From MALadaptive to EUadaptive daydreaming - Wild Minds network2024-03-28T13:11:19Zhttps://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/from-maladaptive-to-euadaptive-daydreaming?commentId=4661400%3AComment%3A363366&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThank you for explaining Thea…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2020-11-12:4661400:Comment:3640132020-11-12T01:57:30.230ZMedea Soakhttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/MedeaSoak
Thank you for explaining Theaxe. Now, since my MD is no longer a cause for distress, dysfunction, or disadvantage, I'll call it immersive daydreaming.
Thank you for explaining Theaxe. Now, since my MD is no longer a cause for distress, dysfunction, or disadvantage, I'll call it immersive daydreaming. This quote is from Dr. Somer'…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2020-11-11:4661400:Comment:3632692020-11-11T03:15:51.681ZTheaxehttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Theaxe
<p>This quote is from Dr. Somer's Twitter account, on December 10, 2018:</p>
<p>"<span>Immersive daydreaming is maladaptive only if it creates distress or dysfunction."</span></p>
<p>I keep this in mind when I reflect on the times in my life when I actually felt like my daydream obsession was ruining my life. I felt as though I was choosing a dangerous drug even though I knew it was a problem. During those times, feeling out of control with how much I daydreamed, it was "maladaptive…</p>
<p>This quote is from Dr. Somer's Twitter account, on December 10, 2018:</p>
<p>"<span>Immersive daydreaming is maladaptive only if it creates distress or dysfunction."</span></p>
<p>I keep this in mind when I reflect on the times in my life when I actually felt like my daydream obsession was ruining my life. I felt as though I was choosing a dangerous drug even though I knew it was a problem. During those times, feeling out of control with how much I daydreamed, it was "maladaptive daydreaming". I have for the most part understood how to manage my daydreaming-time, and after seeing that Tweet, can say that it's more immersive daydreaming (at this time). </p>
<p>If you can honestly answer whether or not you actually do feel distress or dysfunction, then that determines whether or not it is maladaptive.</p>
<p>The other factor is what exactly constitutes "distress" and "dysfunction". I sometimes have the tendency to deny my distress and dysfunction because I am self-conscious about dealing with any other disorder that I might have. So, I tend to shrug off things as being typical. I only recently learned that I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), which explains so much now that I know what it is. My distress was easily triggered, but it still doesn't change the fact that I was distressed nonetheless. Unless something drastic changes in my life for the worse, I identify with immersive daydreaming, but for simplicity's sake when I talk about it, I normally just use the term "maladaptive" daydreaming.<br/> <br/> <cite>Medea Soak said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://wildminds.ning.com/forum/topics/from-maladaptive-to-euadaptive-daydreaming#4661400Comment363366"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Thanks Ariane!</p>
<p>Theaxe, should I call what I have 'immersive daydreaming'?</p>
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</blockquote> Thanks Ariane!
Theaxe, should…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2020-11-11:4661400:Comment:3633662020-11-11T02:29:22.233ZMedea Soakhttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/MedeaSoak
<p>Thanks Ariane!</p>
<p>Theaxe, should I call what I have 'immersive daydreaming'?</p>
<p>Thanks Ariane!</p>
<p>Theaxe, should I call what I have 'immersive daydreaming'?</p> I remember being a teenager a…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2020-11-08:4661400:Comment:3630292020-11-08T21:24:47.032ZTheaxehttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Theaxe
<p>I remember being a teenager and young adult and thinking that my daydreaming was ruining my life, but as I aged, I learned to live with it. I went through a long period of time assuming I'd never have a typical life as my friends and family seemed to have (ie. marriages, relationships, careers, etc.). This was distressing.</p>
<p>I learned to get the things I wanted in life, such as a relationship, but hid my daydreaming time as best I could. (Being alone made things so much easier.)…</p>
<p>I remember being a teenager and young adult and thinking that my daydreaming was ruining my life, but as I aged, I learned to live with it. I went through a long period of time assuming I'd never have a typical life as my friends and family seemed to have (ie. marriages, relationships, careers, etc.). This was distressing.</p>
<p>I learned to get the things I wanted in life, such as a relationship, but hid my daydreaming time as best I could. (Being alone made things so much easier.) According to the experts, maladaptive and immersive daydreaming are two different things. In my case, I was not daydreaming to cope with trauma nor was I distressed by the time daydreaming. I was annoyed by it and wished I wasn't doing it, but it wasn't actually <em>distressing</em>. I would say I'm on the cusp of maladaptive and immersive.</p>
<p>When I check social media and find that every day young people are flippantly using the term maladaptive daydreaming to suggest that it's something they do happily, that is when I have to question whether or not they mean immersive daydreaming.</p> Hi Medea,
That was a really i…tag:wildminds.ning.com,2020-11-08:4661400:Comment:3627792020-11-08T21:14:16.416ZArianehttps://wildminds.ning.com/profile/Ariane
<p>Hi Medea,</p>
<p>That was a really interesting post to read! I completely agree that blaming your MD and trying to fix it is counterproductive. I find that it goes away on its own the more my irl life is fulfilling. It's a coping mechanism, it's there to help us cope, so when we find that we MD a lot, instead of trying to stop it and beating ourselves down for it, we should ask ourselves "what can I do to make my day better?". In my opinion, it's adding things, not trying to remove MD, that…</p>
<p>Hi Medea,</p>
<p>That was a really interesting post to read! I completely agree that blaming your MD and trying to fix it is counterproductive. I find that it goes away on its own the more my irl life is fulfilling. It's a coping mechanism, it's there to help us cope, so when we find that we MD a lot, instead of trying to stop it and beating ourselves down for it, we should ask ourselves "what can I do to make my day better?". In my opinion, it's adding things, not trying to remove MD, that works best. </p>