Could this be the Answer? The Cure?

[Ecstasy]

Hey there,

Do you experience the following symptoms when you are daydreaming/fantasizing???

Mania Symptoms

Mania symptoms may include excessive happiness, excitement, irritability, restlessness, increased energy, less need for sleep, racing thoughts, high sex drive, and a tendency to make grand and unattainable plans.

Depression Symptoms

Depression symptoms may include sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable crying, change in appetite causing weight loss or gain, increased need for sleep, difficulty making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Compulsive Daydreamers under go Rapid Cycling of the two. First Mania in the form of Daydreaming, followed by an episode of Depression minutes or seconds later . Then manic minutes or seconds after feeling depressed. and so on over and over again like a cycle ...

Ok, so i was researching into mental illnesses and came across one that runs in my family. I originally thought to be diagnosed with this illness you would have to be aggressive or violent. I was Wrong!!! All the symptoms of MD can be easily explained through this illness. 99% of all the accounts i have read that involve people treating MD with medication, and in some cases, being CURED from MD involve the exact medication required for this illness. Basically the symptoms i listed above are the exact symptoms of Bipolar type 1 and type 2. 

Do NOT be ignorant!!! Do NOT assume you are not Bipolar. Take a good look at the symptoms above and sit down and take a good look at the CONTENT of your daydreams. What do daydream about and how does it make you feel? Does it correlate with the symptoms of Mania as described above, excitement,  euphoria, irritability etc. When people say and do things you don't like in your daydreams, how do you respond? are you irritable towards them? 

I dream about Success which leads to extreme sexual dreams or dreams of revenge, anger/killing people. In my daydreams i am irritable,  powerful, rogue uncontrollable and occasionally heartless. I dream about making things right, correcting this awful world we live in.

My Theory is that people who experience Maladaptive Daydreaming are people who have had a low self-esteem or low confidence levels at some point in life. And at some point in life, went through period with very little social contact or struggled socially in some way. They do not have the confidence to express there Mania in any other way but to Daydream, and end up daydreaming compulsively as a result.

99% of all the accounts of people being treated or cured of daydreaming have involved EITHER: Anti-psychotics OR Anticonvulsants which are two types of drugs used to treat Bipolar amongst others. Anti-psychotics are the favourite for daydreaming for some reason.

However, you can guarantee that some people daydream compulsively - not because they are bipolar, but because of something else such as OCD. There seems to be atleast 4 possible reasons why someone would daydream compulsively.  These 4 reasons could be OCD, addiction, depression and Bipolar. But a vast majority of the evidence available so far points to Bipolar. My psychiatrist explained to me that my daydreaming CANNOT be OCD. I cant remember his reasons, i just remember that when he gave me his reasons agreed with 110% that it could not be OCD. However, OCD is a type of depression too. It could be an addiction, but can an addiction lead to Bipolar or be in the form of Bipolar?  Yes, it could be depression, however Bipolar is a type of depression and includes depression as one of the symptoms. What this means is that OCD Antidepressants combined with Bipolar medication should guarantee an end to our compulsive daydreaming for a majority of us. 

Your might need to try a few OCD Antidepressants to find one that works. Most need to try atleast two. You might have to try a few Antipsychotics to find one that works. And just because you experience side effects from a drug doesn't mean its affecting the section of the brain that it is suppose to affect. There are many different types of Antidepressants and many different types of Antipsychotics. You have to take the right type to have the desired affect. Taking the wrong type of Antidepressant/Antipsychotic may mean that you don't get relief from the illness. In Maladaptive daydreamers, most people from my research took preference to Abilify (Aripiprazole) used for Bipolar type 1 which is more Manic then Bipolar Type 2. Just because someone does not respond to an Antipsychotic in the desired way DOES NOT MEAN they are not Bipolar, it just means that they need to try a couple more Bipolar drugs, possibly one that is a different type to the one they were originally taking. I will try to post the links to my research in treating compulsive daydreaming. There are quite a few links -  about 30 .

http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-disorder-sympto...

Here are the symptoms of Bipolar taken from another website  -  the UK Government organization - the NHS

Beware there are subtle differences in the symptoms of Mania below, the important thing is that you fit majority of the symptoms. Remember your asking yourself if these symptoms are the symptoms you experience when you daydream Outside your daydreams it is likely you don't experience any of the symptoms because your Manic/daydream episode has come to an end.

Mania

The manic phase of bipolar disorder may include:

• feeling very happy, elated or overjoyed
• talking very quickly
• feeling full of energy
• feeling self-important
• feeling full of great new ideas and having important plans
• being easily distracted
• being easily irritated or agitated
• being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking
• not feeling like sleeping
• not eating
• doing things that often have disastrous consequences, such as spending large sums of money on expensive and sometimes unaffordable items
• making decisions or saying things that are out of character and that others see as being risky or harmful 

Depression 

which you can read through the link below.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Bipolar-disorder/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Also check out Cyclothymia which may apply to many of - its another type of Bipolar.

