problems including ADD, OCD, and depression.

  • Is there treatment for it?

  • Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for maladaptive daydreaming.

  • However there are techniques you can use to reduce the symptoms such as avoiding potentially triggering people, places, and situations.

  • There is also medication one can take to manage their daydreams.

  • Although maladaptive daydreaming cannot be diagnosed yet by professionals, we wanted to approach it with an open mind and enjoyed exploring it with you.

  • We also included a helpful resource provided in the description box for anyone who may be struggling with dreaming.

  • What other interesting facts do you know about maladaptive daydreaming?

  • Share your thoughts with us below, also please be sure to subscribe to our channel for more helpful tips, and share this video with others.

  • With your help we can reach more people to spread awareness, on the mind and mental health issues.

  • Thanks for watching.

What is maladaptive daydreaming?

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