“Mal”adaptiive day dreaming?

[Fergus McRobson]

they discribe this as “mal adaptive day dreaming” but the prefix “mal” comes from latin word malace (sorry for my poor knowledge of latin) but it mean to harm or something bad. To use the example of the word “mal practice” is used to descibe a rouge doctor or lawyer
But with this day dreaming we do is it really causing any harm? In fact i personally find it helps me cope a bit better. Stops me going cometly nuts when i am bored. About the only harm it does sometimes i can get distracted but i can bring myself back.
I gues if you cant stop yourself and you do talk to your imaginary friends in
Public. Or you have trouble discriminating from teality and dream world. Then yes in that case it is harmful.
Any way what are your thoghts?

[Fergus McRobson]

I am pretty confident I am not Schizphrenic (have enough trouble spelling the word)

actually one artical I read once stated that it can be good for ones mental health. 

[Fishno7]

MD is not schizophrenia, and in some case, it does help to cope with our feelings and be beneficial. However, in addition to affecting our social interaction and working efficiency the amount of time wasted would also distort our living schedule and many other plans, making some of us feeling powerless because of unable to achieve anything in real life.

I understand your question if your daydreaming is minor and due to boredom, as I one was part of it and didn't notice any serious either. My reason of MD shifted though, causing it to be excessive and depressing, and eventually make me lost my cause to the root of my problem, so beware of its consequence if it becomes out of control.

[Stasia OBrien]

It can be harmful if too much is spent daydreaming and it is keeping you from other things such as work, school, etc.  Many people feel that they lose a lot of time each day daydreaming which adds up to years. For me, I was living more inside my  head than in real life.

[Fergus McRobson]

I agree with both of your remarks. 

[Fergus McRobson]

At one piont I was concerned about myself. Then I found this and it is good to talk to others who do the same. It almost makes me feel normal. Just kidding. 

As a point Of inter3xt, do have control over it. 

[Briona]

You're right if you can't stop yourself then it becomes Maladaptive. I think it may be different for everyone, but speaking for myself I consider it Maladaptive, because it lied to me about what was real and what wasn't, and I believed it.  It stole so much time from me that now I feel completely behind all of my friends who were paying attention to reality and to their lifes. Now i'm trying to figure out how to deal with reality in a whole, and it's really difficult. 

[Silver Swan]

I've been a maladaptive daydreamer for many years, but I feel that I took it way too far. Whenever I went off in other worlds, it practically made me comatose and forget where I really am. I began dropping my hobbies and interests all for the sake of just sitting there and fazing off in a daydream state, while dwelling on the many things I wanted so badly. My MDD began to effect where my life was going — my education, career path, relationships, friends, even driving...and seeing the world. I wish that I stayed awake and with it, and I had that choice, but apparently I blew it all away just for wanting to excessively daydream. My parents were resentful that I wasn't doing very well in school and making excellent career decisions. I even had the illusion that somebody will be romantically interested in me and make all my desires come true. As a result, I was highly disappointed, and wonder if it's not too late to start over.

[Fergus McRobson]

Silvr,

serriously it is nit too late to start over. 

I supose it did effect me a little badly. I did (and still do) have trouble relating to poeple. And i was concerened that poeple may find out my day dreaming and think i was a bit of looney. And yes it did cause a bit of depression because life wasnt living up to my day dreams. 

On the other hand my dreams did give me that desire to make them into reality. And i did push fir it and now some of them are coming true. Oh and i still day dream a bit. 

Like your case just keep bring that person you are inside to the surface and if you like the person your are someone real will see it and want to get to know you. 

Sounds a bit fairy tale there but if they dint like you for who are then stuff em!

[Silver Swan]

Thanks. I will try my best.

[Alex]

If your daydreaming isn't maladaptive, then it's just daydreaming. 
Maladaptive in psychology is basically referring to poorly-adjusted behavior. It's dysfunctional, distressing. Like having a drink to reduce stress is only really maladaptive if the individual is continuously doing in it, not finding proper relief from the issues they're using it to cope with, and/or experiencing side-effects that outweigh the benefits. Otherwise, no problemo. Continue what you're doing.

I think about this a lot because I'm also in a similar camp as you and on the fence about calling my daydreaming maladaptive. To me, treatment would resemble more what I've read about dissociative identity - it served a purpose for coping with overwhelming circumstances and should ideally be properly integrated into the personality, not completely removed without reconciling it or replacing it with something else. There are things that my daydreaming does get in the way of, they're just not a priority for me. I have bad social anxiety, no friends and I desperately want a romantic relationship although I'd argue that I'm a little too vulnerable for relationships. The things that are a priority I manage without daydreaming affecting my performance too much. Actually, sometimes it heightens my performance.