[Hermits United]

From what I understand the episodes have to be a decent length of time at least several days and they aren't actually triggered by anything; even when something awful happens the person can still be high as a kite and when something good happens they can still be incredibly sad. It's more like a pendulum, as high up as you go, you'll come down just as much. I'd be careful before assuming you're bipolar. 

[greyartist]

when I went to a psychiatrist for my MD he labeled me bipolar. But I don't go manic, only depression with the DDs. I tried 3 Antipsychotics, one helped with the MD but side effects were too bad to continue. It's hard for me to except being bipolar without any manic symptoms.

[Ecstasy]

My Mum, two sisters and best friend are Bipolar. I know exactly how Bipolar people act. Manic phase can last minutes or hours rarely days without a depressive phase. In fact I have never seen the Manic phase last for longer then a few hours.

It is triggered by many things actually. Manic people tend to feel like they are being verbally abused when somebody says something negative. My Mum is the perfect example, however she is Bipolar Type 1.

Outside my daydreams, i am the most calm, relaxed and thoughtful person you'll ever meet. My Mum knows this, however if i say something she doesn't like she has MASSIVE debate about what i said, argues about it but never gets violent- not with me. With other people she will get violent. My Mum and sisters have many triggers. When having a Manic episode they will get violent and do things that are nothing short of Insane. That is because they are all Bipolar Type 1.

My friend is Schizoaffective, which is basically the same as Bipolar. He has fewer triggers that lead to a Manic episode. On a night out, i pulled a girl, he never lets me get with attractive girls if  he is with me. I told him off for consistently trying to get in my way on every night out  and always pushing me away when i am talking to a girl.  He flipped! Attacked me! Were fighting for half-an-hour. He tried breaking into my bedroom but could open lock and couldn't kick the door open. He took all the knives out the kitchen and put them in his bedroom. All night he was sending death threats telling me he's gonna kill me. Within a few hours he appologised to me, he said he didn't know what he was thinking.  Normally he is so calm, relaxed and overly affectionate with small episodes of mild-mania in between his episodes of affection.

Believe me, i know exactly what classical Bipolar is. I have lived with it for 22 years. When i was a child. When ever the family was together they would fight. Even now i'd get scared that someone was gonna die if the fight didn't end. Living with bipolar people is the most scary thing ever, its like living in a horror. Its just a matter of time before the horror starts again. But like i said they are Bipolar Type 1 which is the most extreme. 

I have never seen Bipolar turn to a Manic episode without a trigger. Its just sometimes the trigger is external sometimes the trigger has been caused by something the person is thinking or feeling. Usually you can get a rough idea as to what the trigger is even if it is a thought/feeling usually about something that happened in the past and not an external /current trigger.

Just to clarify -  BIPOLAR/MANIA does NOT REQUIRE AGGRESSION OR VIOLENCE  it is just something that occurs as a result of irritability in SOME bipolar patients. If you thought that Aggression or Violence was a requirement of bipolar/mania, then you NEED TO RE-READ the DISCUSSION ABOVE as that is NOT one a symptoms in all Bi-polar patients only some like my family and best friend. Sorry if i gave that impression. 

[Ecstasy]

There might be a type of Bipolar that doesn't require irritability. Bipolar itself may not necessarily require irritability as long as many of the symptoms describe you - you might still be diagnosed with bipolar despite not being irritable. There  is a very good reason why one of the Anti-psychotic worked for you - and it might be that your MD is in some way related/similar to Bipolar through being caused by the same chemicals in brain. 

If you read up on bipolar, you will find that many people who have the illness have very high levels of creativity and many show symptoms of inattentive ADD, and difficulty concentrating. This is not consistent in Bipolar people however it is one of the many trends in people with Bipolar

It is also important to know that there are many illnesses related to Bipolar that in someway are the same and in some way are different such as Borderline Personality Disorder etc etc . You have to take a look at the true definition of Mania, ask yourself what is this website called - WILD MINDS.

Like i said Bipolar might not require irritability (just a possibility) and may show the symptoms of ADHD/ADD Inattentive Type in some people according scientists.

Have you tried Anti-convulsants/lithium, if the cause of MD is the same as bi-polar to some extent or if it is Bipolar then Anti-convulsant and lithium might help with fewer symptoms? Just a thought. 

greyartist said:

when I went to a psychiatrist for my MD he labeled me bipolar. But I don't go manic, only depression with the DDs. I tried 3 Antipsychotics, one helped with the MD but side effects were too bad to continue. It's hard for me to except being bipolar without any manic symptoms.

[Andasho]

Yes, please be cautious in being quick to label yourself bipolar, (or in attributing/diagnosing something within yourself to any psychiatric condition for that matter). There is always a spectrum in everything and everyone operates uniquely, and is their own mixture of brain chemistry conditions, preferences, and Self both biologically, mentally, and on a nonphysical level. The diagnosises are tools used to treat and classify in the practical physical world when it is needed (like all science) but be careful about seeking cure-alls that way or using them as a crutch. Ppl with highly active and developed imaginations/DD/MD should be able to understand more than anyone that the patterns that manifest in the physical world are a result of energy patterns.
I do not believe that MD can be labeled or is a specific thing in itself that one would ever find a cure all for - bc I believe it's a modality (though on a much more complex level since it does not just take place in the material world, and it operates on A LOT of different levels) that is facilitated by circumstance. When I say this I place a heavy emphasis on the fact there's black and white (neg/pos) in everything but its even more emphasized with DD. If anyone were to say that MD were to be cause specifically by one thing, it would be like saying alcoholism or other forms of addiction are. Rather than understanding that - yes there is a predisposition bc I who you are on whatever levels (Biologically (eg. Nature/nurture/nutrition/brain chemistry), mentally (eg. Brain chemistry/thought/personality/free will), spiritually (eg. energy/TrueSelf etc.) towards the thing, but it in itself does not have one set "instant gratification type" solution, and is more like a symptom of false beliefs and misalignment or balance than a cause (one that, yes can become an main issue in itself). But this is like working out. It's a lifestyle. You can't just take a pill and make it go away, or go on a magic crash diet and expect the core issue not to come raging back with a vengeance or at least back to where it was before - because its about discovering who you are. I'm not saying not to gain an understanding of all of these things but it IS important to be careful and take second opinions on second opinions and always ultimately define yourself on the basis of your SELF (for your own health / truth as well self esteem) - and when you do know a truth about your own conditions to explore and take responsibility for that Self and to not shy away from it. Anything less would be denying your own superpowers and hiding them under a carpet to make them go away. People do that. It causes pain. When it could instead bring creativity and joy.

[Andasho]

...
As far as bipolar goes - that definitely could be an option for some ppl as per what ur getting at but like I said proceed cautiously and aware. Do real research on bipolar and the different types if you're seriously considering this for yourself - to rule it in or rule it out. (-I personally do not know what its like to be in a bipolar manic state of mind so I cant speak from that perspective if MD is possible ie. the lack of engagement: from my understanding mania has a VERY social pull to it, to the point oull converse openly and excitedly with strangers, idk if this is chemically similar to cocaine high or not but its combined with impulse spending- when you read this stuff and these symptoms online or in a text book I know it might be easy to identify with them or to what you do on a nonphysical level when you're engaged in your DD- but when you see and experience it in person it's entirely different- we're talking draining your entire bank account on identical iPods in one go and then spray painting them all the same color, and returning to stores any way to put things on lay away, or walking into the local bank in a scuba outfit with a surfboard and talking to everyone like they're you're best friends that you're dropping by to run important quick errands with- this is extreme end of the spectrum stuff but i jus dont know if the mania could be accompanied by inaction and channeled into fantasy, i can see fantasy occuring a the same time as action or amidst it but to me it seems like it would be more along the lines of paranoia / delusion / schiz and i just dont know if it would qualify as MD, esp bc of the fact it's actually mania. But like I said that's the extreme end of the spectrum so water that all down in your interpretation for where you're going w this) The treatments as far as brain chemical conditioning for your own situation could end up being very similar even i you are not in fact bipolar (this does happen with similar genetics/brain chemical predispositions too). Bipolar is very much somethin like diabetes (different stages of seriousness) but its a lifestyle.
I very very strongly agree w the post above me bc I've had intimate personal experience with true treatment-resistent mania / bipolar-in-denial as well. The part of it that sound strange to me is the flash cycling of the mania. Episodes as far as I understand last a long period of time, I don't kno much about anything BUT Bipolar 1 which ranges into the psychotic episodes except that if its not Bipolar 1 apparently there is the possibility of controlling / acknowledging what's going on (ie. oh.. I havent slept in 3 days I shld prob take some meds even though this is fun) vs being completely overcome (biologically once tiggered) and unable to exert your self. That non bipolar 1 'able on some level to control it but don't feel like it/want to thing cause it feels good & yeah' thing seems similar to the quote on quote "will-power" element of the cold turkey self-exertion part involved with MD (only theres no, stop having a "MAL-adaptive episode" type mentality or treatment abt the whole thing). From personal experience: my brother is bipolar 1 & when he had his most recent episode and I was doing the NYPD's job and chasing him around Long Island, Manhattan, and Connecticut, there was a period of at least a week where I came out to keep watch over his extremely manic ass and make sure he didn't get arrested or killed while we were waiting for him to "crash"- it didn't happen. He maybe slept a couple hrs in a 2 wk period, prob walked over 100 miles, & was literally carrying objcts around w him to weigh himself down. Aft having to pull an Olivia Benson on him (literally) there was abt a wk of med trtmnt in a BK facility where he started to calm down- then he was told he'd have to keep going w it, & escaped down a 3 story window & walked from Brooklyn to Yale CT w no shoes. So, u can c y Im skeptical abt mania w inaction- but *every1 is different.*

[taffle]

Several reasons why I DD: 1) boredom, 2) don't want to wake up tired

My life is pretty boring; I don't have money to go to places and try out new experiences. Daydreaming spices up my life by allowing me to imagine scenarios that are fun and exciting. When I have multiple successive dreams in a row, I wake up dead tired and wished I had not dreamed in the first place. Dreaming at night is not as draining as dreaming in the morning.

[Amanda]

I work medical aid in the disease management department, and bipolar is one the conditions we deal with. While ir is possible for one to have bipolar and MD, they are not one and the same. Bipolar IS NOT MD. There has been a lot of study on bipolar and it is a clearly defined illness, it is not what we have. I have known about bipolar and tried to see if fit the profile before I knew about MD, and I did not fit that profile. Our daydreams do not always fit the mania/depression cycle, which is a distinctive characteristic of bipolar, thou daydreams of someone with bipolar may fit that profile. Maybe you have both, but that does not make it one and the same. You have two distinc illnesses. It is not uncommon for symptoms of psychiatric conditions to overlap, most of them do, even among the known conditions, with depression and anxiety being a common symptom for most.

[Paracosm]

I get the point you're making, but I don't exactly relate. I've actually been wondering if I could be bipolar because I've noticed that I sometimes have phases of depression-like symptoms (lack of interest, sadness, irritability, feelings of hopelessness, etc) that seem beyond my control. Other times, I can become very focused, creative, and ambitious. A while back, I had an entire day in which I was unusually silly, giggly, and talkative and I couldn't control it even when I tried to be serious. My sister couldn't figure out what was up with me, and I was embarrassed about my behavior.

I won't automatically assume that I'm bipolar, because mood swings, to some degree, are completely natural. I've never done anything extremely outrageous when I've felt "up". However, I'm not saying that I'm NOT bipolar, because if I continue to notice pronounced phases, I might like to explore the idea. But I don't believe that all my problems can fit into one box. I have dissociative symptoms, too, but I don't believe they have anything to do with MD.

My daydreaming often induces a "high", but I wouldn't describe it as manic or even hypomanic. It's more like the feeling you get while doing something you really enjoy, like playing a game or drawing a picture. Some days, I'm in my dream world almost full time, even while I'm busy with real-world activities and I'm interacting with real people, and these days I'm usually more chipper. Sometimes I daydream on purpose to try to cheer myself up. There's definitely a "high" associated with my daydreaming, but I think it lasts for a while after I stop daydreaming.

I don't know very much about bipolar disorder, so I can't compare it very well with MD, but this is just my experience.

Also, I wouldn't be so quick to assume that medication will solve everything. It seems that no one fully understands mental illness, and it just seems silly to take medication in a "trial-and-error" sort of way to find whatever seems to work. I have no experience with medication, and although I know it has helped many people, I know it has also messed up a lot of people. I don't think I would EVER take medication for my daydreaming. We don't even know if it's truly an abnormality. Just because a certain behavior isn't exhibited by the "average" person doesn't make it a symptom of a mental illness. How do we know that some people don't just have a different way of perceiving the world and expressing their feelings?

If you had a cut, would you pour the contents of whatever bottles are in the bathroom closet on the cut until it "feels better"? I won't claim to be an expert on mental illness, but taking different kinds of medication until you get the result you want doesn't make any sense, especially when you don't know what the long-term affects will be.

[SilenceIsBeautiful]

This is soo true bookmarking I experience all that

[Catherine]

Hmm not sure if I have this or not. I usually day dream most of the time and get side tracked by every little thought and tend to feel a bit better because it sometimes helps with my anxiety and other feelings . Ehh I'm so confused

[sky high]

to me i see MD as a much bigger problem know ,,,,seriously i am scared of it now ,,,i dnt want to become a mad person now,,,some time i wonder y y i only had to suffer from this MD problem:(:(